The Books that Shape our Lives

What was the most important book I ever read? The first one! Because it inspired my love for reading. I can't remember it's title but I do have imprinted memories of early readings: the stoic wife in The Good Earth and John Proctor, the flawed and heroic protagonist of The Crucible.

How many books have I read so far? 797. Not a lot for 58 years of living. But if you start counting ideas each page offers, and sentiments a word evokes, you have enough from books to last a thousand lifetimes.

Why do we read? Some read to learn and be inspired. For another "the first book I read was my secret door to the world. And not an escape from it." And this guy read because "The book which left the biggest impact on my life, I bought it for just $2 in a sale. The book named Egonomics."

Books affect us. We see life through another person's soul. And if we get really lucky, we change the way we see, judge and feel about things. It stirs us to act.

There was a reason why I took Eng Literature. The boy-girl ratio is 1 to 4. But taking Lit almost killed my joy for reading. Why? I did not like being graded for what I love (Blake) and hate (Dickens) to read. I dropped it ASAP.

Answer this question- what is your favorite book ever?

For many, the question evokes memories of a childhood. Perhaps mother reading Blyton by your side or being mesmerized by the Hardy Boys. But sometimes, in a moment of sadness, I wonder what was Anne Frank's favorite book? She was only 13 when she started on her diary that changed the world.

A hundred years ago Edison knew that the printed media would be accompanied by some kind of new technology and predicted that books will be obsolete in schools because "Scholars will be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture". Well, we all know that geniuses never worry about being wrong.

I love the feel of paper but I love more being able to enlarge the font size, read in a darken airplane cabin and have 10,000 pages on my tablet to enjoy.

I wonder if Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz is right. "Writing serious literature is in trouble not because of the number of writers, but because we no longer have readers.

Steve Jobs thought reading as we know it will die "because people don't read anymore." And that's one reason why Apple was slow getting into the e-reading ecosystem. It didn't matter though "Devices are not dangerous for literature. People can be dangerous for literature. People, for example, who do not read."

Our 8 year old just finished Book 3 of Harry Potter. She is now making up her version, using characters of Leaky Cauldron, Wand Guy and the Robe Woman (there may be some kind of IP infringement but give her a break Rowling- she is driven by art and not $). She also has plans for a theatrical version. I fear I may be forced to play a prop (eg chair) or worse, a living thing (horse).

I miss reading as a child. Then you have enough of a vocabulary that allows enjoyment and still innocent enough to feel and imagine, with all our senses, the magic of a good read. And when I am 88, I trust curiosity will finally get me to pick up a Harry Potter and understand what the fuss is all about!

Who said this? Clue: Everybody knows this billionaire!

"I’m excited for my reading challenge. I’ve found reading books very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today. I’m looking forward to shifting more of my media diet towards reading books."

#reading