How books can open your mind

Jane Eyre was my role model of an independent woman when I was growing up. 'Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!'

Since reading this book as a kid, I have been obsessed with efficiency. Read it at your own risk :)

Pearl S. Buck's house in Nanjing where she lived during the 1930s later became the office of the Chinese Department of Nanjing University, where I received my BA. But her books were banned in China when I was in college, so I finally read this book in the US. After Beijing lifted the ban on her books a few years ago, her house has been converted to a museum.

Read this and John Adams by David McCullough together. Both men were great yet very different. They had many disagreements but the American Revolution needed them both.

Read this along with The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder. The first one is the autobiography of Katharine Graham, former publisher of The Washington Post. She was an inspiration for me when I was struggling with insecurities. She and Warren Buffett are great friends and business partners. I really like Buffett's approach to life, business and wealth: 'Life is like a snowball — all you need is wet snow and a really long hill.'

This book is both hilarious and profound. The teenage Jesus took a road trip with Biff to look for the three wise men and encountered Buddhism and Hinduism (and lattes) along the way. I'm amazed by the author's understanding of all three religions.

This six-hour conversation between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers changed my life. I re-watch it whenever I'm stuck in writing or life, and it never fails to inspire me. It's also one of my favorite gifts to give to friends.

Read this and Tao: The Watercourse Way by Alan Watts together. Instead of loss in translation, I find there's much to gain from Thomas Merton's interpretation of Chuang Tzu's writing. Maybe because without cultural preconception, a Westerner can read Chuang Tzu's ancient text with fresh eyes, thus see its original meaning more readily. I'm also amazed by Alan Watts' understanding of Eastern philosophies. He has a talent to articulate complicated ideas in an easy to understand manner.