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Nine Books That Will Change Your Life

Plan an afternoon with a book and a cup of tea.

Charlene Wang

Jul 25, 2016

Brown University

Steam Register

Halfway through the summer, I have been motivated by the following books to position my life. Here are 10 of my favorites. They have all changed my life, big or small, and I am here to share the change with you.

1. Tuesdays With Morrie

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.”
― Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

Six years ago, I read "Tuesdays with Morrie" to complete my school's reading assignment. Throughout the years, this book has preached on love, death, happiness, emotions, and more. Schedule a regular meeting to reflect on your life and walk through the book with Morrie on Tuesdays.

2. The Five People You Meet in Heaven

“All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.”
― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Another classic from Mitch Albom: "Who Will Be The Five People You Meet In Heaven?" Ever since I first read this book, I have started to rethink my interactions with people around me.

3. When Breath Becomes Air

“You can’t ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving.”
― Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air

The endeavors, the struggle, the overachieving dream -- all resonate with my core values of life. Read this elegant masterpiece of a great neurosurgeon and believer who traversed towards death and selflessly shared his story with the world.

4. The Opposite of Loneliness

“What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over.”

― Marina Keegan, The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

Her essays and journals sincerely portray the life of an uncertain and thoughtful rising star. My favorite passages are Cold Pastoral, Winter Break, Stability in Motion, and the Song For the Special.

5. Storytelling With Data

This storytelling guidebook demonstrates how to visualize data and be a better storyteller. More information on storytellingwithdata.com.

6. Never Eat Alone

Networking Guru Keith Ferrazzi shares his secrets to building successful relationships. This book clearly demonstrates how to "ping" people and become the king of content. Check out the other effective strategies in his book!

7. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

"Begin with the end in mind." --Stephen R. Covey

Build the seven habits from being proactive to sharpening the saw. Write your mission statement. This is a book essential for success in all endeavors.

8. Remember Who You Are

This book chronicles lessons from each last lecture at Harvard Business School. Aside from all the achievements, what is the most important thing in life?

9. The Naked Roommate

Easy read and highly recommended for freshman college students. The book answers almost all the issues you have for college.

Plan an afternoon reading time and make a schedule with each of them. Happy Summer!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Recommended for you

Nine Books That Will Change Your Life

Plan an afternoon with a book and a cup of tea.

1. Tuesdays With Morrie

2. The Five People You Meet in Heaven

3. When Breath Becomes Air

4. The Opposite of Loneliness

5. Storytelling With Data

6. Never Eat Alone

7. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

8. Remember Who You Are

9. The Naked Roommate

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No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

2. When there is only one section of a popular course.

3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.

4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.

5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.

6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.

7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.

10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.

11. When all of your classes finally go through.

12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."

What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?

What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?

What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?

Told through Parks & Recreation GIFs

Because who understands your bitterness better than April?

1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.

2. When your professor is babbling on and on in his lecture.

3. When you edit your friend's paper and they get an A.

4. When it's 2 AM and you remember you have a test tomorrow.

5. When you finish taking the test and you're pretty sure you failed...

6. ...but then you get the test back and somehow passed.

7. When you've been up for 12 hours straight writing a paper.

8. And then you manage to stay awake in class the next day.

9. When you have to butter up your professor for an extra credit opportunity.

10. When you're assigned a group project.

11. And your group-mates are trying to chat about life instead of the assignment.

12. When it's your last class of the day and you're about to go home.

13. But then you remember rent is due tonight and the anger comes back.

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