The Books I Read In March 2023
Time flies.
Whew. The month of March is gone. April is here.
The first quarter of 2023 is gone. 25% of the year is gone. How far have you come to your goals? Any progress? Have you built that new habit yet? Are you still following the schedules you created in January? I hope you are.
I've been struggling. I'm six days behind in my Bible In A Year Reading plan. I hope to catch up soon. You should try to catch up too. Yes, being alive is a gift in itself. Be grateful for it. Also, make the best of it.
So, what did I read in March 2023?
Titan by Ron Chernow
I began reading this book many years ago, but I was able to conclude it this year. It is an exhaustive biography of the wealthiest man of his day, John D Rockefeller.
How To Be A Stoic by Massimo
Many years from now, it could be that one of the most life-changing decisions I made was to read about stoicism. This is a book by Massimo that explores how to be a stoic. It is different from your usual self-help book. It is something much more. It does not impose and say do this and get that; rather, it teaches you to view life from a new plane. Stoicism may interest you.
How Much Land Does A Man Need? By Leo Tolstoy
What a book by Tolstoy. A short read but has a powerful message. It follows a man who thought getting more land would solve his problem. It turns out that getting more land would lead to more problems. For the heart of man, it is never enough. However, to be happy, we must learn to accept enough.
Thomas Sankara by Brian Peterson
One of Africa’s finest sons, Thomas Sankara. In 5 years as Prime Minister, Thomas Sankara etched his name into the history books. He has been called the Che Guevara of Africa. His stories have become a legend, and his name is one of those that can easily be identified. Yet, not many truly know his story. Brian Peterson does an excellent job of presenting the real Thomas Sankara. You would love it.
Lives Of The Stoics by Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday has been one of the men/women responsible for popularizing the ideas of the stoics in the 21st Century. In this book, he focuses on the lives of the stoics rather than their philosophy. Philosophy is supposed to help us live better lives. Philosophy is supposed to make us wiser. Did the stoics live that way? This book explores that. We see the lives of Socrates, Cato, of Marcus Aurelius, amongst others. As a follower of stoicism, I enjoyed it.
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis
CS Lewis's allegory of heaven and hell is one of those timeless books. I read this on a 4 hours trip to Abuja—my second reading. Again, the wisdom and narrative power of Lewis comes across clearly. This book is so much about the simple things that will impact our destiny of either heaven or hell. Lewis makes his point by showing how even the most mundane things can hold us back from seeing the Kingdom of God. Think about the woman whose son had died and was in heaven already, but she was consumed by “love” that made her want to have that boy again. She could not see love, anything, or anyone again. Such could be seen as love, but it was corrupted - corrupted love always harms. We cannot love others to the best of their interest if we do not love God. And the intellectual pride of the poet. Even intellectual pride can stand in the way of heaven. This a timely lesson for anyone who loves to read.
I didn't read as many books as I wanted. This month, I hope to do better.
What did you read in March?