5 Books That Will Change The Way You See The World

Joanna Skladanek
9 min readFeb 1, 2022
Reading a book at Kivu Lake, Rwanda.

I have three passions in life that, for me, are inseparable. These are traveling, reading, and photography. I firmly believe this significant connection of knowledge, experience, and awareness makes them very powerful.

Books were our first way to travel the world. That’s when we learned about the world, different people, and cultures. We tend to soak into the stories, blend into the pages, and empathize with the protagonists or the authors themselves when we read. Who we are, how we behave, what we see, think and share with others had, have, and will have an undeniable impact on everyone.

That’s why you’re not going to see “The Alchemist” here, even though it is a great book. I will also skip the works of Jon Krakauer, Paul Theroux, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, and other chronicles of unique journeys that should inspire you to start planning your next big trip. You’ve probably read them all anyway (if not, let me know I will create my list of favorite travel books).

I am about to share something that will shape your way of seeing the world — the near and the distant one. Books that will help you better understand other human beings, yourself, the system we live in, and the places you visit. Literature is an excellent start of transforming yourself from a level 1 — reckless tourist through being a wise…

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Joanna Skladanek

Writer, Photojournalist, Photographer and a Full-Time Wanderer.