To clarify, not your favorite book or “the book that changed your life,” but the book you looked up one day and realized, despite not having read it or thought hard about it in years, had a quiet and profound effect on your identity. You may not even recommend it, but something about it grew over time.
I love Charles Duhigg books (scientific self-help), but I rarely enact his tips and tricks. I /do/ bring up his stories and examples constantly (they’re great small talk, and always applicable) and find myself reliving them subconsciously.
Books of philosophy I read as a teen really helped change the way I think, but I couldn’t tell you what they said or how they said it—just that I’m a different person because of them.
I think some of the fiction I’ve read really had the greatest effect on how I interact with people, how I understand relationships and emotions.
What’s your dark horse book that surprised you years later?
by NotAlanShapiro
2 Comments
The book “The Courage to Teach” changed my outlook on teaching because it was so fucking pretentious and stupid.
Before reading that I heard great reviews and thought “wow, teaching must really be an art form.”
Now, after reading it and having taught for 7 years, I realize it was just a guy doing the literary equivalent of jerking off for nearly 200 pages.
Teaching isn’t a “calling” it’s a profession. We do it to live. Not live to do it.
Stop thinking start living …. Got me through the worst year of my live 🙏🏼🙏🏼