The 10th Day Blogger Perempuan Network Challenge
I have already shared some of the reviews or how these books widespread my perspective in this blog. So that, I compose them into a list and will provide the hyperlink of my previous writing (if any) for your further reading. Here they are 5 books that transformed my perspective of the world :
1. Veronika Decides to Die
First time reading: 2009
This book is written by Paulo Coelho, and I read it before I made this blog. That's why I do not write any review about the book yet in this blog. This book is terrific. I was in lowest point in my life where I felt I had no happiness in life. I asked God, why I had to be born in this pathetic world to experience awful and pain in life. I was very disappointed about life.
The moment when a very good friend of mine lend me "Veronika Decides to Die", I was enlightened! Veronika situation was almost similar like mine, even she worked in a library hahaha. Even though it didn't state clearly that Veronika was librarian, but I felt related. Not only because of our job (hahaha!) but also because the questions of life she had.
These were Veronika's questions : If at the end, human will be dead, then why human has to be born? Why she has to be alive today if at the end she will be dead? Why she has to wait to die if she can do it now? Sort of questions.
However, Veronika tried to do suicide but failed. She was sent to a sanatorium where she met 'friends' who got labelled by the world as "crazy". The sane-Veronika build conversations and be-friended with these 'friends'. She was trying to understand them (the patients in sanatorium) and able to make it-sound-to-be-normal conversation.
The plot of the story changed later on, when Veronika found out the her laboratory examine result. It was said, she was very ill and her days were short. From someone's the point of view who wants to do suicide, it was changed to value the most of the short time she got. That's how Veronika changed her point of view about life. Including me!
I was very surprised to read how Paulo Coelho describe human's mind and feeling in that depth. He uncovered his point of view about life : how precious our time is. You do not have to be run out of time, just to realise that our time is priceless. Our time is expensive and could not be convert into anything.
2. Life Application Study Bible NIV
(New International Version)
(New International Version)
First time reading: 2010
Before read this, Bahasa Indonesia Bible and Bible in Bataknese language were the only bibles I knew. They contain all bible verses from Genesis from Revelation, and we had to be satisfied with that. They were the only options I had, until I met this bible.
First time met this bible, I shocked! This "New International Version (NIV) bible" is thick but not too heavy, and the content is awesome! The content is not only bible verse, but also history facts and interpretation of the bible verse and more to mention.
This is a very good bible I could recommend to anyone who want to know who is Jesus, the Saviour. Now I have my King James version which have the old translation form of English. Reading it really enrich me and put more information about how and why some event occurred in the bible, who God is, and what are God's messages for us.
I wish more Indonesian people could read this.
Read more about my review
http://friskanotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/life-application-study-bible-niv-new.html
3. How to be a Lady
First time reading: 2016
I met this book accidentally in Adi Sucipto Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This book is written by Alexandra Parsons and changed my point of view seeing beauty. After years, I never able to say I am beautiful not only to others, but also to myself. How worse my 'disease' is.
"How to be a Lady" explains that being a lady or beautiful is not only focus on your appearance. Being a lady is about your manner to treat others respectfully. I am so blessed how this book could change my life!
Read more about my review
http://friskanotes.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-to-be-lady-that-memorable-2016.html
4. How to Win Friends & Influence People
First time reading: 2018
Several friends compliment me to be a smooth talker, but I am nothing compare to this book author, Dale Carnegie! He was absolutely charming, modest, humble yet a hard worker! His modest background and his bravery to challenge life, shaped him to understand people from various background. Dale Carnegie understood people.
This was a power which help him created public speaking course. This course was very successful and and turned into never ended revised hand book called "How to Win Friends and Influence People". The content is still applicable for current affairs. It opens my mind to understand myself and how to treat other people kindly and in sincere. Salute to Dale Carnegie.
Read more about my review
http://friskanotes.blogspot.com/2018/10/how-to-win-friends-influence-people.html
5. Brief Answers to the Big Questions
First time reading: 2018
"Brief Answers to the Big Questions" was published only 7 months after Stephen Hawking death. When I saw this book sold in Kinokuniya Singapore on October 2018, it was really thrilling my heart. I felt the death Stephen Hawking was in front of me, trying to speak his mind out lout. When I hold the book, I was stunned for a while.
Reading "Brief Answers to the Big Questions" is challenging for an extremist who hate atheists or other people except him/herself :p So do not tell me I have not warn you at first, Ok? I am doubtful if any bookstore in Indonesia is brave enough to sell this book :p
FYI I had read also Stephan Hawking's other book : A Brief History of Time but it is different with this book. Stephan Hawking provided the brief answers for the big questions of the world :
The Big questions are:
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- Is time travel possible?
- What is inside of a black hole?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
- Should we colonize space?
- Can we predict the future?
- Will we survive on earth?
The books are trying to answer these 10 questions of life. However, I stopped at chapter 3 :) Anyway, despite his famous statement said "There is no possibility of God", I respect Stephan Hawking as a person who stand, think and explained himself as,
"My work is about finding a rational framework to understand the universe around us"what Stephan Hawking believed,
"Where there's life, there is hope."how he still had a big faith in love,
"But it would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love, and who love me. Without them, the wonder of it all would be lost on me."why Stephan Hawking appreciated life,
"We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe, and for that I am extremely grateful"This physic is a human with a heart whose have a faith in hope and love. I am touched reading these quotes while standing in Kinokuniya Bookstore. Will buy one copy of Brief Answers to the Big Questions in next visit to Singapore :)
The Legacy
This is the power of the book! The content stayed! The person who wrote the book might death but the content stayed. You never know how impactful a writing to other people who need this little insightful injection of life. Keep exploring reading good "food" for our soul and mind :)
I hope you have fun reading this, and might inspire you to read it too.
Batam, 29 November 2018.
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