Favorite books by Valeria Lyubarskaya, blogger and TV presenter

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The stories of the heroes of this Lifehacker column inspire you to pick up a new book, immerse yourself in the text and dream about your own library.

What are your favorite books?

I have always been partial to confusing stories with a little bit of love experiences.

Therefore, when Sidney Sheldon's book "If Tomorrow Comes" fell into my hands, I began to read all his works in one gulp.

There is such a thing as a "lead book". All the works of Sidney Sheldon turn out to be such books. His French "brother" is Guillaume Musso ("The Girl from Brooklyn") - he has amazing psychological detective stories. Yes, they are much simpler than classics like Dostoevsky, but after these books you really want to continue reading, because they are swallowed in one sitting.

What book from your childhood do you have the warmest memories of?

My warmest memories are not connected with the book, but with Tyutchev's poem "Spring Thunderstorm", which I learned in the 3rd grade. I still remember, because that “memorizing” master class from my mother was the most memorable and really useful. So learn poetry, they are great for making your brains work.

If we talk about prose from childhood, then, of course, this is Alexandre Dumas and his "Count of Monte Cristo". A very powerful book, a classic of French literature that makes you think about really important and good things.

What book do you read often and enjoy?

Most of the time I reread books on self-organization and business psychology. The most beloved to this day remains "18 Minutes" by Peter Bregman. The book, which helped me to believe in my strength, said that everything will be right and good, and if it doesn't, then it's okay, because we are all human and we are just learning. Yes, you need to be demanding of yourself, but be able to find the strength to move on, and not burn out for a long time after a superman's dash.

Was there a book that you couldn't tear yourself away from until you read it to the end?

Of course, as I have already mentioned several times, detective stories are best suited for the “read without stopping” problem. You always want to know how it all ended and is the butler really the killer? For me this is Sydney Sheldon's The Intriguer, Daniel Keyes's The Mysterious Story of Billy Milligan.

What book is a must-read for every person and why?

Here I will be extremely simple: classics, classics and once again classics (it's not for nothing that it is called that).

If you choose one book, then, most likely, it is "The Sovereign" by Niccolo Machiavelli. This is my favorite classic book, still relevant today.

For example, the story that the sovereign can be cruel, and then his power will be more durable, but the people will not love him. Or, on the contrary, he can be supportive and welcoming, and the people will adore him and reach out to the ruler, but at the same time a person will be in power for a very short time, and he will hardly be remembered for a long time.

All "advice" from Niccolo Machiavelli can be applied to modern realities, and not only in the field of politics. This is any management activity in which there is a boss and a subordinate.

Which book was helpful to you professionally? Why?

The most useful of the latter was Sapiens. A Brief History of Humanity”by Yuval Noah Harari. It explains human behavior from primitive communities to modern times. The author tried to understand from the point of view of biology and sociology why people behave this way and not otherwise. Why is the presence of religion and politics important in our life, why did not we subdue the wheat, but it us.

Which of the last fiction books you read do you remember? How?

From the latter - "Areas of Darkness" by Alan Glynn. I watched the film and was impressed, but I only got around to reading the book in 2018.

An interesting fantastic story about what would happen if we could use the latent potential of our brain. Eddie Spinola - the main character of the work - gets this opportunity in the form of NRT tablets and finds himself in a series of unusual and sometimes scary situations.

What good book have you read on the advice of another person?

I read a lot of books on the advice of friends and acquaintances. Of all the variety, I can single out a rather atypical book - "Of course you are kidding, Mr. Feynman?" by Richard Feynman himself.

A man of extraordinary mind, one of the founders of quantum thermodynamics, the Nobel laureate describes his student life and transformation into a "typical adult." He describes even the gloomy moments of his biography in a very interesting way and with the help of an excellent syllable. Here's a jack of all trades for you.

How do you read?

Most of the time, the books are at my fingertips - on my phone. Not the most convenient format, but the most mobile. I definitely buy a book in paper form if it deserves a place in my library and, of course, my heart.

I used Bookmate for a long time. Now I just downloaded a lot of books and read them through eBook.

Book applications often have a function such as quoting. So I still leave interesting notes, and also take screenshots on my phone, so as not to lose the thought. In paper books, I highlight something interesting or important with a colored marker.