Lifelong learning is a journey. It is not a destination, and getting there is not simply half the fun. It’s all of the fun when you are accompanied by the greatest minds of all time. The incredible voyage, that is lifelong learning is more enjoyable, when the greatest books ever penned are your sails.
Have you ever visited your local public library or a bookstore, and stood there for a moment, and looked in awe at the immense treasure of information surrounding you? While every book is not a classic, or a fountain of timeless wisdom of the ages, each volume represents a writer’s gift of creation. By carefully selecting which books to purchase or borrow, you can share in the knowledge that has passed from generation to generation.
While business people will often find their selections in the business book section, there is much wisdom to be discovered elsewhere as well. Along with the many fine writings on business, it is well worth a business person’s time to rediscover the immortal classics of literature.
From an early age, we studied great books of literature. Often, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen were found to be boring and lacking relevance. While those classics and others were seen as uninteresting at an earlier time in your life, it’s time to pick them up once again. A very important factor to notice about great literature, is its ability to affect you in different ways, at various points in your life. What may have seemed boring and of little benefit at one stage in life, may turn out to be one of life’s most important lessons at another age and time.
The lessons from characters ranging from Hamlet to Huckleberry Finn to Elizabeth Bennett are vital to our lives today. While the settings may change, the nature of people does not. Knowing about people, and their myriad of actions and motives, is a powerful gift for any business owner or manager. At the same time, great literature is a pleasure to read and enjoy. Becky Sharp is as captivating today as she was in Victorian England; and Robinson Crusoe and Friday provide valuable information on resourcefulness and creativity.
Reading the great books not only teaches life lessons, but also improves your personal writing and communications style. To fashion prose like F. Scott Fitzgerald or economize on words like Ernest Hemingway is the mark of a fine writer. Learning to think, and to create letters and articles in a strong prose style, sets one apart from the crowd. Good writing cries out to be read and then read and enjoyed again. Following the example of the best writers of all time will enhance your own writing skills.
Enjoying the great works of literature is one of the most enjoyable voyages upon which you will ever embark. It is lifelong learning at its most pleasurable.
Select a volume of classic literature today
Wayne Hurlbert writes about business blogs, SEO, marketing, and public relations on Blog Business World. Wayne also hosts the internet radio show Blog Business Success.