Time for Reading is a Rarity These Days. Yet, it’s not a matter of lack of time, but rather a preference for engaging content. If I invest time in a book, article, or tale, it must offer substantial value.
Here are three stories you absolutely must read this year. If you’re to consume only three pieces of content online, make them these. They are rich with humor, drama, historical context, and human triumphs, each told in a unique narrative style that can enhance your own writing, even in everyday correspondence. They’ve all profoundly shifted my perspective, broadening my horizons.
Click on the titles to delve into these narratives.
Consider this a gripping piece of journalism. Joshua Davis takes us on a journey with a maritime salvager, perhaps the most exhilarating and perilous job in the world. The Titan Salvage team faces the monumental task of righting a 55,328-ton ship before its $103 million cargo plummets to the depths of the North Pacific. The crew, a mix of an all-around shipmaster, a real-time computer modeler, and three divers who resemble pirates, embark on a perilous mission aboard the listing vessel. The sudden death of a crew member adds an emotional depth that is hard to shake off.
Donald McRae narrates the tale of a man who, in just two years, revolutionized the use of expert witnesses in American courts, defended the teaching of evolution in schools, and saved a family of 11 from wrongful murder convictions. Clarence Darrow, a legend in American defense law, once delivered a three-day closing argument that moved a judge to tears and left his opponent deceased from a stroke following the Scopes Monkey Trial. McRae masterfully captures the passion and determination that made Darrow a formidable advocate.
For a lighter touch, comedy writer Chris Hardwick applies three productivity methods to his life in search of a semblance of order. He reviews David Allen’s “Getting Things Done,” Julie Morgenstern’s “Never Check Email in the Morning,” and Tim Ferriss’s “The 4-Hour Workweek.” Hardwick’s narrative, reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson’s style, offers a playful and engaging exploration of productivity, turning a typically dry subject into an entertaining story.
These are must-reads. Do you have any other recommendations for thought-provoking reading material?
