What book caused Vincent to wager $1,000? What book can teach you the real importance of forgiveness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vincent is a Shortform book guide writer from North Carolina. We interviewed him recently to learn about his tastes and how books have impacted his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Vincent prefers to read books that help him learn and grow as an individual and is a strong believer in the power of a well-researched self-help book. Here’s our interview with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My favorite book is The 48 Laws of Power<\/a><\/em> by Robert Greene. I love how the book states so many things that are on everyone\u2019s mind but that most people are afraid to say. While I think it presents a dismal view of human nature<\/a>, I believe this book has a lot to teach about human vanity and how to become more powerful yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wielding power is a necessary part of human life. What matters is what you choose to do with it. I think Dumbledore from Harry Potter<\/em> is a perfect example of this. Dumbledore, so thoughtful, gentle, and trusting<\/em>, had his dark side and his grandiosity. His ability to lead others, read people<\/a>, compete against enemies, and sway public opinion were all necessary for helping to defeat Voldemort. The 48 Laws of Power<\/a><\/em> is a beautifully written book, and, when read with good intentions, a tool for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most recent book I\u2019ve read\u2014or rather listened to\u2014is The Obstacle Is the Way<\/a><\/em> by Ryan Holiday. I\u2019ve found it extremely helpful for reframing otherwise unpleasant situations and being able to accept things as they are<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m currently reading Models: Attract Women Through Honesty<\/a><\/em> by Mark Manson. I\u2019m finding it healing and therapeutic to realize that having rough edges and not being perfect makes you more<\/em> attractive and socially magnetic to people, not less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ll likely read The Gift of Therapy<\/em> by Irvin Yalom next to help me prepare for my eventual career goal of becoming a therapist or counselor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robert Greene, Glennon Doyle, and maybe Alan Watts or Aldous Huxley. Maybe Neill Strauss\u2014thanks to his book The Truth<\/em>, not The Game<\/a><\/em>. Maybe Albert Hoffman or Alexander Shulgin. Maybe Jordan Peterson. Mostly just Glennon Doyle though. When I\u2019m at my happiest, I think of her and how thankful I am that it\u2019s safe to have faith in everything and in yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My favorite genres are psychology and self-help. When I read, I want to change the way I think about the world in ways that empower me to be a better, stronger person. If a book isn\u2019t directly improving the quality of my thoughts, I\u2019m not having much fun reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I dislike most self-help that\u2019s not written at least a little bit academically. I think the ideas get watered down and become less useful to me, and the ideas are usually presented in a more disorganized way. Bren\u00e9 Brown is a good example of an author I don\u2019t love. That said, I am a huge fan of Glennon Doyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love physical copies. Something about them. They\u2019re special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But audiobooks are awesome, too, because I get to listen to them while I do other things. They help me \u201cread\u201d twice as much as I otherwise would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Untamed<\/a><\/em> by Glennon Doyle. It\u2019s an utterly beautiful book on the power of taking the leap of faith that comes with just accepting, on principle, that you are worthy and that you can trust your own feelings\u2014rather than having to avoid them or hide them from others. I think it teaches us to be intimate with ourselves and others. And I believe in the Jungian idea that integrating and accepting our whole selves is the entire point of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robert Greene. His written voice comes across as epic and authoritative. He knows how to use language to appeal to your emotions and seduce you into accepting his ideas. Reading his work is otherworldly to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Glennon Doyle. She has the most wholesome tone in her writing. Nobody\u2019s words feel so kind or so inviting as hers. She makes me want to embrace love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I used to be interested in reading books that were less applicable to my life. I would read various fiction books and a bit of philosophy just for the sake of learning and becoming more cultured. Now, I read to help me take on my current challenges in the day-to-day. It\u2019s therapeutic for me and a large part of how I process and heal from old wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harry Potter and the Sorcerer\u2019s Stone<\/em>. I read it as a kid and didn\u2019t enjoy it much, and then I watched the first two movies before taking a huge hiatus. Then, at age 19, I picked the book up again on a camping trip. I immediately fell in love with the world-building and the whimsical, playful reality of life at Hogwarts. I read through The Goblet of Fire<\/em> before taking another Harry Potter<\/em> hiatus for several years to focus on reading other things. I finally