Have you ever wondered what it is like to be illiterate? Or to lack access to books?
I know, hard to wrap your mind around, if you’re anything like me. We grew up in a nearly 100% literate society, and with access to the internet, we basically have infinite amounts of information at our fingertips, every second of the day.
But it wasn’t always that way. (And in some parts of the world, it still isn’t that way).
In this month of Thanksgiving, one of our biggest blessings is the ability to read, and the access to amazing, potentially life-changing books like these:
The Memory Book by Lorayne & Lucas
One of the most eye-opening books on memory training I have ever read, The Memory Book is a classic guide to training your memory. This book was written by a memory champion who goes into great detail on how to use various amazing strategies to help yourself memorize everything from shopping lists and faces to massive strings of numbers. If you want to increase your mental powers, check this out!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I don’t usually spend a lot of time reading popular fiction, but for some reason, I picked up The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and I’m so glad I did. Populated with believable, flawed, yet lovable characters, The Help tells the story of a pair of African-American maids from the 1960s South, and the white journalist-in-training who works with them to tell their stories and reveal the prejudice in their seemingly idyllic town.
The Barefoot Lawyer by Chen Guangcheng
Imagine escaping from a house that is watched 24/7 by violent bodyguards, in the middle of the day, while you are completely blind. Can’t be done, right? Well, one man managed to pull it off. His name is Chen Guangchen, and after suffering an illness that left him blind as a child, he grew up to become one of China’s most well-known human rights lawyers…a very dangerous job in a totalitarian state. Unsurprisingly, Chen eventually irritated the higher ups with his humanitarian efforts, and found himself illegally imprisoned, tortured, and worse…until he escaped from house arrest alone and found sanctuary in a US embassy. This is his story.
A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley
If you never learned how to learn in school, you need this book. In a rapidly changing world, learning how to learn is arguably the most important skill you can have in your arsenal. A Mind For Numbers was written for math and science students in mind, but the learning strategies described in this book can apply to everyone who wants to learn, whether you are learning math, a language, a science, a new job skill, or anything else!
The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley
And to round out this month’s book recommendations, we have The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley. This comic book is more than a comic book. It’s a graphic novel meta-look at drawing through the eyes of an art student and his teacher. Author and professional artist Mark Crilley cleverly interweaves drawing lessons into an engaging story, teaching readers through the main character about the various foundational skills of drawing. This book is a quick read, and of course fun and easy on the eyes…but remember to go back and actually practice with the exercises described in the book to get the most out of it!
That’s it for the November book list!
If you’re a part of the Brilliant Writer Family already, you’ll get a special extra book recommendation. If you’re not yet part of the tribe, use the link below to stay in the loop! 😃
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