The great Philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said:
“If you encounter a man of rare intellect, you should ask him what books he reads.”
Ralph Waldo.
You’re probably asking: Whats so special about these three books?
Before I suggest the three books I personally think you should read, I wish to emphasize on the importance of reading because social media seems to have laid to rest the culture of reading books.
What learning systems have you been through?
We have been tuned by our culture to think that formal education provides us with a substantial amount of learning, when indeed, considerable learning is achieved through intentional reading of good books and information.
Most of us have been through two kinds of educational systems: the formal and the informal system of learning.
When you attend institutions where learning is structured into curriculum’s, objectives and specific time frames, and certification is awaited at the end of the study, your learning is set to be formal.
But when you learn unintentionally from family members, peers, and personal experiences as you interact with people daily, your learning is set to be informal.
According to the European Union (EU) Policy Document provided by the (European Commission, 2001) the third kind of learning known as the non-formal learning system is a combination of the formal and the informal learning systems.
With non-formal learning, learning is not provided by an educational institution. It is a system of learning that is aimed at growing the learners mind rather than acquiring certificates.
This is where in my opinion, a greater portion of learning actually takes place throughout our lifetime.
Sadly, 90 percent of humans miss out this form of education because once certificates are acquired from formal learning institutions, intentional learning suddenly comes to an end. If someone has to read, it would definitely be to sit for exams.
I urge you to give a second thought to a non-formal system of learning that requires intentional reading for personal growth.
I know you’ve read many good books before but here’s the reason these three books I’m about to introduce to you are timeless.
I call them the All-in-one books because they touch every aspect of life: from finance to health, character building and relationship with God and man.
Here ‘s my take:
1 The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren is a book that introduces you to the purpose for which you were created.
I often say; some people exist to make a living while others exist to make a meaning. If you exist to make a meaning, “Purpose Driven Life is the way to discovering your purpose for existence.
2 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Discovering your purpose is one thing: living your purpose is another. Stephen Covey addresses key concepts on character building that starts from inside-out. He calls it the Character Ethic as opposed to the Personality Ethic which focuses more on techniques and styles to build a personality.
Covey explains that if you can focus on achieving private victories within yourself, you can naturally develop the ability to influence other people.
In other words, you must start by leading yourself exceptionally well before you can effectively lead others. He draws his inspiration from scriptures: Be transformed by the renewing of your heart.
Before I introduce the last book, permit me to share with you….
What these two books did to me.
When I read these two books, my approach to life was expedient. I became pragmatic, confident and self-reliant. I wanted to know more and do more. It prompted me to take a resolution to buy and read at least one book each month.
For close to 12 years now, I have bought over eighty books excluding my online library, and have read them all.
Permit me to name a few things I have benefited from reading extensively.
- I have developed writing skills which I use every day for many worthwhile purposes.
- I can speak with confidence and buy –into my listeners as a great communicator. It feels great hearing me speak.
- As a teacher, I have the ability to simplify complex ideas in a concise manner.
- As a researcher, I write projects with ease and manage time well to meet up with unforeseen circumstances.
- I have discovered my calling and fully embraced my passion as a writer, speaker and a teacher.
- As a salesperson, I have developed sales strategies on how to market my products and persuade prospects. I am a better salesperson today than when I was in a formal school.
How did I get to this point in my life?
The answer is simple: I read at least one book every week coupled with blogs and articles I followed.
I didn’t learn any of these skills in a formal school. I learnt them from books.
A greater percentage of the things I learned in school are all forgotten. All the theories and theorems in Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Further Maths are all gone.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was right when he said; “If you encounter a man of rare intellect, you should ask him what books he reads.”
He didn’t say; “you should ask him what University he has attended or what certificates he has acquired.
As a pro-educationalist, I have learned that the more you think you know nothing, the more you strive to learn more.
All that I have told you in this blog about me is not for braggadocios purposes. I want you to know that you can only be of value, or add value to someone’s life by making a conscious decision to read regularly.
The last book is my masterpiece.
3 Divine Responsibility by Shei Jini
When I read these two books above, I kept wondering what it takes to write such a great book that blesses people that much. Then God laid in my heart to write Divine Responsibility.
It took me nine years to prepare for it and one year to write it.
When the book was published, I could feel the power buried in it just by reading through it .
This book is about four things that God gave Adam to manage from the beginning of creation: Time, money, people and Work.
I hate to brag, but let me brand myself with two reviews I recently received from people who bought and read the book from cover to cover.
Conclusion
I congratulate you for loving the books you’ve already read. However, I suggest you pick up any of these three books if you lack any of them.
Today, I have a full library and I look forward to buying more books.
I lack words to express the blessings I have acquired from consistent reading.
If you are planning to buy a flat screen television any time from now, I suggest you buy reading-visions.
The emphasis here is to read: be it on hard or soft copy. If you cannot buy hard-copies, invest in eBooks and build an online library.
SOFT-COPY WILL NEVER REPLACE HARD-COPY entirely! Each one has its place, its prose and its cons.
If you are interested in getting any of the books I’ve mentioned above, head over to Amazon store by clicking on the images: BUY ON AMAZON.
As for Divine Responsibility, you can get in touch with me directly in the comment box below if you need one. I offer copies at a discount.
Cheers,
.