finished books 5 to 7 this last year at age 25. It was a really cool experience getting to read the whole series as an adult and without having seen the movies first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 12 Rules for Life<\/a><\/em> and Beyond Order <\/em>by Jordan Peterson. While I find some of his views completely noxious, I love his psychology and philosophy. He\u2019s often considered a pseudo-intellectual, but I can\u2019t comprehend how. I\u2019ve never come across a more comprehensive philosophy of life than his. His ideas have shaped the way I understand life, the mind, the world, and spirituality more than any other single individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The Truth<\/em> by Neil Strauss, I learned the importance of forgiveness. I\u2019d heard about a billion times that forgiving those who harmed you is crucial for healing yourself, but I couldn\u2019t figure out why. I\u2019m not sure if this book explicitly states the answer, or if it just nudged me in the right direction to discover the answer for myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we refuse to forgive somebody and hold resentment towards them, our internal narrative is that they caused us harm. This reinforces the idea that we have been harmed and are a victim of that harm. But thinking of ourselves this way makes the harm worse. If you can let go of the fact that you were harmed and stop thinking of yourself as a victim, you can move past the pain of being treated poorly and become less affected by it. We forgive others to help ourselves let go of the past and feel empowered to grow rather than victimized and stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personality Isn\u2019t Permanent<\/em> by Benjamin Hardy inspired me to set an extremely ambitious three-month goal for myself, and I put $1,000 on the line that I lose if I fail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, Wired to Create<\/em> by Scott Barry Kaufman taught me how to use my \u201cright brain,\u201d\u2014I know this is a gross oversimplification, but it works\u2014how to understand fiction more deeply, as well as how to use intuition rather than just being constantly logical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not my favorite, but I do love \u201cAnd if you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of.\u201c (Jordan Peterson, 12 Rules for Life)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m Thinking of Ending Things<\/em> was really awesome. It\u2019s like a deep dive into subconscious shame and fear. The book wasn\u2019t half as good as the movie. I have no clue what\u2019s going on in the plot, but the way it makes me feel is breathtaking. Like, Charlie Kaufman knows every single subconscious fear or shame that I have and puts it on a screen to show me what it would be like to be plunged right into it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, the How to Change Your Mind <\/em>docuseries on Netflix is awesome. I think it came at an extremely valuable time, as psychedelic-assisted therapies are on the brink of legalization. My hope is that this series and the awareness it spreads lead to legislative change that can help individuals suffering from serious mental illness\u2014or just the everyday existential problems of being human\u2014get the help they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wired to Create<\/em> by Scott Barry Kaufman. He\u2019s a psychologist who\u2019s done a bunch of research on creativity\u2014and I think he\u2019s collaborated with Jordan Peterson on some studies and is also a friend of Robert Greene’s. The book is about the psychology of the default mode network and the way that more imaginative, creative, intuitive, and emotional types of thinking works. It completely changed the way I see reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While I\u2019d previously been extremely, rigidly analytical, I learned how to also think more intuitively and to feel rather than just analyze. This has helped me truly understand art for the first time in my life, and has been indispensable for helping me develop emotional intelligence<\/a> and maturity. It\u2019s also been extremely helpful for healing from anxiety and the need for a feeling of certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve yet to do this, but I imagine this would be fairly easy for me. I\u2019m great at setting aside my emotions and engaging analytically with ideas. I would steelman the author\u2019s book while also adding balanced commentary that sometimes undermines some of the book’s ideas, just as I would with any other book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read Personality Isn\u2019t Permanent<\/em> by Benjamin Hardy. He\u2019s a psychologist, but it\u2019s a pretty basic self-help book that\u2019s not very academic. I was expecting it to be trite, but I was blown away. I felt truly inspired and have since made some monumental life changes based on reading this book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to the ones I\u2019ve already mentioned, I\u2019d choose: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals<\/a>, Mastery<\/a>, and No More Mr. Nice Guy<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat’s on your reading list 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 books 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? How so?<\/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><\/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?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Vincent’s Recommended Reading List<\/h4>\n\n\n\n