Last night I went to see the movie Invictus. [Warning: There is no spoiler alert!] There was not much for me not to like. I’m a huge fan of Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood, who directed this movie.
The movie chronicles Nelson Mandela’s first few years as President of South Africa. I know a bit about Mandela, but watching the movie made me realize this is an extraordinary human being.
Every generation produces a handful of truly amazing people who are head and shoulders above the rest of humanity. Nelson Mandela is clearly one of those people.
Last week his book, The Long Walk to Freedom, somehow managed to find me while I was at a book store. This seems to happen every so often, where a book subtly flirts with me. It uses a sexy little voice to call me over. It coerces me to pick it up, to touch its cover, to flip through its pages to see what it has to offer.
I am usually able to resist its advances the first few times, but then it picks up its game. It sends me little messages; sometimes they come in the form of a movie, sometimes in the form of a conversation or a chance encounter, or sometimes in the form of a life event.
Eventually, it presents enough compelling evidence to inform me it is the book I need at this moment in my life. The Long Walk to Freedom has done just that. It has seduced me. It is now officially on my “Books to Buy” list for the holiday season.
I am currently being courted by a few other books as well (The Long Walk To Freedom has no idea that I am playing the field, so I would appreciate it if you keep this between us).
The first is a book by Leo Babauta, called “The Power of Less.“ I have secretly visited it on two occasions, and seem to be smitten by it. I even got to first base (I skimmed through one of the chapters on reducing email.)
The other is a book called “The Power of Giving.” Besides what appears to be a weird fetish for the word power, there is just something magical about the title. I have had one secret encounter with that book to date, and suspect another is coming shortly.
It appears I might be the Tiger Woods of book affairs.
What do you think? Am I a book ho? What books are courting you? What books have seduced you in the past?
Head on over to the comment section to let us know. I have also left a comment there as well, detailing a saucy one night stand I had with a very “bad” book.
To an idea worth quitting,
Dean
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