Readers usually have strong opinions and they never easily back down. It’s what I learned from observing avid readers other than myself. Most are extremely passionate about the books they like, the books they detest, and their varied reasons to read.
I for one used to love reading only for the entertainment it provides, but now I also read to learn how to write the way seasoned writers do. People close to me started to notice that I spend a big chunk of my salary to buying books every other week. I read some of them as soon as I get home, while others are stacked up in a tall pile. I actually have a dozen more on my to-read list. Others question my spending habit on books and I usually argue with them to the death.
If you insult or judge a voracious reader by the books he reads or even by his habit of consuming words for his thoughts, always remember to protect yourself. You’ll never know how passionate people like us come back at you.
Here are the 5 common reading myths non-readers (and readers) think about reading:
“THERE’S NOTHING TO LEARN FROM FICTION”
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* Being turned down by Disney, who rejected the idea of having technology to animate their movies<br />
* Joining Lucas Films to lead a new computer division (later named Pixar), to bring computer animation to Silicon Valley</p>
<p>At the heart of Silicon Valley, Pixar is born to solve the challenge of digitally separating elements of an image. The software that would help change the world of animated films came to life, through the <a href="http://pixar.wikia.com/wiki/Pixar_Image_Computer">Pixar Image Computer</a>. However, the new technology was not enough to keep the division afloat, and the need to streamline Lucasfilm in 1983 meant that Pixar was for sale.</p>
<h2>STEVE JOBS JOINS THE PICTURE AND THE WORLD OF ANIMATION IS DISRUPTED</h2>
<p>Enters Steve Jobs, and the future of Pixar was about to change. After intense negotiating, Steve Jobs acquires Pixar in 1986, which by then had not only some of the most talented and creative people in the world, but also the vision and willpower of Steve Jobs. The pavement to produce the first computer animated film was laid.</p>
<p>Through a (very) difficult partnership with Disney and, after 5 years of development, Toy Story comes out and almost immediately becomes a landmark of the its industry, grossing more than 350 M$ worldwide. Even now, more than two decades after its release, we nostalgically still remember Buzzlighter and Woody’s fight for Andy’s love, and mumble <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMN4JZ8crVY">“You’ve got a friend in me”</a>.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone wp-image-311" src="http://res.cloudinary.com/dp5xd8woh/image/upload/v1462684642/Toy_Story_4_70165_dg9qea.jpg" width="600" height="300" /></p>
<h2>CREATING A CULTURE THAT BREATHES CREATIVITY</h2>
<p>Pixar is more than talking toys and friendship songs. From the many stories and principles that we get in contact with throughout the book, I believe that the 3 most decisive and impactful to Pixar’s culture and success are:</p>
<h5>BRAINTRUST | CANDOR | FEAR AND FAILURE</h5>
<p><strong>Braintrust</strong> embodies the idea of **giving early constructive feedback** throughout any creative endeavor. The Braintrust was a group of the best creative and problem solvers at Pixar, who would regularly meet with the film’s teams to provide feedback (not order changes) to all movies.</p>
<p><strong>Candour</strong> is the art of being open and honest. Crucial to the creative process, this can be the most difficult principle to apply in any organisation. In Ed’s words, all movies suck early on, and giving people the freedom to speak their mind can be the difference between a box office hit and an astronomical failure.</p>
<p><strong>Fear and Failure</strong>. Oh, failure. We all hear how being open to failure is key, and how some companies encourage their people to fail fast. But how do you make failure into something that people face without fear? According to Ed, it starts by having **leaders openly talk about their mistakes**. And while you might not want to encourage failure, you need to have people who are able to assess risk, and not be afraid to face the unknown.</p>
<blockquote><p>“To be a truly creative company, you must start things that might fail” – <em>Ed Catmull, Creativity Inc</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Pixar’s success did not come without its hiccups tough. We are taken through the time Pixar needed to lay off 1/3 of his crew and the emotional and physical burnout of his team during the making of Toy Story. We are also reminded how randomness can play a defining role in success, <a href="http://thenextweb.com/media/2012/05/21/how-pixars-toy-story-2-was-deleted-twice-once-by-technology-and-again-for-its-own-good/">almost</a> losing the footage of Toy Story 2.</p>
<h2>THE 8 HABITS FOR HIGHLY EFFECTIVE COMPANIES</h2>
<p>Closer to the end of the book, we are presented with 8 ideas to help bring the best in people:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Dailies</strong> – The habit of having daily team meetings where problems are solved together</li>
<li><strong>Research Trips</strong> – Did you know that in the making of Ratatouille, the film team spent 2 weeks dining in Michelin-starred restaurants and visiting their kitchens? Awesome, right? Oh yes, they also walked through Paris sewers, to get to know the main character for the movie</li>
<li><strong>The Power of Limits</strong> – Always keeping in mind the trade-off between effort and impact</li>
<li><strong>Integrating Technology and Art</strong> – Creating ways to approximate the two worlds</li>
