How I Discovered the Life-Changing Power of Reading Amazing Books
“Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant, and interesting.” Aldous Huxley
Welcome to Nate’s Book Club!
I’m a regular, middle-aged guy with a wife I adore, five super cool kids, an interesting job, and a couple of hobbies I enjoy. And I love to read. I think that I have something interesting to say and I definitely want to add value to this world. I hope you will feel the same!
Growing up I was a dedicated student and excelled at getting good grades. Sadly, knowledge and learning were never my passion. I was a fixture in the university library on the basement floor where I studied for hours on end. I put my head down and plowed through years of undergraduate and graduate education followed by more post-graduate training. When I finished I was ready to reap the rewards of my hard work, yet I sensed that something important was missing in my life. After all those years of education, what did I possess? Those years of sacrifice should have felt more gratifying. About that time I came across a Facebook post from someone who had also recently finished his post-graduate training and was publicly committing to read more and document his efforts by posting book reviews.
It’s unclear what from those book reviews had such a profound impact on me and inspired me to start reading and listening to books. Perhaps it was the realization that, despite my success, there was much in life that I was missing out on. Perhaps it was a recognition that I needed to be more deliberate with my time (listening to one more minute of sports-talk radio would surely melt my brain!). Regardless of the cause of that inspiration, I could not be more grateful for the path I started down that day and the impact of that simple post. I almost do not recognize the man writing this today compared to the one who started nine years ago.
Through the gift of reading I have traveled the world – from the streets of apartheid South Africa with the future welterweight champion of the world, to the snowy mountain peaks of the Italian Alps with Pino in some of the tensest moments of WWII. I walked with John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus bridge into Selma, Alabama, and suffered with Ernest Shackleton and his men in the bitter cold of the antarctic. I have sailed with the Dread Pirate Roberts to the corners of the Dark Web, and toiled with Michaelangelo as he sculpted The David. I have seen despair at the US/Mexican border, witnessed the assassination of Martin Luther King, and experienced numerous other places and events throughout history.
More important than the places I have been is the person I have become. I have explored the history and the virtues of psychedelics and have reflected seriously if I would ever use one. I read about life’s first mountain and started my trek up The Second Mountain with David Brooks. From Steven Pressfield I learned about the call of the Universe to create, and the role that Resistance plays to keep us from that calling. I listened to an in depth book about Why We Sleep, and immediately changed my attitude and habits. Rabbi Kushner expounded on fifty years of service to his congregation and imparted the nine essential things he’s learned in life – which have changed mine. After reading Dr. Fung’s Complete Guide to Fasting, I pulled off a grueling five day fast. My long-held beliefs of human nature were challenged by Rutger Bregman, but he finally did convince me that humans are good by nature and kindness is the key to solving society’s challenges. Perhaps most important, thanks to Mo Gawdat, I have set out on my personal path to Solve for Happy.
If I had to pick the most important lesson I have learned, it is to be open to the world and what it has to offer me. Through these books I have been given the gift of seeing life from a different perspective. Life extends far outside of the comforts of the middle-class suburbs of Salt Lake City. As these authors have shared their experiences and ideas, I have developed more compassion for those who suffer greatly in this world. I have learned that life is complex, filled with inexplicable joys and incomprehensible sorrows. But that is the beauty of this life. I have experienced the truth that Frederick Douglas proclaimed, “Once you learn to read, you will forever be free.”
In my bio I made reference to my love for recommending books. It truly brings me joy to hear feedback from someone that they loved my recommendation. The world just seems right when I’m engrossed in a book. Yet, somehow it’s even better when someone else is enjoying one as well. Over the years, one of my biggest frustrations is finding those books. I have spent countless hours scouring the web for “best books,” “top 100 books of all time,” “I need a book to read!” etc. The sites I end up on often don’t have the information I need to make an educated choice. There are so many books to read and so little time. Every book counts! I have created this website to help you find your next book. I also hope to hear about the books that have changed your life as well. Together, let’s develop a community that will assist others to start their journey of discovery or help them with the next step along the way.
George R. R. Martin once said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…. The man who never reads lives only one.” I am passionate about reading and I hope I can help you to find your next great book!
Happy Reading,
Nate
P.S. Please sign up for my newsletter on the homepage to get the latest updates from Nate’s Book Club, and a chance to win one of my favorite books! If you do sign up, please keep your eye out for a confirmation email. If you don’t see it check your spam box….
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