Books that make a difference
The book I'm reading now has had an influence on me. It is an anthology of 55 people who tell about a book that influenced them. Our friend Bernie Siegel, M.D., is in this book.
The book that most influenced Bernie is a book I also read so many years ago. It was The Human Comedy by William Saroyan. I loved the book, read it several times. I knew that Saroyan was ahead of his time, he was so creative and original.
For some years The Human Comedy was definitely a favorite book of mine. Bernie knew what he got from it. Unlike Bernie, I didn't know what I was learning. I just knew I loved it.
Before I tell you what Bernie consciously learned and what I might have learned subconsciously, there are three other people and their favorite books that I would like to tell you about. Actually, I'm going to have to break this book review into several blog entries.
One remarkable chapter was about Bob Young. He, along with his partner, started Linux, an open source program, a totally free operating system. This is the program that Heaven Admin favors.
The book that influenced Bob Young the most was Don Quixote by Cervantes. Don Quixote is the man who fancied himself a knight and tilted at windmills. He treated peasant girls as if they were princesses etc. Good for Don Quixote! Isn't that what we all should be doing -- seeing ourselves as knights and every woman as a princess?
That wasn't quite the point that Bob Young got out of the book, however. Bob got out of it that you "have to play to win." He had never done well academically. He wrote:
"I decided to start my own typewriter rental business, mainly so my business card would Bob Young, President. My mother, who had been worried about her ne''er do well son, was impressed with my title, even though I was the executive of a business without any customers or revenue."
What Young learned from Don Quixote was to take on adventure and take risks. Bob Young ultimately made money by giving away Linux.
I must quote Bob Young once again:
"If, as an entrepreneur, you aren't taking a chance on a different way of doing things, you're almost certain to fail."
The keywords for Bob Young are serve and risk. Dynamite!
Tomorrow I'll tell you about someone else and how a book she read had a great impact on her. And what this lady wrote about had an effect on me, but one I was sorry about later.
Comments
I am continuously adding to my list of books that have most influenced me but still at the top of the list are the first ones, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Lookinglass, plus the Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh books of stories and poems. Balancing those out would be the Mother Goose nursery rhymes. I can't remember a time when I couldn't read and it is still my most favorite pastime.
Maybe something all my influential books had in common was talking animals. If I was given one wish granted for my Self it would probably be for the gift of being able to talk with animals tho I know that one has a sharp edge to it.
Here are two quotes from Saroyan about why he writes.
"Because I hate to believe that I'm sick or half dead, because I want to get better; because writing is my therapy."
"My work is writing, but my real work is being."
Charles, that would be a powerful gift; to communicate with animals. We all have it. It's just a matter of unwrapping. Have you read any of Narnia?
I'm reading Gora by Rabrindanath Tagore (sp) in Spanish, for the last two years. It's a rich wonderful story!
One day I would like to take up reading again. I remember devouring books between the ages of 7-18. Mainly science fiction and fantasy. Then at some point I started to read Terry Pratchett who's writing is a higher level of entertainment. I've read all his books. Douglas Adams too.
I specially like C.S Lewis because in The Narnia Chronicles, his story telling transcends highly entertaining into being inspirational and soul satisfying. In the world of comics there is Bill Waterson and A.A Milne, from whom emerged Calvin and Hobbes and Winnie the Pooh, respectively.
Gloria, thanks for the quotes from Bob Young. It's about time I picked up Don Quixote. Yes! I agree. To serve; and boldly do what the world says is impossible are qualities essential to an entrepreneur.
Is a business man the same as an entrepreneur?
Santhan, no the business man is not the same as an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is a creator, an artist, an inventer. When an enterprise becomes so successful as to need help to run it, an entrepreneur might look for kindred souls or might sell to a business man or woman and move on. You can learn to be a business person by studying and getting an MBA. You can't learn to be a successful entrepreneur unless possibly by working as an apprentice under one. It seems to be a gift. Steve Jobs at Apple is one who stuck with what he started.
I understand the ability to communicate with animals to be something like Godwriting. I want more of the Dr. Doolittle variety.
I understand now Charles. In that case, I also want some of the Dr. Doolittle variety. I'm pretty sure thats how it is in Narnia.
Reading is not one of my favourite things, although one book really stands out. " Initiation" By Elisabeth Haich. Loaned to me by a friend more than 40 years ago I read and reread it several times. Bought it, lend it out and did not get it back. That hapened again and again I am now in possession of the 5th book and it still gives me pleasure and opens my mind more every time. I like stories about Physics more the Novels. A lot of the books Gloria talks about were not read in Holland at my time there. And later I was studying seamansship and navigation both extremely interesting subjects. To Me I must add. In the meantime enjoy your reading while I communicate with Nature, aka God. Love to all. Jack
Dear Jack, how funny it is that my first contact with Elizabeth Haich was in a book co-written with Selvarajan Yesudian entitled: Hatha Yoga (first published in 1958). That is the book I started with in doing Yoga. I was forteen years old. And I still use it at 64. It must be one of the book that did a deep mark on me. And at the same age, I went through the Bhagavad-Gita, commented by Sri Aurobindo. Wow! Definitely, Present is the only time to conjugate verbs. And I think that eternity is a very linear, 3-D concept. Present is the only way to understand the meaning of eternity.
Thanks Jack. Love you Jack and love you all.
Jack, what can books teach you when your heart is so big and beautiful and you give so much love? You could write your own book -- Jack said: "Love."
Dear Gloria,
How can I write a book as I can not spell propperly? Gloria I was not always as I am NOW, It took a lot of learning. Once I started to realise I was not alone all things started to come Right. Thank you GOD and All for the lessons, so NOW I Am. Love to All. Jack
Hi Normand, Yes I read some from Arobinda. Yoga, I had a look at, but It was not my thing. Hey you Younster at 64 I was still screeming at my deckhands, but then I am a slow learner. Funny though "NOW" is so beautiful and full of LOVE. I am waiting, for in another 11 month I will be an old man 80. And still loving all. See you on the blog Love Jack
Jack, these days 80 is young. When you reach 95 we'll re-evaluate the old man title!