The Impact of Transformative Reading

Reading can have a profound and transformative effect on one's life, particularly when a significant book is encountered at an important developmental phase. In this episode, Charles Duhigg reflects on the pivotal impact of 'The Varieties of Religious Experience' by William James, which was assigned to him during his college years at Yale. This book opened his eyes to the psychological aspects of religion and its importance in human experience—a realization that dramatically shifted his perspective. Duhigg emphasizes how the process of grappling with the book's dense concepts helped him forge a deeper understanding of not only the material but also the significance of ideas in shaping one’s life.