5 Books Every College Student Must Read

“Today’s Readers Are Tomorrow’s Leaders.” In this article, you will get to know about 5 good and motivational books that every college student must-read. We all aspire to be successful and famous in our lives and we draw our inspiration from the people around us about whom we read daily in newspapers and magazines e.g. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zukerberg, APJ Abdul Kalam and many more. We try to follow their path and read about them to get an insight into their lives and discover what makes them different from all the others. Well, the one thing that makes them stand out from the crowd is their habit of reading. 

1. The Alchemist: Written beautifully by the famous writer Paulo Coelho. Alchemist is a book that somehow resonates with each one of us through the protagonist Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy. It tells you about the basic human desires, we all have passion for something which some of us follow whereas the other hide within, due to the fear of the society and the world. This book teaches us the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognizing the opportunities and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path and most importantly to follow your dreams. We all are aware of the principles that govern the world and which are necessary for one to follow, this book reminds us of all those principles:
2. People are capable at any time in their lives of doing what they dream of.
3. When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
4. Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny
5. The secret of life though is to fall seven times and to get up for the eighth time
6. The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. No heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams.

1. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how others should lead their lives, but none about his or her own..price on amazon.

2. The Last lecture: We all go to our elders for advice, words of wisdom and for any suggestion. Well, this book is written on similar grounds. At 47 Professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and this is his last lecture that he writes for all his students and the readers, inspiring them to live each day with purpose and joy. The book is both inspiring and powerful and you never want it to end. Pausch tells his life stories that revolve around dreaming big, hard work, perseverance, sacrifice, self-confidence, modesty, courage, positive outlook and dealing with adversity. Some of the beautiful lines that one comes across while reading this book are:

1. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity
2. The brick walls are not there to keep us out, but instead to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. They are there to stop other people.
3. Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.
4. The key question to keep asking is, are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.

1. Never ever underestimate the importance of having fun.price on amazon.

3. 7 habits of Highly Effective People: Written by Stephen R. Covey in the awake condition of 90s when Americans needed higher productivity in business, this book concentrates on how habits are developed and what types of habits are needed to be highly productive. The author believes that habits are the results of repeated actions and a certain level of commitment. The author in 4 parts of the book introduces and explains the 7 habits that make one great and highly effective. The seven habits are :

1. Pro-active: Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice.
2. Begin with the end in mind: All things are created twice – Once it is created in the mind and the other becomes physically visible.
3. Put first things first: The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities
4.  Think win-win: Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.
5. Seek first to understand than be understood: Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.
6. Synergize: Success of human life can be achieved through habit of synergy in every walk of life.

1. Sharpen the saw: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a hab.price on amazon..

4. The Fountainhead: Right from our childhood we are advised to be crazy for your passion. Only when you follow it with your heart and mind you get what you dream of. Well in this book Ayn Rand beautifully crafts a story around 5 characters with her protagonist being Howard Roark. The story describes the art of survival in a society which refuses to accept your principles and thoughts. The book may not grab your attention at first but as it moves forward, the life of Roark makes you question your own ethics. Ayn describes how some people just settle for what is offered to them while only the talented and the dreamers shape their life their style. Roark is very passionate and dedicated to his dream of being an architect but he refuses to design buildings in a regular way. He is also very humble and secure about his talent which is why he does not mind helping his friend, Keating, in designing building though he gains absolutely nothing out of it. All the characters in the book describe different types of people one encounters in their journey of life.price on amazon.

4. Ignited Minds: A book dedicated to the youth and the students of the country; Ignited Minds is a blessing Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has bestowed on us before leaving. Written in an essay form the book is easy to understand and a must-read for the youth of India. The book begins with an inspirational message to the youth of India to dream big and to believe that their dream will come true. In his book Dr. Kalam questions the attitude of Indians to settle down. With limited achievement and without utilizing their full potential –resources, talent and skills he talks to the Indian youth who have stopped dreaming and are just following the rat race of doing what others around are doing. Dr. Kalam talks about the fusion of science and spirituality, where he emphasis how important spiritual development is along with the development in other areas like education, agriculture, Information Technology, etc. price on amazon.

Some beautiful lines from the book are:

1. Thinking is the capital, Enterprise is the way, Hard Work is the solution
2. I realized then that if something is at stake, the human mind gets ignited and working capacity gets enhanced manifold.
3. Change is crucial. It brings new thought; new thought leads to innovative actions.
4. Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.
5. Dream, Dream, Dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.
6. this article taken from blog.madeeasy.in