“Town planner turned Bookworm” Eva Ephraim shares her love for books and recommends a few books everyone should read in their lifetime.

As a Town Planner, we are referred to as “masters of all trades” and I actually live up to the nickname. For this purpose I’m Town Planner turned bookworm or simply Eva the bibliophile.

Why do you read?

I have always practiced my reply to this question,  I would imagine myself as if I was in an AA meeting:  Hi my name is Eva and I’m a book addict (laughs). My love for books is influence by being an introvert and when you live in your mind 24/7 why not read and create your imaginary world.

The first book I read was my mother’s diary, I stumbled upon it on one of my naughty endeavors    and I swear the diary was just staring at me so I had to read it, and it was captivating how she narrated her life and I Imagined as if I was there with her. Which left me wanting more and getting a hiding for reading it. But to this day I never forgot what I read in that diary. Another big influence to my obsessiveness to books, was the Bible. I would read the stories back and forth and as a teenager I didn’t care about the message, it was the stories and I had to build my own imagery and bring the stories to life.

Currently I read about anything and everything, and it is more than imagining stories, but to broaden my knowledge and different aspects of the world.  My favorite genre is leaning towards history and controversial issues, I like knowing what everyone is afraid of. I won’t lie to you if I tell you today that most of the things happening now, they were predicted and documented years ago, so how would I have known that without reading.  Reading is Power and knowledge.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. – Dr. Seuss

Just ask me what is in my handbag, shoot me if you don’t find a book, well you might not find one but then ask what I’m reading on my phone 90%  guarantee it will be an E-book (thank you technology and convenience.) So what I’m saying is, books are fun and are the best source of knowledge there is.  And hopefully one day I can inspire more people to read and actually enjoy it.

 


Books Everyone Must Read In their lifetime


The Art of War by Sun Tzu – The ultimate survival guide: makes life easier and helps with how to handle all the different kinds of people we encounter. 

 

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done  rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall preservation” this book inspired many other greater writing such as The 48 Laws of Power. So in simple terms Machiavelli explained in a political synopsis  “ how to get power and how to keep it”

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene– 48 tools to assist people who aspire to have and achieve power without compromising their morals.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – Self-Help literature on believing in our dreams, what are we willing to risk too many things in life to follow our dreams.

To kill a mockingbird– by Harper Lee – A story of a little girl and how she consistently, observed her surroundings, that pounds living in the world of slavely, racism, inequality. And it is a timeless piece

Angels and Demons By Dan Brown– For the soul purpose of igniting the conversation and partly controversial issue in our society- being religion

Things Fall Apart by  Chinua Achebe – a novel on how a certain  a certain village in Ghana change due to the influence of European

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking – if you are like me and always question the nature of the universe. This is your book! From the Bing Bang, the Black Hole Theories? And the best part you hardly need a dictionary, Hawking’s explained physics in layman’s terms.   

The Color Purple by Alice Walker – An award winning fiction novel, which was based on portraying the life of African-American women in the 1930s. The book transform the naked truth about brutal events during that time, which are swept under the rug. Prepare a box of tissues when reading this one.

Born a Crime and Other Stories by Trevor Noah. A narrated story of growing up in South Africa as a mixed child when it was forbidden. If you are familiar with the author then prepare to shed some tears while laughing

The Subtle of Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson – Not your conventional self-help books that we are subjected to. Mark is basically saying “hey life is screwed by and f*uck Positivity* be honest with yourself, embrace your shortcomings and uncertainty, stop running from the truth and start defying the painful truths about life.

The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith –  A boarder  understanding of  the introductory concepts of economic policy and how it influenced the current economic systems

We should all be feminist by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – an essay on different perception surrounding feminism, does not paint fingers but rather advocating for equality of all sexes and from an African women point of view.   

Some honorable mentions:

 

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert KiyosakiSharon Lechter

Where others Wavered by Sam Nujoma

Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 

The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy

Ego Who is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone  by J.K. Rowling

 

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemen

Leading by Sir Alex Ferguson

The 80/20 Principle: The secret to achieving more with Less by Richard Koch

 

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