I Read These 3 Epics In February

February reading list

It’s been an unbelievable month of reading!

I’ve had the pleasure of reading some absolute epics, it’s been awesome!

So without further ado, here are 3 books I read in February…

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson is an American journalist and author. Isaacson is regarded as one of the best biographers of all time and has written numerous biographies on some of histories greatest, most influential people such as: Steve Jobs, Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin and of course, Elon Musk.

In his latest biography, Isaacson explores literally everything there is to know about Elon Musk from his humble beginnings and childhood in South Africa, where he was bullied and nearly died after being pushed down some concrete stairs, to his epic fails and monumental wins with Tesla and SpaceX on his way to becoming the richest man on earth.

I’d probably say the Elon Musk biography is the best, most engaging and gripping biographies I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, it’s amazing! I was genuinely a bit sad it when it came to an end!

My Mum read the book before I did and she loved it, and as I said in last month’s reading list, if Mum recommends a book then we should all pay attention because Mother ALWAYS knows best!

Here are a few quotes from the Elon Musk biography…

• “The family adopted a motto: “Live dangerously — carefully.”
• “If your hand is on a stove and it gets hot, you pull it right off, but if it’s someone else’s hand on the stove, it will take you longer to do something.”
• “Optimism, pessimism, fuck that,” Musk answered. “We’re going to make it happen. As God is my bloody witness, I’m hell-bent on making it work.”

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment is written by Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky is regarded by many as one of the best, if not the best author of all time.

In Crime and Punishment, we follow Raskolnikov, a desperate, poverty stricken former student who wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and then commits a murder without any regret or remorse. But further down the line, Raskolnikov’s conscience and inner voice begin to catch up with him as he finds himself playing a game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator.

Crime and Punishment has been on my reading list for such a looonnnggg time. I’ve always been kind of intimidated to read it but I’m kicking myself for not reading it earlier, because it’s EASILY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I’VE EVER READ! It’s phenomenal!

But be warned, it’s not for the faint hearted. Even though the book is pretty long and dense, you need to take your time and read it carefully otherwise you’ll never appreciate be able to appreciate the brilliant, intricate details of Dostoevsky’s writing.

Here are a few quotes from Crime and Punishment…

• “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”
• “To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.”
• “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

Dune by Frank Herbert (Audible)

Dune is an epic science fiction novel written by American author Frank Herbert.

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is a story following a boy called Paul Atreides, the heir to a noble family who are given the task of ruling the very inhospitable planet (Arrakis) where the only thing of value is ‘spice’, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness.

After House Atreides is betrayed and his family destroyed, Paul sets out on a journey beyond his wildest dreams and towards a destiny greater than he could have ever imagined.

Believe it or not, Dune is the first novel I’ve ever listened to on Audible and if I had to describe the listening experience, it would be perfect! It was brilliantly narrated and even though the audiobook is a whopping 21 hours long it flew by, I loved it!

Here are a few quotes from Dune…

• “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
• “The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.”
• “It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.”

Happy reading,

See you next time,

Yours Sincerely,

Tom

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