<li><strong>Short Experiments</strong> – Pixar uses short films to experiments new concepts, without the pressure of delivering business value</li>
<li><strong>Learning to See</strong> – Training people to lean away from their preconceptions</li>
<li><strong>Postmortems</strong> – Meetings held after every movie to openly discuss the lessons learned</li>
<li><strong>Continuing to Learn</strong> – Initiatives like the Pixar University to facilitate a continuous pursuit of knowledge</li>
</ul>
<p>The continuous work to sustain these methods and principles did not end at Pixar. When Disney finally [acquires them for 7.4 B$, Ed and his team face the challenge of bringing more of Pixar’s culture into Disney Animation, at a time where the studio was struggling.</p>
<p>The book ends with an homage to Steve Jobs and the impact he had on the company. Rescuing it from Lucasfilms and becoming its oxigen tank for a few years, Ed moves away from the idea that Steve was a blunt man who would never change his mind. Now, their gratitude to the genius of Steve Jobs is present everyday at Pixar, by bearing its name in the main studio.</p>
<h3>BOTTOM LINE:</h3>
<p>Pixar is an atypical organisation, and Creativity Inc sheds us some light into why. Ideological and even romantic at times, the book will help you reflect on your own job, and how it could benefit from a little more magic. And while travelling through the world Toy Story and Nemo, you will feel that working Pixar might be pretty exciting, and find yourself downloading one your favorite Pixar movies.</p>
<pre><em>*This guest blog post originally appeared on <a href="http://betaglyph.com/">Betaglyph</a>. An online initiative that curates books that people have been finding out there and what they are all about.*</em></pre>
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I love fiction. This is maybe because I want to expand my creativity more than the bliss of knowing how to write one. So when someone tells me that fiction is rubbish, I pause for a while and take a deep breath, stopping myself from smacking the person who said it.
In fact, there’s more to learn from fiction. You just have to choose a great one to read. Take The Catcher in Rye or 1984 or The Little Prince, or even thousands of other novels you might have not known. If they weren’t that helpful, then why did your high school teacher require you to write book reports about them?
Fiction always does have a moral lesson in the end just like non-fiction. If not, you might have missed it in the middle part of the book or you are not just that contemplative of what you are reading.
“WHO’S GOT TIME TO READ?”
You bury your head in a book, and someone passes by and judges you for wasting your time. He comments on your hobby, you respond with enthusiasm, and then he rolls his eyes and tells you he has zero time to read.
The truth of the matter is, everyone has the time to read. It all boils down to setting priorities. If one has the time to play sports or watch his favorite Netflix series, then he has absolutely time to read. He just hasn’t thought of giving reading a fraction of his time yet.
“READING IS FOR LAZY PEOPLE”
There’s nothing lazy about a person whose intention is to finish a 5-book boxed set of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire in two weeks! Unfortunately, readers are always called lazy slackers who just sit all day on the couch and read gibberish.
With all honesty, undermining readers is a huge mistake. Just like writing or tackling numbers, reading consumes mental energy. It improves comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and all other things you can learn from reading alone. It’s an activity, but only for the nourishment of the mind.
“MY OPINION ABOUT BOOKS DOESN’T COUNT”
Guess what: Your opinion greatly matters. Many readers are afraid to express their opinions about a book. Professional book reviewers from The New York Times can be so intimidating that uttering a simple interpretation on a book feels so stupid.
But you know what? Maybe everyone else who has read the book thinks the same thing like you do. Their thoughts may slightly differ, but to heck with that. As long as you’ve got something to say, then be confident and let your thoughts be heard. You don’t have to dwell on highfalutin words to sound smart or be a professional book critic to have a genuine opinion.
“I HATE READING [INSERT GENRE], THAT’S ONLY FOR [INSERT INSULTING NOUN]”
Ha! I’ve got a collection of novels written for the adult audience, but I also like YA reads. When I mentioned to a colleague recently that I just finished reading Paper Towns by John Green and absolutely love it, he quickly responded, “What? You’re reading that stuff? I hate YA, they’re only for kids.” And just like the tamed animal that I am, I inhaled a lungful of air, closed my knuckles, and looked away.
People who judge based by the book’s genre are called book snobs. I honestly used to be one, but I remembered that I loved reading everything when I was a child. So I am no longer such a douche. I even got to the point of defending the honor of Twilight (the book, not the movie) because it kept me awake during my college days.
But of course, in order to feel that you are not wasting your time, you have to read the books that you really like. If you love historical fiction or classic novels, then do so and ignore the book snobs around you. As long as you read something, then you, my friend, are reading.
There is always someone who will mock what you’re reading or give unsolicited comments about your “unproductive” hobby. However, just the thought of you reading is already something to feel proud about. These days, only a few people consider themselves as readers; hence, you should be commended in taking up such rare activity.
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