Friday, 23rd is a day for bookworms as it’s World Book Day. On World Book Day 2021, we are going to tell you about the origin and significance of the day. We will also tell you 5 books you should read during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
World Book Day is a celebration of reading, writing, publishing and copyright. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have all been forced to live within our own drawn our confinements. But the silver lining of such a thing is that we can all bust out a book or two, and open our minds to imaginary worlds and new facts.
World Book Day Origin
The origin of World Book Day can be traced back to a Spanish writer called Vicente Clavel Andres who wanted to honour a fellow Spanish writer, Miguel de Cervantes. Clavel wanted to honour Miguel on his birthday on 7th October. However, later he decided to honour him on 23rd April, his date of death.
Later in 1995, UNESCO decided to recognize World Book and Copyright Day and set 23rd April as the date of the special day. UNESCO came to the conclusion of having 23rd April as World Book Day because not only was it the death anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes, but it was also the birth anniversary of William Shakespeare along with several other prominent authors across the world.
3 inspiring books you must read during the COVID pandemic
1) Man’s Search for Meaning
Man’s Search for Meaning is a memoir written by Dr. Viktor Frankl. Dr. Victor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who was thrown into the Nazi concentration camps at the peak of the World War 2. Dr. Frankl’s memoir is humbling, heartfelt and even at its darkest moments, quite humorous. The book is a two-part account: the first half goes in depth of Dr. Fankl’s experience at the concentration camps, while the second one is comprised of lessons Frankl learnt and we can imbibe in our own life to make our life more meaningful in the darkest of times.
2) The Daily Stoic
Written by podcaster, writer and entrepreneur Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic is filled with 366 meditations. The number as you may have guessed, is the maximum number of days in a year. And thus, there are meditations for each day of a year.
What makes the book so special is that unlike most books that are divided in lengthy chapters, the Daily Stoic is divided into small 366 2-minute reads. The lessons are clear, precise and massively helpful, especially at a time like this. The Daily Stoic will help you to readjust your perspective, identify your worries and put you in a position where you can live and let live.
For the uninitiated, stoicism is a philosophy from Greek philosophers that puts the onus on every human to live life with tolerance, self-control and pragmatic purpose.
3) Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life
Beyond Order is a sequel to Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos”. In Beyond Order, the Canadian psychologist and netizen’s very own ‘father that they never got’ lays out some more fundamental rules one can use to do better in life. Unlike religious dogmas, the rules laid down by Peterson are rooted in scientific inquiries and Peterson’s own study of psychology.
While the first book had rules such as, “stand up with your back straight” and “treat yourself like you are someone you are responsible for helping”, Beyond has rules like- “Do Not Hide Unwanted Things in the Fog”, “If Old Memories Still Upset You, Write Them Down Carefully and Completely.” “Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens.” Be grateful in spite of your suffering.”
