“When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir written by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi. The book teaches us important things about facing tough times. Even though Paul Kalanithi knew he was going to die, he and his wife decided to have a baby. What’s remarkable is that he kept doing surgeries despite being sick. He kept his sense of humor and found joy in small things like nature and football games. Being close to loved ones was really important to him. He also worked to help people with lung cancer. His attitude was like, “Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I’m still living.” The book tells us to enjoy life, be strong, and make a difference, even when things are tough.
“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight
The book is a realistic story of an entrepreneur who has faced ups and downs throughout his journey but kept going until he reached his goal of building the iconic brand, “Nike”. Among the numerous life lessons in this book, the most pivotal is to “Believe in your dream.” Phil says his best ever and only advice is even if people call your idea crazy just believe in it and keep going. Like a runner who runs continuously because stopping scares him. Similarly we should go on without stopping until we reach our destination. Phil mentions that he was not a good salesman. He could not sell encyclopedias. He was slightly better in selling mutual funds but he didn’t like that too. Then why he could sell shoes very easily. The reason was his belief in running. He felt that if people would go out for running every day the world would become a better place.
“Becoming” by Michelle Obama
“Becoming” is about the chronicle of experiences of Michelle Obama’s life’s journey right from her childhood to her days in the White House. The most important lesson in “Becoming” is never stop growing. As per the author, “what do you want to be after growing up?” is the most useless question asked by adults to any child. She says, “As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”. She has quoted aptly, “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” She feels growing up is infinite and she followed the same principle in her life. She worked as a lawyer, vice president at hospital, director of NGO, and eventually the first lady of the United States of America. She ceaselessly grew in her stature.
“Total Recall” by Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Total Recall” is a memoir of Arnold Schwarzenegger- renowned bodybuilder, businessman, actor, and politician who has been an inspiration to so many people. In this book we get to learn the importance of discipline and hard work. When Arnold was a student, he would train five hours a day, attend acting classes for four hours, then work on construction sites for several hours and attend college and do the homework too. He writes in his book, how it took hundreds and thousands of repetitions for him to learn to give a three-quarter pose, say a punchline, perform a dance in True Lies and say “I’ll be back ” correctly. When he wanted to make a career in movies, he was told to forget about it because of his Austrian accent, his long name, and his body. But he worked on his accent and acting and turned himself into a leading hero. He quotes, “There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.”
“Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl
“Man’s Search for Meaning” is Viktor Frankl’s 1946 account of his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. In the camp amidst horrible conditions, the author wrote manuscript of his lost book on small paper scraps. He composed speeches in his mind that he would deliver after leaving the camp. There were men who succumbed to the hardships of the camp life and gave up. There were men who stayed motivated to live for their closed ones, to fulfill their responsibilities or to complete their unaccomplished mission. There were men who gave their bread to others even in such critical situation. Analyzing the prisoners, the author concluded that those with a sense of purpose in their lives were more likely to survive anywhere and anyhow. The lesson is clear, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’. “