Ella Berthoud is a bibliotherapist at the international School of Life. Through various techniques she looks at the whole person — "their life, their passions, desires, hopes, dreams and any issues they may have." She then prescribes "the ideal books for them to read right now."
Are you an auditory reader, a visual reader, or a kinesthetic reader? Berthoud will help find out the answer to that question. She also presents 19 other practical meditative exercises designed to deepen and enrich your reading experiences.
The well-read author challenges us to see poems as "a window into a new way of looking at something of the everyday." She suggests creating indoor and outdoor reading nooks. She reflects on the healing power of reading; for example, reading fiction will enhance your empathy and emotional intelligence. For those who complain they do not have enough time to read, she suggests ways of making it a daily habit. She hurrahs our era as "a time of audiobook heaven" and counsels us to make the most of this lifestyle choice.
We were especially delighted by Berthoud's playful approaches to reading such as reading while sitting in a tree, re-reading books you're already read to get a fresh perspective on how you've changed, reading aloud with a friend or partner, writing a six-word memoir, and memorizing passages and poems like our ancestors did long ago. We (obviously) are big readers, and yet we found so many great thoughts and ideas in this delightful book. We can't recommend it enough!
