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Old Book vs. New

by Kerem
7 replies
Hello friends,

I'm in such a dilemma for a while which books to study. Time tested material from 1900's seems more legit to me because after the popularity of The Secret too many so called "gurus" popped up and they have no idea what they are talking about.

When I realized that, I understood their e-mail bulletins, news about their next books and next seminars which claims it will expose the great "secret" will never end. And I'll be looking for the next stuff they are selling to learn the "secret" to "change my life" - Then I decided to stick with several books and study & apply the principles of them till I get results.

However, I can not help if I'm missing anything. I recently bought a brand new book Compass Of The Soul - Lynn Robinson (at least its new in my country) but its like a rehash of Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life and Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualization which are published on 70s and 80s.

Some people saying that Think & Grow Rich and Magic Of Thinking Big are too old - and there are books out there which surpassed them. Honestly I couldn't find those books which surpassed the classics.

Even Maximum Achievement from Brian Tracy is a combination of Think & Grow Rich, Write Down And Make It Happen, It Works, How To Win Friends And Influence People, How To Stop Worrying And Start Living, and The Master Key System.

I'd like to hear your opinions. I'm a bit upset myself of becoming a book collector... Some people buy one book and read it over & over and it change their lives. I was just reading one book after another. Which books you guys sticking with and get measurable results in any area of your life?
#book
  • Profile picture of the author edgeyy66
    I don't think that there is person or one book, or even a series of books or people that you can read and get all the answers from. Life is a work in progress. If I read a book in my 20's and then re-read the same book again in my 40s there would be a whole different set of answers because the questions changed.

    The truth is there's not much being written now that wasn't written thousands of years ago by Buddha, or Jesus, or Mohammed or Confucius or pick-a-yogi-monk-swami from the last 3 millennia. I believe the biggest hoax of my generation is "The Secret" they actually sold us digital snake oil - it's the Golden Rule for crying out loud! It's the first thing they teach in sunday school. But in the end it answered questions for a lot of people so who am I to judge.

    For me it's all information that I use to form my own ideas. Read it all - Machiavelli, Dante, Plato, Jung it's all good stuff. That old wisdom is great but it can get dry. The newer authors like Deepak Chopra, Eckart Tolle and Wayne Dwyer have put a more contemporary spin on an very old message.

    I say read them all - it's the act of dialogue that gives us the answers we need at the time we need them.

    At least that's my experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    Originally Posted by Kerem View Post

    ...Some people saying that Think & Grow Rich and Magic Of Thinking Big are too old - and there are books out there which surpassed them...
    These are clearly people who have never read either of these books. Anyone who would say that is not anyone I would want to hear one more word from.

    Read them all. I can't see anything wrong with becoming a book collector. Maybe start with trying to love books again. Books and conversations are the only thing that will move you forward. There are action steps and suggested attitudes in all of them that will do you a lot of good.

    Try to find the common thread but for sanity's sake...don't ever stop reading. As for new authors re-hashing old ideas; I think that's a good thing. It's people expressing how they feel about life's truths and any new perspective is a welcome thing.
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  • Profile picture of the author TMGG
    Read them all, old and new.

    There's junk in both camps and there are gems in both camps. One great thing about some modern stuff is that the way the core concepts are taught is through a newer lens which in some cases makes it easier to understand and implement.

    Now a great way I found to get a feel for some good stuff was through Brian Johnson's Philosophers Notes. He took a 100 great books of wisdom and condensed them into 6 page summaries with the key quotes and power concepts. Really good if you're trying to feel the waters with particular authors...like the Philosophers Note for a book then go grab the book.

    PhilosophersNotes - More Wisdom in Less Time

    I've got no association with these guys...aside from being a fan of their work...
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  • Profile picture of the author justhumza
    The old books hold golden pieces of advice which are timeless, the new books are written in a modern way so it's easier to understand. Like everyone says, read them all, there's only benefit in doing so.
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    • Profile picture of the author jsla
      The truth is written about in many forms. Everyone is saying a lot of the same good things. I would just encourage you not to think that some new shiny book coming out next month is going to hold THE ANSWER...
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
        Originally Posted by jsla View Post

        ... I would just encourage you not to think that some new shiny book coming out next month is going to hold THE ANSWER...
        I'm pretty sure there's no human alive that thinks like that.
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  • Profile picture of the author TatiW3B
    A few months back, someone said something to me that has been very impact-full on how I view personal development books and programs.

    I used to be a hardcore devour-er of anything having to do with that niche until this was said to me.

    You're not missing anything. You have everything you need inside of you already.

    Another book read or program taken is only going to serve one of two purposes: to reaffirm or to confuse. Yes, things can be said and understood a thousand different ways... but do you really need to hear those things again? Do you really need a thousand interpretations? How many times until you implement the teachings (if that's your goal)? How many different ways can this be done? Personal development and spirituality - these experiences are different for everyone. They're going to be just as different for the guru as they are for you in your experience.

    Reading books is an excellent practice, and I encourage it (I love to read). But stop trying to interpret someone else's experience. Start figuring out your own experience. You're not missing anything. Everything you need is inside of you. Experience your own story now, you're more than ready
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