7 # Cue Card (Book)

Describe a book that had a major influence on you

You Should say:

  • what the name of the book is & who the author is

  • how you first heard of the book

  • what the main story of the book is

and explain why it played such an important role in your life.

Vocabulary:

Sounds authentic, A good sense of time, nonfiction, trustworthy, masterful, well crafted sentences, provokes excellent discussions, smart approach, time tested, meeting international standards, utility, information, focus, Sense of humor, simplicity, nourish the academic requirements, quench the thirst of knowledge seekers, creativity, addressing all the requirements, writing that elevates humor, justice, curiosity, folds, chapters, imagery, the best seller, Aficionado.

Transcript:

When it comes to fiction, there is nothing that I do not love about them. Novels tell the stories of real lives. Honestly Speaking, I am into all kinds of genres of literature, you name it and I have already read it.

So, out of my infinite collection, the book that is on the top of my list is “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. He is a Spanish author who expanded my knowledge to a great extent. Everybody knows that reading improves our vocabulary and knowledge but that’s not it. Sometimes, it teaches us how to find meaning of everything around us, and that’s what Paulo Coelho taught me. His book is famous for the line: “When you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. I first heard about it when I was staying at my uncle’s rest house. I looked at the shelf and found “Winner stands alone.” My sister looked at it and said “Oh I know this writer he is famous for “the Alchemist””.

The story revolves around a character who is basically a shepherd, in search of his dream he finds the meaning of life. He says that we ignore the real beauty of nature because we are too busy thinking about our past and future. He taught me how much joy you could find when you live in a moment of life. It’s a beautiful discourse that I recommend everyone should read because when I look back at the time I read it, I am so glad that I did it. I remember when I finished it I felt a layer of shiver passed inside me. I started focusing on all the little things around me and it changed my perception about life entirely. I have achieved so many things and I give its credit to Paulo Coelho. Driving back home I could see life in this book.

Transcript 2

I find it terribly difficult to choose favourites of any sort, especially in terms of art and literature; things that are unique entirely unto themselves. Ranking books by the magnitude of impact they've had on me is equally difficult because whether or not I find a book boring, I learn from it nonetheless. Be it in terms of general knowledge, vocabulary or history.

Nonetheless, a book that managed to capture the confines of my mind for a very long period of time was a famous compilation of pure genius named Angels and Demons written by Dan Brown. The book was first suggested to me by my best friend- who is also a books-fanatic and a lover of all sorts of art and literature. I was yearning for some new reading material and she gave me a short list of names which included Angels and Demons. Thereafter, I gave it a read with little in the way of enthusiastic anticipation, considering the fact that I tend to look past summaries, as they often dissuade me instead of encouraging me to read the book. Suffice it to say, this particular book managed to have me completely enraptured even before I concluded the first chapter.

The book is a heady mix of history, mystery, science and mythology, to say the least. It is based on the story of a college professor who gets sucked into a war between science and religion as a brotherhood called the Illuminati that is hellbent on destroying the Catholic Church resurfaces. The mystery and twists were incredibly addictive, not to mention the scientific environment it had going. It symbolized the art in science, the science in art and the religion in both. This book is special because it sparked a live-wire in my mind for exploring more in terms of science and history. I will forever feel privileged to have read such a masterpiece.

Written by Wardah Razzaq.