Mark Zuckerberg (Founder, Chairman and CEO of Facebook) has declared on Facebook (obvs) that 2015 will be the year of the book.
My challenge for 2015 is to read a new book every other week -- with an emphasis on learning about different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies.
I'm excited for my reading challenge. I've found reading books very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today. I'm looking forward to shifting more of my media diet towards reading books.
Now, for the record, me and Mark aren't on good terms (in my head - I've never met the guy). In a previous post I pulled him up for allowing misogynistic content to be posted on Facebook without any kind of punitive action and I recently made a resolution to consider giving Facebook the elbow once and for all.
Yet, this challenge can only be a good thing, and I applaud Mark for the statement and for daring people to go back to basics. Also, particularly loving the term 'media diet' and will consider ways of dropping it casually into my own lexicon.
As Richard Godwin points out in tonight's Evening Standard, his own media diet over the festive period consisted of books (yes!), music (oh YES!), film (whoop!) and conversation (hurrah!) and most importantly an abstinence from Facebook and the like.
So in celebration of Mark's declaration and in recognition that I am an unabashed bookworm, I'm going to make a note of the books I've read in 2015 to document my own personal Year of the Book; something to ponder on in 2016 and perhaps build on. I'll update my list as I go along.
Hopefully you'll find some good recommendations or maybe, like me, be inspired to read more (rather than take a selfie, tweet or Google celebs in bikinis in January. Unavoidable, but sickening as you accept they probably didn't eat a Terry's Chocolate Orange a day in December).
I'll leave you with Richard's Godwin's very wise tips on how to avoid the temptation of succumbing to bad habits.
Carry a book in your bag. Don't charge your phone by your bedside. Subscribe to a print magazine. Most of all, delete the Facebook app. You'll have so much more energy.
I'll raise a book to that.
