Musing Monday

Should be Reading hosts a weekly Musing Mondays question. I've commented on several bloggers' posts about the past questions. This week I really like the question, so I figured I'd join in the fun!

This week's question:
How often do you actually put into practice what you learn from reading nonfiction books?

I read a lot of non-fiction. I find, in many cases, truth is stranger than fiction. It also can be more entertaining.

I frequently change my way of thinking or my behavior after reading non-fiction.

Here are just a few of the examples:

Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food

Both of these books read made me think about the food we eat and where it comes from. I wrote here about some of the changes we've made in our eating habits.

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

This book is a mix of travelogue and self-help dealing with happiness. I found it really insightful.

Out West by Dayton Duncan

I'm not sure how or why I picked this up, but it significantly changed my life. It put the idea in my head of moving west. (The link is from my personal blog.) And, eight years later, I'm still here. It kinda blows my mind just how much this one book altered the path I'm on.

And finally, a lot of the non-fiction I read reminds me how blessed I am to leave here and now. That isn't "putting something into practice," but it is really important to remember. Aren't you glad you aren't a welfare mom or stuck in a polygamist FLDS family or growing up in the Cultural Revolution or even living in the days before central heating.