Wilton Alston On The Art of Reading and Thinking For Oneself

Meet Wilton Alston who hails from North Carolina. Duke University graduate. Engineer. Free Thinker. And of course an avid reader. 

Here are a few of his views on books and their importance in cultivating an environment of thinking for oneself. 

Developing an Early Love of Books

My parents are both school teachers, so books were a constant part of my childhood. Additionally, I was a bit of a dweeb, a "98-pound weakling" as an adolescent. So reading how-to books represented a sort of escape for me. Books become a place where I could go and be a hero or a warrior. Where I didn’t have to be strong and big and run fast. What all of this taught me that you can read a book and go anywhere you want. 

Which Book Genres Hold the Most Appeal

I am an engineer, a geek, as well as a runner, so I love technical and how-to books, including books on diet and physical fitness. However, I am also a freedom advocate, really a dyed-in-the-wool freedom fanatic, so government, history, and philosophy appeal to me as well.

Books That Have Been Most Impactful

"God is Not Great" by Christopher Hitchens

"Permanent Record" by Edward Snowden

"Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall

"Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius

"The Warrior Diet" by Ori Hofmekler

"The Richest Man in Babylon" by George Clason

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey

"12 Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup

"The Creature from Jekyll Island" by Edward Griffin

"Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison   

Preferred Reading Method

Even though I love the feel of a book in my hand, I find that it’s often more convenient for me to listen to audiobooks. My wife, a bibliophile who is reading books all the time turned me on to the fact that books on tape give you a way to increase your reading output without necessarily having to find more time in the day. I also have a Kindle for electronic books and use that often for when I’m waiting somewhere and need to kill time. In terms of a physical library, I have hundreds of volumes of actual books on shelves at homes

Books and Independent Thinking

I always underscore with others the importance of learning how to make your own decisions— to think for yourself. Don’t ever think that what you’re told by anybody is the way it is. It’s not anyone’s job to convince you of the way things are. Rather, it’s your job to convince yourself. That’s one of the great things about books is that they allow you to delve deeply into a subject and obtain a multitude of views. They give you a chance to ponder and return to a place, to dig deep. It is only then that you can find your own truths. That’s what a book is for.