What are some of the best idea-driven books? What’s so great about C. S. Lewis? What movie is just as good as the book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elizabeth could tell you. Based in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, she’s a blog<\/a> writer at Shortform. We interviewed her recently to learn a bit about her love-love relationship with books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Elizabeth has broad reading tastes, and she’s even made up her own genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m a content marketer and blog writer on the SEO team. I perform keyword research, turn excerpts of Shortform’s book guides into blog articles, and write topical articles for the blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bible has always been my favorite book. As the Bible is actually a collection of writings, I would say that my favorite book of the Bible is Genesis. It tells us how everything is supposed to be\u2014and will be again, it explains how the world got so messed up, and it tells us how everything will be made right and perfect again one of these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read the Bible every day, in the form of the Daily Audio Bible<\/a>, which goes through the whole Bible every year. I’ve done it for the last several years. In the same vein, I listen to audiobooks, which wonderfully include material from The Great Courses. I recently listened to Greece and Rome: An Integrated History of the Ancient Mediterranean<\/em> by Robert Garland. Now I\u2019m reading Analysis and Critique: How to Engage and Write about Anything<\/em> by Dorsey Armstrong. I’m also going through Against the Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel in an Age of Relativism<\/em> by John C. Lennox. Next, I plan to read Art of Teaching: Best Practices from a Master Educator<\/em> by Patrick N. Allitt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’d like to enjoy dinner with Sir Isaac Newton, C. S. Lewis, and Sir Winston Churchill. They each had a brilliant mind, deep thoughts, and an incredible life. Also, I would love to see them interact!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m going rogue here and creating my own genre. I enjoy anything with deep, important ideas. That includes novels such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde<\/em>, The Picture of Dorian Gray<\/em>, To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em>, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe<\/em>; Stephen Hawking\u2019s science-philosophy book The Grand Design<\/em>; and C. S. Lewis\u2019s theological work Mere Christianity<\/em>. Essentially, I love anything that makes me think deep thoughts about important matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve never even picked up a romance novel. I\u2019m not a fan of fantasy or sci-fi, although I\u2019ve enjoyed a few that were philosophical and well-written. Dystopian novels turn my smile upside-down. And, I generally steer clear of self-help books, as so many of them promote a self-centered philosophy, which I believe is destructive. That’s not to say that there are some excellent ones, though, and I’d definitely recommend a few, such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I prefer to listen to audiobooks. I have a very full life, so I enjoy being able to get a lot of reading done while driving, getting ready in the morning, or winding down at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think everyone should read the Bible all the way through at least once. Many people read bits of it, but it can be understood only in its entirety. It is\u2014by far\u2014the most powerful, relevant, explanatory, and hope-filled book ever written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, A Conflict of Visions<\/em> by the brilliant Thomas Sowell. It gives insight into the real differences between people. On the surface, they’re political differences, but they go much deeper. Fascinating and important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would have to choose C. S. Lewis, because he wrote so beautifully, brilliantly, and powerfully about what matters most. I read anything Stephen C. Meyer puts out because he writes about science that has important implications for all of us. Also, there’s no such thing as too much Oscar Wilde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I enjoy fiction more than I used to. One reason is that I\u2019m finding works of fiction that are philosophical. Another reason is my switch to audiobooks. It\u2019s hard to beat a great novel that is well narrated, such as Tim Curry reading A Christmas Carol<\/em> and Stephen Fry reading The Hitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy<\/em>. I had a hard time getting into Atlas Shrugged<\/em> until I listened to the audio version\u2014and then it was hard to stop!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t think of one in particular, but some of my earliest reading memories include my parents reading \u201cThe Ransom of Red Chief\u201d and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe<\/em> to my brother and me. I remember being thoroughly entertained, having been ushered into a different world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On my own, I enjoyed reading Encyclopedia Brown<\/em> and the Choose Your Own Adventure<\/em> series. As I got into my teens, my nerdy self picked up books such as White House Years<\/em>\u2014Henry Kissinger’s memoir\u2014and Free to Choose<\/em> by Milton and Rose Friedman. I think that’s when I started to really exercise my freedom to read and learn whatever I personally chose\u2014outside of what friends were reading or what I had to read for school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These days, I focus on reading material that is research for books that I’m writing. However, if I take time away from that, I indulge in the works of Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde, Daphn\u00e9 du Maurier, and P. G. Wodehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recently read The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity<\/em> by Hans-Friedrich Mueller. In the ancient Roman world, when a person died, someone present would call out that person\u2019s name three times. This is still done today when a pope dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve always enjoyed being in nature. However, I read The Nature Fix<\/em> by Florence Williams a couple of years ago, and it’s helped me prioritize time in nature<\/a>. I recently moved away from suburbia and plan to land soon in a spot where I can see and hear only nature. That book drives home the point that time in nature is critical for our well-being. This notion is intuitive, but it’s fascinating to hear some of the recent science that backs it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love the end of The Last Battle<\/em> by C. S. Lewis: \u201cWe can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em>. The film is just as good, which is saying a lot. Definitely a must-read and a must-see. Also, the 1999 production of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband<\/em> is wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t have a very good gauge for what\u2019s well-known, but I recommend The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative<\/em> by Florence Williams, Return of the God Hypothesis<\/a><\/em> by Stephen C. Meyer, and Free to Choose<\/em> by Milton and Rose Friedman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I work on it like any other book, with a sincere effort to stay objective and learn something. I\u2019m not one for censorship; I believe in the marketplace of ideas. May the best ideas win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I chose The Purpose Driven Life<\/a><\/em> to work on. Going into it, I was wary that it would take a self-centered approach, as so many books do. However, I was happy to find that it\u2019s quite God-centered\u2014as I believe this sort of book should be\u2014with a focus on bringing glory to God rather than oneself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have so many good ones, such as Man\u2019s Search for Meaning<\/a><\/em>, Built to Last<\/a><\/em>, The Coddling of the American Mind<\/a><\/em>, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/a><\/em>, and The E-Myth Revisited<\/a><\/em>. My top pick is Lee Strobel\u2019s The Case for Christ<\/a><\/em>. It\u2019s an amazing story that I resonate with, and it has helped me build evidence-based beliefs. It\u2019s also extremely good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOur Interview With Elizabeth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What kind of work do you do at Shortform?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite book and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are you reading these days?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
If you could have a dinner party with any three authors\u2014dead or alive\u2014who would they be and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite genre? Why does it intrigue you?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any book genres or tropes that you dislike or refuse to read?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite way to read a book?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What book do you think everyone should read in their lifetime?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Who are your favorite authors?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
How have your reading tastes changed over the years?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Was there a specific book that sparked your love of reading?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Do you have any guilty-pleasure books?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s an interesting fact that you learned from a book recently?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Have any books you\u2019ve read caused you to make any life changes or to develop any habits?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s your favorite quote from a book or an author?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite book adaptations<\/strong> and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any lesser-known books that you\u2019ve read that you want others to know exist?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
At Shortform, how do you go about working on a book that has viewpoints you don\u2019t agree with?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any books you had to read for Shortform that you thought you wouldn\u2019t like and ended up loving?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite books in the Shortform library and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Elizabeth’s Recommended Reading List<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
About the Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n