In the book Flowers for Algernon (1958), Charlie Gordon is a person with mental disabilities who receives an experimental operation to make him smarter. As his intelligence grows, the people he loves begin to resent him. Frustrated by this, Charlie asks, “But what’s wrong with a person wanting to be more intelligent, to acquire knowledge,Continue reading What’s Wrong with Getting More Intelligent?
Some of my family and friends will say that books ruined me. My wife and I left the Mormon church with our four kids in tow last September. For years, I was told never to read religious materials unless they came straight from the church. Luckily, I have a wife with a PhD who tookContinue reading Have Books Ruined Me? Let’s Find Out.
Two people are involved whenever you sit down to read a book. You’re the first. You set aside time in your busy day to learn something new: a philosophical idea, a strategy for launching a business, or even a viewpoint on social change. You opened yourself up as a student, and that takes courage. LongContinue reading It Takes Two to Read a Book
Reading is a valuable habit, akin to meditation, going to bed early, and working out. It’s one of those practices that you might not always feel like doing, but once you do, you’re always grateful you did. Why is that? As readers, we experience a sense of control. It’s our way of drawing a lineContinue reading Read a Book, Control Your Mind
I’m almost 44. I have two college degrees (Accounting and an MBA), and I’ve read hundreds of books. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on things. Then, I went back to college for a degree in philosophy with a minor in English. I’m three weeks in and just submitted my first paper, anContinue reading I’m Not As Smart As I Thought
“We instinctively believe what other people tell us, even with no corroboration. We are especially credulous about statistics or other information that sounds like objective facts” (Huemer 56). Credulous means a great readiness to believe things. I don’t know about you, but I’m fascinated by the large amount of disinformation circulating. People are willing toContinue reading I Can Fix Myself
Let’s create a syllogism for why you should read today. Premise 1: All experiences that challenge our thinking are thought-provoking and valuable. Premise 2: Reading books challenge our thinking. Conclusion: Therefore, reading books is thought-provoking and valuable. Now, you might argue that many books are poorly written and not thought-provoking. But I would argue thatContinue reading An Argument for Reading
Have you ever read a book more than once and thought, “That’s not how I remembered it!”? Literature changes every time you read it because each time you open a book, you’re a different person. I first read Treasure Island when I was nine years old. If I were to read it now, the bookContinue reading Literature Changes You
It’s remarkable that I can ask the question, “What do I want to learn today?” Many of my ancestors before me didn’t have that luxury. They were too busy milking cows, fighting wars, and fending off innumerable diseases. Because of their hard work, I can now get my milk from the grocery store, I’m notContinue reading Because of Their Hard Work
It’s true. You don’t have time to read everything. The argument, then, is that you should only read the best writers. Why waste your precious time on books that are poorly written or copy the ideas of others (to which there are many)? There’s a benefit to hanging out with history’s brightest thinkers. “Contact withContinue reading Read the Best Writers