2 Classics Worth Reading
The library is inhabited by spirits that come out of the pages at night.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
This book was written in 1989 and the teachings from this book can still be applied to today’s life. Following is one of the most awe-inspiring excerpts from the book:
When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow: when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great Day when we shall all of us be Contemporaries, and make our appearance together.
In this book, Covey talks about independence, interdependence, and continuous improvement.
The cheat sheet and life hacks in the book are truly exceptional. One such hack that Covey talks about is:
Priority of completing any tasks should be given in the following order:
Urgent and important (Do) — important deadlines and crises
Not urgent but important (Plan) — long-term development
Urgent but not important (Delegate) — distractions with deadlines
Not urgent and not important (Eliminate) — frivolous distractions
Do read this book, if you haven't already, to find more such life hacks.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This book was written in 1936 and like the previous book this book also has some amazing hacks to understand the psychology of talking to people.
Carnegie talks about various techniques to make people like us, win people to the way of our thinking, and become a leader.
Carnegie prescribed the following technique to handle people:
Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Further, he talks about criticism.
Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment. …. Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain — and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.
This is one of the rare books that doesn't depend on the reader's age group. Everyone from a child to an adult can enjoy this book equally.
