Nick HutchisonFounder and CEO, BookThinkers

I love why John says that it is important to read both fiction and non-fiction!

26 Apr 2024 · 1 min

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1:01

In this conversational interview, Nick Hutchison asks the guest to share their thoughts on the value of novels. The guest argues that great novels, while transporting readers to unfamiliar settings—illustrated with examples like the aircraft carrier world in Steel Fear and the culture of Iceland in Cold Fear—still keep readers grounded in reality. They claim that good fiction provides tools and skills that can be applied to one’s own life, effectively bringing the reader’s life into the narrative rather than taking them away from it. The guest extends this idea to nonfiction, stating that the most impactful nonfiction also relies on storytelling to convey lessons and make a difference. Overall, the discussion emphasizes that both fiction and nonfiction can educate, broaden perspectives, and equip readers with practical insights.

Chapters

Yeah. Why don't you tell everybody your thoughts on novels and why we should read them?
Here's my theory is that great novels, or I'm going to even say good novels, they don't take you out of reality. I mean, yes, they take you into a world you're not familiar with, and that's really fun. So, you know, part of it is in Steel Fear, you learn all about an aircraft carrier and the culture on an aircraft carrier. And it's fascinating. It's like you learn a whole new alien world, just, just as if you'd watched, you know, Avatar or something. And in Cold Fear, you come— when you come away from reading the whole book of Cold Fear, you know Iceland, you You've got a really good feeling for Iceland and it's such a foreign culture. It's so different an environment from what so many of us are used to. So there is that, you know, you come away feeling like you've learned something. But for me, a good novel gives you tools and skills to engage in your life. It doesn't take you out of your life. It brings you into your life. And here's the, here's the magic of that. I think it's not exclusive to fiction. All great nonfiction books. I mean, if you have a nonfiction book that really makes a difference, it's telling stories. I agree.