When someone reads the right book at the right time in his life, it can have a profound effect. Such is the case for the people on this list, who come from all walks of life. These people have singled out a book that they read which had a life-changing effect on them. They, in turn, affected the worlds of science, technology and politics.
1. That Printer Of Udell’s—Ronald Reagan
One book that had a big effect on former President Ronald Reagan as a child was the Christian-book That Printer of Udell’s, by Harold Bell Wright. The main character of the book, Dick Falkner, was born into a broken home with an alcoholic father. After losing both of his parents, Falkner moves to a bigger city, called Boyd City to make a living. However, everyone turns Dick down for a job, except for a printer. At the end of the book, Dick heads to Washington, D. C, to become a politician. It's said that the book showed him that good could defeat evil and that the good guys followed a code of morality, which can be seen as a driving factor in his presidency.
2. A Treatise Of Human Nature—Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was one of the greatest minds of all time. His name is synonymous with brilliance. So, what book had the biggest effect on such an important mind? It was A Treatise of Human Nature, by David Hume, which was published in 1738. Hume was a Scottish philosopher known for his contributions to philosophical skepticism(怀疑论). Einstein mentioned a few times that A Treatise of Human Nature had a large influence on him. He read the book just before coming up with his famous special relativity theory. In a letter, Einstein said that Treatise helped him formulate the ideas. It was like he already had the ideas in his brain, and Hume helped him to express them clearly.
3. The Aeneid—Mark Zuckerberg
When Mark Zuckerberg first added his likes to his Facebook profile, he put the book Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, as a favorite book. Later, in an interview with The New Yorker, Zuckerberg clarified that the sci-fi classic was one he enjoyed, but it wasn't his favorite. He said that his favorite book is The Aeneid, by Virgil, a Latin epic poem that was written somewhere between 29 - 19 BC about a group of Trojan survivors. Zuckerberg said he first read the book when he was in high school while he was studying Latin and that one thing that stuck with him was Aeneas's drive to follow his fate to build a city that “knows no boundaries in time and greatness".
1. How did the book That Printer of Udell's influence Ronald Reagan?
A. He believed in goodness and morality.
B. He found a role model in the hero of the book.
C. Ronald Reagan had similar experience with Dick Falkner.
D. Reagan was also a politician.
2. Why is the book A Treatise of Human Nature so important to Einstein?...
A. Because it was written by a great philosopher David Hume.
B. Because it was a great philosophy book.
C. Because it helped Einstein form the ideas of special relativity theory.
D. Because it helped Einstein express his ideas of special relativity clearly.
3. What is Zuckerberg's favourite book?
A. Ender’s Game B. The New Yorker
C. The Aeneid D. A Latin epic poem
4. What can we infer about the books mentioned above?
A. They all affected different areas of the world.
B. They all have a profound effect on all people.
C. They are all the right books for their readers.
D. They are all written in English.