Books to Read before you Hit Thirty
Reading Books is a pleasure not everyone understands. They allow us to live through other people’s experiences and learn from their mistakes. Life is too short to learn from our mistakes, so why not benefit from this opportunity? Books shape our identities and help us understand the world better. Books can also provide you with a wealth of information, which will help you broaden your horizons and find new inspiration. Here are some of the must-read books before you hit 30:
Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari
In this book, the author tells the story of how humans evolved from the beginning to who we are today. The author paints a beautiful picture of how humans differ from other species and what sets us apart. One of the biggest breakthroughs that contributed to the fast evolution of humans is the ability to form languages and art and communicate. The author also discusses the advent of money, our behavioral patterns, and how they came from our ancestors. The book gives us insight into how our ancestors’ fight, flight or freeze responses still affect us today. The book encourages the audience to find logical explanations for the way we behave now.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Eat, Pray, Love is a true-life story of the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, about a difficult time in her life. She was going through a difficult divorce when she decided to go on a trip. The author takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery as she travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia. The book is an entertaining account of how she searched for worldly pleasures in Italy, spiritual awakening in India, and how found love in Indonesia. The book inspires the reader to travel and live a little, away from the daily difficulties of life. Of course, any reader would fall in love with the author who has done something we have all wanted to do once in our lifetime – quit our job and travel the world. The spontaneity, independence, and courage it took for the author to travel alone still inspire women to this day.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This soul-touching memoir is definitely one of the must-reads. The author takes the audience through her journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. With no prior experience or training in hiking, she takes this drastic spontaneous decision when going through a tough time in life. Through the long lone walk up the mountains, she tries to come to peace with the demise of her mother and her failing marriage. The book makes the reader feel that no matter where a woman is from – be it a first-world or third-world country – our experiences and fears are all the same. There is an instance in the book where the author discusses her fear of rape and the vulnerability of a lone woman in the forest. Readers can’t help but cheer for her when she takes that first step towards the hiking trail, despite her numbing fears.
