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If you didn’t know already, I enjoy reading. From time to time, I make it a habit to share some books that I’ve read. Since we’ve reached past the halfway point of 2022, I thought I’d share a few books that have inspired my mind.
To make this post easy to navigate, I’ll list the books first. The rest of the post will go more in depth to each title — answering 4 items (inspired by Ali Abdaal’s book summaries).
A brief description of the book in my own words.
Who may want to read it?
How this book changed me.
Top impressionable quotes.
List of Books
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Talking to Strangers — Malcolm Gladwell
Economic Facts and Fallacies — Thomas Sowell
The Reivers — William Faulkner
Talking to Strangers — Malcolm Gladwell
Through a variety of real-world situations, Gladwell studies why it is difficult for us to understand one another. He applies theories to explain and suggests what we might to do mitigate those tendencies. Some real cases he writes about are: Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the trial of Amanda Knox, the Jerry Sandusky case, the Brock Turner case, and others.
Who may want to read it?
You enjoy learning how and why human beings behave in certain ways.
You enjoy learning behavioral theories applied to real-life situations and stories.
How this book changed me.
I learned that we may behave differently in different settings. The context of our environment may influence our behavior. Therefore, I’m striving to not base too much on first impressions and give the benefit of the doubt to strangers.
Trusting people is a natural tendency that necessarily holds society together. I hope to promote that to the best of my ability, especially in a time where mistrust and doubt is rampant.
Top impressionable quotes
“When we don’t know someone, or can’t communicate with them, or don’t have the time to understand them properly, we believe we can make sense of them through their behavior and demeanor.”1
“When we confront a stranger, we have to substitute an idea — a stereotype — for direct experience. And that stereotype is wrong all too often.”2
“We do not understand the importance of the context in which the stranger is operating.”3
Economic Facts and Fallacies — Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell is a famously known economist. In this book, he covers a range of commonly discussed topics — i.e. the results of rent control in urban areas, the discussions around gender inequality in wages, the socio-economic inequalities in race, and other topics.
His conclusions on such topics appear counter-intuitive. But the logic and reasoning behind Sowell’s points are strongly convincing and challenges the readers to wrestle with the balance of what may sound fair versus the underlying implications of fairly sounding statements.
Who may want to read it?
You enjoyed Freakonomics. In other words, you enjoy learning about the implications of how our behavior may present itself in wider systems.
You’re comfortable challenging or being challenged on commonly held assumptions.
How this book changed me.
Not everyone is seeking to do harm or act on ill-will. For the situations that appear unfair or wrong on the surface, it’s important to assess why people are behaving the way they are. Everyone makes decisions based on personal utility (including you and me). Therefore, I don’t want to be quick to judge the person(s). Perhaps the solution is to re-align incentives rather than ousting someone — though there are cases where the concluding action could be the latter.
I learned that not everything is a zero-sum game where there is a winner and a loser. It’s more appealing to narrate a story like this. But it may be possible to find a creative solution to align everyone’s incentives, providing a win-win situation for all.
The most well-intentioned actions imposed upon others may not result in the way I imagine. We are complex individuals with varying incentives. Therefore, I need carefully consider the consequences of my actions before moving forward.
Top impressionable quotes
“Because people are not inanimate objects like chess pieces, the very attempt to use them as part of some grand design can turn out to be not merely unsuccessful but counterproductive — and the notion that ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’ can be a formula for disaster when consumers become reluctant to spend and investors become reluctant to invest when they have no reliable framework of expectations, since they have no way of knowing what will happen next in an atmosphere of unending experimentation”4
Love That Dog — Sharon Creech
This book is a short collection of poems that tell a holistic story. The story is about a young boy who first hates the idea of writing poetry. But through his teacher’s encouragement, Jack explores and uncovers a newfound joy and freedom in writing poetry.
It’s a heart-warming book that tells a story we all experience — the nervousness to challenge norms, the worry of exploring the unknown, the fear of being ridiculed, and the self-criticism when building self-confidence.
Who may want to read it?
You enjoy poems or short stories — particularly children stories.
You want a quick and easy read that feels refreshing and takes you back to your childhood.
How this book changed me.
This book reminded me that we can still have the fears we had as children. I don’t like standing out because I fear the judgement of others. I can be insecure about myself even as a young adult. But like Jack, we can learn that much of our fear is the voice inside our heads.
An encouraging voice can go a long way. Like Jack’s teacher, an edifying word can change someone’s life. I want to do the same.
Top impressionable quotes
“I don’t want to because boys don’t write poetry. Girls do.”5
“I guess it does look like a poem when you see it typed up like that.”6
“Thank you for coming to see us Mr. Walter Dean Myers. Inside this envelope is a poem using some of your words. I wrote it. It was inspired by you Mr. Walter Dean Myers. From your number one fan, Jack”7
The Reivers — William Faulkner
This is a story about a young boy who steals a car with his father’s employees. From there, the three go on an adventure with various challenges that put them in a tight spot. Throughout the journey, Faulkner adds glimpses of the young boy’s thoughts as he wrestles with moral decisions, witnesses moral dilemmas, and interacts with various kinds of people beyond his hometown. This story won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1963.
Who may want to read it?
You want to read more classic novels or enjoy them.
You’ve been curious about Faulkner’s writing and had a difficult time reading his other well-known book “The Sound and The Fury” — speaking from personal experience.
How this book changed me.
Faulkner’s story reminded me of my childhood: the first lie I told my parents and the feelings that bubbled up, the first time I saw/heard of horrible things that I never thought were humanly possible, the consequences of poor decisions. I’m reminded that these don’t stop after childhood. I will continue to learn lessons from the mistakes I make today, though hopefully they are less severe.
Top impressionable quotes
“A gentleman can live through anything. He faces anything. A gentleman accepts the responsibility of his actions and bears the burden of their consequences, even when he did not himself instigate them but only acquiesced to them, didn’t say No though he knew he should.”8
“Because now I knew what Grandfather meant: that your outside is just what you live in, sleep in, and has little connection with who you are and even less with what you do.”9
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What I’m Reading:
Currently Reading: The Psychology of Money — Morgan Housel
Recently finished: Americanah — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers (New York: Hachette Book Group, 2019), pp.152
Ibid. pp.163
Ibid. pp.280
Thomas Sowell, Economic Facts and Fallacies (New York: Basic Books, 2011), pp.10
Sharon Creech, Love That Dog (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), pp.1
Ibid. pp.18
Ibid. pp.85
William Faulkner, The Reievers (New York: Random House, 1962), pp.302
Ibid. pp.304