Five questions answered by the BookshelfTracker community
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1.) Did someone read to you when you were a child (who, what, when, where, why)?
My parents used to read to me. They were big believers in the idea that reading was important.
2.) What’s the first book you remember reading that had a lasting effect on you?
How to Win Friends and Influence People. I read it freshman year of college, my dad bought it for me, and it really helped me to deal with people and make better friendships. It also got me started on learning to think more and to want to learn more.
3.) What genre(s) do you love?
History, philosophy, religion, and economics. I would say those are my favorite, but really I will read anything non-fiction.
4.) Has a book ever changed your life?
Many books have changed my life. After How to Win Friends and Influence People, I would say the most life-changing book I’ve read is Ordinary Men. It was so shocking and shattered illusions I had built in my life that I felt like I needed to act on the books I was reading.
5.) What attracts you to a book? The cover? Podcast? Recommendation from others?
I like to follow certain threads and ideas, like how representative government evolved, the rise and fall of communism, why does civilization collapse, etc., and after reading a book I tend to just follow a vibe. Maybe one book is mentioned by many others and I want to see what it’s about. Maybe I’ve noticed that I’ve never really read a book on ancient Greece. But overall, I like to follow ideas and my own curiosity.
*BookshelfTracker is an app that lets you organize the books you own, track who you lend them to, and more. Learn more on our website bookshelftracker.com