History was an easy subject for me to grasp in school, maybe because history is simply a collection of stories that actually happened. I have always loved the subject. History helps us understand how we got to where we are today, and then to make sense of it all.
The first David McCullough book I read was Truman
The book hooked me on all the McCullough books. Each was a special treat. Even unspectacular book topics — like the building of the Brooklyn Bridge — came alive with McCullough’s master touch. After reading through all of his books I moved on to other great historical and biographical writers. Before long I was a full-blown history nerd, passionately engaging not just the “big” stories of history but also the seldom-told side stories.
Okay, so I love history and I love McCullough books in particular. But why does Truman make my list of books that most influenced my life?
Because understanding history gives us two invaluable gifts: context and perspective. In this age of over hyped events and a media focused on extremes, it’s valuable to look back at historical moments and remind ourselves to relax. To take a deep breath as we realize we’ve gone through this before. I touched on this with this post a few years ago.
We gain a sense of context for understanding our world. History is as much about understanding culture as it is about understanding events. You might know what happened in 1492, but you also need to know why an Italian was sailing under the Spanish flag instead of for Portugal (or a Muslim country). Culture matters, and history is often an expression of culture.
And culture is just one factor. Economic decisions made hundreds of years ago shape our world today. Political intrigue of the past still casts a shadow on modernity. Scientific research and discoveries obviously shapes our daily lives. These are all historical stories.
I didn’t come to understand this simply by reading Truman. But it was the first book to really ignite my passion for understanding how history shaped the world today. Seeing how effortlessly McCullough weaves all of this into his books helped me understand how we can view the world through the lens of past events, cultures, economics, politics, etc.
We live in a globalized world. What happens elsewhere impacts us almost immediately. I’m not ready to agree with the philosophy of the Butterfly effect, but there is truth in the idea. For instance, as I write this the proposal to tax banks in Cypress influences deals I’m doing in California. The network of connections across the world is tighter and more closely linked than ever. In such an age as this, we desperately need context and perspective.
History cannot predict the future. But it can offer us insight into what is happening around us. Being aware gives us a method for coping with what can seem like chaos.
And for this reason, Truman by David McCullough makes my list of 25 books that influenced my life.
Want to read more of my top 25? Here is the list thus far:
Celebration of Discipline – #1
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – #2
The Cost of Discipleship – #3
The Screwtape Letters – #4
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – #5
Only the Paranoid Survive – #6
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold – #7
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – #8
Truman – #9
Shantaram – #10
The Maltese Falcon – #11
The Shadow of the Wind – #12
Survey of the New Testament – #13
Calvin & Hobbes – #14
Celtic Daily Prayer – #15
Managing the Nonprofit Organization – #16
A Wrinkle in Time – #17
The Practice of the Presence of God – #18
Catch 22 – #19
The Tortilla Curtain – #20
The Kingdom of God is a Party – #21
Earthkeeping – #22
Reviving Ophelia – #23
The Grapes of Wrath – #24
Peanuts – #25