The one book that drastically changed my life

Books can transform your life, sometimes in ways that you could not have imagined. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Muriithi: I have also been more conscious about the small seemingly random acts of kindness towards people.
  • Nonsizi: The book gave me a deeper insight into the world of mental illness as the author narrates how he dealt with depression.
  • Mwende: Being a 25 married mother of two, I realised that I have never given much thought about money and I needed to change. I was a spendthrift!

There are books you hold and with the first flip, you know that you are not going to read it.

However, there are books that you read and they transform your life, sometimes in ways that you could not have imagined. Lilys Njeru spoke to seven women whose paperback was not only a page-turner but life-defining.

Wanjiru Muriithi, 26, Accountant

Book: Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

"I was going through my Twitter feed when I chanced upon a tweep recommending a long list of books.

I skimmed over the list then I saw this book and I got fascinated. It is called Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

The book is about loneliness. It tells the story of a 29-year-old Eleanor who is funny, quirky, judgmental and socially awkward.

She lives a structured life but has a past that left her traumatised. She later gets a friend who stands with her when she is going through the rough patch.

He encourages her to go through therapy and in doing so, she gets the help she needs.

I read the book in April last year and it was timely. At that time, I had embarked on a journey of sensitising people on mental health and it provided some unique insights.

In addition, I relate with Eleanor's story because I am a little socially awkward myself and I sometimes feel lonely even when surrounded by family and friends.

Eleanor thinks to herself, "If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say fine. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you had not spoken to another person for two consecutive days and I believe this is something most of us can relate to.

First, it taught me not to be quick to judge people. Eleanor is not a likable character at first but as you get to know her better and learn what she has been through you get to love her.

I have also been more conscious about the small seemingly random acts of kindness towards people, and that admitting that you are broken and in pain does not mean you are weak."

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Agnes Nonsizi, 29, Music publicist, TV presenter, and Talent manager

Book: Unbreakable by Dannish Odongo

"For me, that book would be Unbreakable by a Kenyan author, Dannish Odongo.

I read it in November last year. And the timing was perfect. I was at a point in my life where I was just tired and overwhelmed by many things.

They include my past and some drastic changes that had happened in my career in early 2019. The book is about mental health including depression, hope, and courage.

I could relate a lot with the writer because both of us are media personalities and mental illness is a topic close to my heart, having come from a family that struggles with the same and having lost my father to suicide.

The book gave me a deeper insight into the world of mental illness as the author narrates how he dealt with depression.

It made me understand how our childhood experiences affect us even into adulthood.

It helped me to look deeper into my life and gave me the courage to seek professional help to tackle some issues I was dealing with."

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Njoki Kibe, 28, HR Professional

Book: Grieving and Healing after Loss by Tabitha Mwai

I lost my mother back in 2009, three days after finishing secondary school. It was such a huge blow! Who would guide me in my next phase of life?

This question would seek an audience with me all the time.

After her death, I had to become a deputy parent to my younger sister, my only sibling. I read this book, Grieving and Healing after Loss, by Tabitha Mwai in 2018.

One day, while I was in one of my lowest moments (my job was on the balance, my finances were a total mess, I had walked out of a relationship after a compilation of many red flags, and my younger sister had become a mother), I confided to a friend how badly I missed my mother.

She told me that I had probably not stopped grieving her. That is when I remembered that I had seen a book on dealing with grief as I flipped through WhatsApp.

After reading the book, I began to understand the phases of loss much better, from the shock, denial, and questioning to acceptance and subsequent healing over time.

Though these phases may replay dependent on the moments one is undergoing in life, the book gave me a perspective on how to handle myself whenever the loss began to weigh in on me.

The Kenyan author made me understand my emotions towards the loss of my mother."

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Julia Kamau, 27, Business Development Consultant

Book: It's Rising Time by Kim Kiyosaki

"I love talking about money and investment ideas. I am one of those people who go to YouTube to watch "10 things to sacrifice to be rich", or "Three signs you will be rich".

The same goes for books; I prefer those that talk on financial freedom.

This particular book "Its Rising time" was one of the first hard copy books I ever bought for myself. The book was going for Sh1800 and I felt like I had spent a fortune but if you ask me now, it was all worth it.

I love reading Robert Kiyosaki books, so I went and got one from his wife, Kim.

It speaks to women and what it takes to achieve financial freedom. With money, the rules for women are somewhat different.

The author has divided the book into three major parts that she calls the Triple-A Triangle. They include Aspire, Acquire and Apply.

In these three parts, she talks about having a dream and a clear vision, acquiring the necessary knowledge and taking action.

Often as women, we tend to leave the men in our lives to take care of family investments. We feel like we do not know or we might lose the money.

This book helps women to take control of their financial lives and give a shot at investment. The book also talks of partnerships and the dynamics of working together with your partner.

This book has helped me to have more courage to invest. For the very first time, I have been able to invest my money in two businesses.

I have also given a shot in government bonds and forex trading. I even learned from the book that saving your money in the bank is an avenue to losing it.

It is better to invest that money in a business."

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Muthoni Wachira,28, Head of PR and Communications OPPO

Book: Becoming by Michelle Obama

"I love Michelle Obama as a person. The former first lady evokes in me self-belief and the ability to defy the odds.

I was so excited to hear that she was writing a book, Becoming, and when it came out, it did not matter that I was already reading another book, I had to read Michelle's.

In my review, the book is about a first lady who knows the rules well but is determined to not just make changes but forge a different path for herself.

Michelle Obama teaches us that no matter the positions we hold in life, who we are or have come from, we are allowed to feel, to love as well as live life.

When I read the book in November last year, I was transitioning into my career as well as life.

This book allowed me to think differently and above all accept the woman I had become and was becoming.

It transformed my perspective on marriage life. It evoked the inner child in me that anything was possible if I choose to dream and look at life with a more open mind."

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Moreen Mwende, 25, Internal Auditor

Book: Smart Money Woman, Arese Ugwu

"Last year, we exchanged inspirational books with my friends and this book with five women on the cover caught my eyes.

It read, Smart money woman. It is by Nigerian author Arese Ugwu.

Being a 25 married mother of two, I realised that I have never given much thought about money and I needed to change. I was a spendthrift!

Through this book, I started seeing and thinking about money differently. I started saving and started investing right.

This book is for the millennial woman. It's for the woman who needs to know how to save, invest and make priorities."

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Winnie Miseda, 38, HR/Head Administrator

Book: Good to Great by Jim Collins

"I was at the bookshop looking for a book to gift our CEO during his birthday when I saw this book by Jim Collins with the title Good to Great.

As I was flipping through the pages, I thought to myself, 'This looks like an interesting read. I bought it for Kindle as I prefer reading online.'

The book is about getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks and giving the best in your organisation.

It speaks about people - having the right people in the right seat. It also challenges you to accomplish anything in life without giving much thought on who gets the credit.

It is about transforming the leader inside you into a great level five leader. One who simply understands that if you begin with "who" rather than "what", you can more easily adapt to a changing world.

A favourite line I find myself reading repeatedly says, 'Level five leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.'

You are probably wondering why I am smitten by this book. I am a human resource manager dealing with a large number of people. Reading this book has made me a better leader."