What is the book that changed your life?

The written word is one of the most powerful things on the planet. It can change the world. It can change lives. Today, on World Book Day, we asked several members of the Ateneo community to tell us what book that was for them — and why.

Jethro Tenorio, Associate Chair, Kagawaran ng Filipino
Marami akong paboritong libro, pero kung may kailangang iangat na isa sa bisa ng iniwang talab nito sa buhay ko, siguro ‘yung Tuesdays with Morrie ni Mitch Albom ang magiging sagot ko. Bagaman pangarap ko na noong bata pa ang maging guro, mukhang itong librong ito ang nagtaga niyon sa bato. Sa kuwento ng muling pagtatagpo ng isang dating guro at ng kanyang dating mag-aaral, dahil sa napipintong pagpanaw ng nauna, naipabatid sa akin ng librong ito sa mura kong edad, na ang buhay pala ay maaaring maging isang kapana-panabik na danas ng mga pagkatuto, magpahanggang dulo nito. 

Sa kabila ng nakatalagang papel ng dalawang tauhan sa naging regular nilang “teaching sessions,” kapwa rin sila gumaganap bilang mag-aaral na natututo mula sa mga hagod, hiwaga, pighati’t luwalhati ng buhay.  May pagpapakumbaba sa pag-akong iyon ng papel bilang mag-aaral ng buhay, lalo na sa yugto ng katandaan. At sa kapakumbabaang iyon natutuklasang hindi pala atin para sarilinin ang mga pagkatutong ito. Nagkakaroon lamang ng halaga ang pagkatuto kung naipapasa sa iba. Kaya ang habambuhay na mag-aaral ay habambuhay na guro rin pala. Ipinabaon sa akin ng Tuesdays with Morrie na ang mga pinakamahahalagang pagkatuto ay nagaganap at nagiging ganap sa mga sandali ng pagbabahagi nito. Kaya sino tayo para ipagdamot ang mga pagkatutong ibinahagi lamang din sa atin ng mga naunang napukaw at pumukaw rin sa atin?

Pamela Albania, Librarian, Ateneo Grade School
As a school librarian, I have read many books after more than 25 years of service to the Ateneo de Manila Grade School’s Katigbak Educational Media Center (KEMC). One of the books that helped me improve my life is a self-help book entitled Atomic Habits by James Clear. The book presented easy-to-follow steps with a summary at the end of each chapter which I find useful in tracking previous chapters when needed. 

It’s very interesting to know how small changes in our old habits can make a big difference in our lives. I learned that even though I’m not that young anymore, I can still build good habits and achieve wonderful results. Though change does not happen overnight, Clear said repetition is needed to become a better version of yourself every day. Atomic Habits also encouraged me to make use of my time wisely for better productivity. My favorite takeaway from this book is to use the Two-Minute Rule, which states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.” The first two minutes should be easy so it’s much easier to continue doing it. Breaking our bad habits by creating good habits is a commitment. When I feel like I am losing motivation, I need to keep going even if my mood isn’t right. 

As is the case with Ignatian spirituality, reflection helps us to look back on our own experiences to see how God is present in our lives. Atomic Habits pointed out that without reflection, we have no process for determining whether we are performing better compared to yesterday. We can make excuses, create rationalizations, and lie to ourselves. Change is a continuous process, with no finish line, and no permanent solution. I hope this quote from Clear inspires us to begin tiny changes: “The secret to getting results that last is to never stop making improvements.”

Jesu Manzano, Sanggu Chairman, Ateneo Junior High School
Amidst the melancholic background of life and these challenges which hound us, Coehlo’s The Alchemist shows us that as we ride the waves of life, we will also gain opportunities that will form us to be who we are. The book challenges one’s self to grow and pursue the individual dreams they set for themselves. In so many ways, I relate to the story of The Alchemist. To become who I am today, I had to encounter challenges and obstacles which further defined my purpose. These obstacles shape you to become who you are.

Coehlo said, “The secret of life...is to fall 7 times and to get up 8 times.” This book forever changed my life in the sense that it taught me to rise up to the challenge, believe in myself, and know that the universe is behind me with all its magic and wisdom. 

Being formed to become persons-for-others and catalysts for global change, it is the moral imperative that we set our sights into these individual dreams and in the process produce alchemy. It is in this fact that we can become the life-changers that we all ought to be.

Chinggoy Hidalgo, Subject Area Coordinator, English, Ateneo Senior High School
F Sionil Jose’s Mass truly changed my life as it helped me reflect on my life’s purpose during my college years. Back then, I felt quite lost as I was enrolled in a business course that year by year seemed to matter less and less to me. It just didn’t seem to be quite fulfilling. The last novel of the Rosales saga was truly a godsend then. It featured as its principal character, Pepe Samson, the illegitimate son of the wealthy Tony Samson. Pepe seemed like a stranger in a strange land, growing up in financially challenging circumstances, then finding himself immersed in a world of kolehiyalas and affluence. I experienced something similar, being a middle class teen in an environment of plenty which didn’t seem appealing.

I started to discern whether the course I was taking was the one that would lead to a vocation that would be of some worth to others, not just myself, a struggle that Pepe went through but of course in direr and more realistic circumstances. It helped that the novel was steeped in the Martial Law milieu as the extreme conditions of the period would definitely guide Pepe in his decision of ultimately joining “The Brotherhood.” What to do though during the Ramos administration which was not perfect but not extremely terrible? Not extremely terrible for privileged ones like myself though but disastrous for Mang Pandoy and the masses that he represented – surely, an others-centric vocation in this context would truly be meaningful. 

Photos by Andrea Bautista (Jethro, Pamela, Chinggoy) and Charvin Sapnu (Jesu)