Books and the Dayak Renaissance
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| Read & Grow Rich: How books transform lives. |
A well-written book is a conversation that never ends. It has the power to widen our perspectives, disrupt long-held assumptions, and ignite imagination.
Books and the people we meet hold unparalleled power to shape our lives. Harvey Mackay, in his best-selling book Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, put it succinctly: “Our lives change in two ways: through the people we meet and the books we read.” It is a deceptively simple idea—yet within it lies the architecture of transformation.
The Power of Encounters and the Written Word
1. The Human Catalyst
Every encounter, no matter how brief or incidental, carries the potential to alter our trajectory. A conversation with a teacher, a mentor, or even a stranger can open up new mental and emotional frontiers.
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Uplifting people often leave us aspiring to be more thoughtful, more courageous, more alive. Others, though challenging or even negative, may teach us resilience. Each person becomes, in essence, a living book—one from whom we can learn, if we choose to listen.
2. Books as Engines of Change
Just as people can mentor us through presence, books mentor us through permanence.
A well-written book is a conversation that never ends. It has the power to widen our perspectives, disrupt long-held assumptions, and ignite imagination.
Of course, not all books uplift. Some merely entertain. Some mislead. The impact depends on what we choose to read and what we are willing to do with the knowledge afterward.
Read & Grow Rich: A Manifesto for Mindset
A prime example of the life-altering potential of books is Burke Hedges’s Read & Grow Rich (Inti Publishing).
Known also for Who Stole the American Dream? Hedges argues that consistent reading is one of the most reliable pathways to personal and financial growth. His thesis is simple: books are not just vessels of information—they are tools for transformation.
Having returned to Read & Grow Rich multiple times, I find that its appeal lies in its practical optimism.
Hedges doesn’t romanticize reading; he operationalizes it. The book demonstrates, with clarity and urgency, how strategic reading can trigger entrepreneurial ideas, sharpen decision-making, and strengthen one’s inner compass. It’s not just about becoming wealthy in a monetary sense. It’s about building wealth in wisdom, confidence, and clarity.
When Reading Changes Everything
Not all transformations happen dramatically. Sometimes, a single book can spark a quiet revolution in someone’s life.
I recall a friend, an avid hobbyist of adenium bonsai; who read a book on cultivating and marketing the plant. That book shifted his thinking. Now, not only does he grow adeniums with passion, he speaks of them with entrepreneurial clarity. His hobby became a livelihood, his livelihood a calling.
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But reading alone is not enough. Just as people must be open to change, readers must approach books with a willingness to be challenged.
A book can whisper profound truths, but only the receptive reader will hear them.
Books and the Dayak Renaissance
For the Dayak people of Borneo, books are more than tools for self-help; they are lifelines to cultural continuity and social mobility. Traditionally an oral society, the Dayak have increasingly embraced written texts to preserve their heritage and face modern challenges.
Books on sustainable farming have helped communities improve yields of rice and rubber, enhancing food security and economic independence. Educational texts in local languages empower the younger generation to move between worlds—one foot in tradition, the other in modernity.
Entrepreneurial titles like Read & Grow Rich inspire new economic pathways. Some Dayak artisans now market handwoven textiles globally, blending cultural pride with commercial acumen. Meanwhile, historical and anthropological books ensure that festivals like Gawai are not just practiced but deeply understood.
Books on spirituality and environmental stewardship resonate with the Dayak’s communitarian ethos, motivating conservation efforts to protect ancestral forests.
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Yet the full potential of reading hinges on access. In remote areas, books are still rare. Mobile libraries and literacy initiatives are essential if this transformation is to reach every village. Where books go, hope often follows.
Read. Reflect. Rise
Books and people. They are the two great architects of inner change. As Mackay reminds us, growth begins with exposure to new ideas, new perspectives, and new people.
Read & Grow Rich is more than a catchy title; it is a philosophy. A call to arms for those willing to learn, grow, and lead.
-- Masri Sareb Putra