There’s something about the self-improvement section at bookstores. Every book promises to make life better in one way or another. After all the pomp and parade, you buy the book only to discover that it took the author 354 pages to say “use your brain”.
This book is slightly different. There’s nothing flashy about the cover, nothing sexy about the author, and no place for it on the New York Times best seller list. Instead of hyping it, I’ll just lay down the facts and leave you to decide whether to get it.
Name & Author:
Alexander the Great by Jacob Abbott. 
What it’s About:
The life, habits, conquests, and destruction of the second greatest man that ever lived (yep, Jesus is still the greatest).
Who Should Get This:
I strongly recommend this book if you’re looking for a raw example of leadership, focus, and achievement. A lot of people write about these topics but only very few have lived out any of these traits. If you know the story of Alexander’s life, you will understand what it truly means to live with purpose and drive. I got the audio version for free from www.booksshouldbefree.com. Believe it or not, I actually started looking forward to doing dishes and laundry so i could keep listening.
Who Should NOT Get This:
You may not enjoy this book if you’re looking for a concrete guide on these topics. There are no exercises, step-by-step plans, or solutions. This is purely a story of his life. A fascinating story nonetheless.
I’d heard about Alexander the Great all my life but I never knew what made him so great. Was it because he was good looking? Intelligent? Wealthy? Popular? If he was so great, why and how did he die? Was the person that killed him even greater?
Alexander the Great went beyond providing answers to these questions. It taught me some fundamental things about life itself. My frustration with bookstores has inevitably turned into gratitude. If I had been satisfied with the air puffs on their shelves, I would probably never have found this book. I first read it in November 2011 and the story still haunts me. It’s just that darned good.
If you do get the book (or you’ve already read it), please let me know what you think. Leave a comment on Facebook, or on Twitter (even if you decide that it’s “meh” at best).
6 thoughts on “If You Read Only One More Book in Your Life…”
I would NEVER have thought to pick this book up! Thanks for the recommendation
you’re very welcome, Shermaine! i’d love to hear your thoughts about it
I have heard about the book, but I would have never thought to pick it up if you had not talked about it. thanks for the recommendation.
you’re very welcome, Kehinde. Hope you enjoy it as much as i did : )
thanks for this recommendationa and the free link :=) I enjoy your posts, and appreciate you following me @naijagogetters
Ladipo, you are very welcome. thanks so much for stopping by : ) you never fail to talk true with your tweets. i really enjoy them
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