What happens when a dream you’ve held since childhood … doesn’t come true?
As Lisa Bu adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books.
She has built a career helping people find great stories to listen to. Now she tells her own story.
Fu Lei’s Family Correspondences
I satisfied my hunger for parental advice from this book by a family of writers and musicians.
I found my role model of an independent woman when Confucian tradition requires obedience.
And I learned to be efficient from this book.
The Complete Works of Sanmao and Lessons from History by Nan Huajin
And I was inspired to study abroad after reading these.
I came to the U.S. in 1995, so which books did I read here first? Books banned in China, of course. “The Good Earth” is about Chinese peasant life.
Compare and contrast gives scholars a more complete understanding of a topic.
So I thought, well, if comparative reading works for research, why not do it in daily life too?So I started reading books in pairs:
- Benjamin Franklin
and John Adams
- Personal History
I also compare the same stories in different genres:
- Holy Bible
or similar stories from different cultures, as Joseph Campbell did in his wonderful book: The Power of Myth
So if you know a foreign language, it’s also fun to read your favorite books in two languages:
and 
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Books have given me a magic portal to connect with people of the past and the present
I know I shall never feel lonely or powerless again. Having a dream shattered really is nothing compared to what many others have suffered. I have come to believe that coming true is not the only purpose of a dream. Its most important purpose is to get us in touch with where dreams come from, where passion comes from, where happiness comes from. Even a shattered dream can do that for you.
So because of books, I’m here today, happy, living again with a purpose and a clarity, most of the time. So may books be always with you.