The first task of the "Legal Philosophy" course was to "Read 10 books from the list and prepare for the written exam." Initially, I was confident that I had read more than 10 books from the given list, but upon counting, I realized I had only completed nine. Despite this, I felt a bit disheartened, considering myself someone who had read relatively few books.
While recently watching a movie, a scene struck me where the main character claimed, "A person must read 100 books in their life to understand the meaning of life." Inspired by this, I set a personal goal to read and journal about 100 books.
Traditionally, every New Year's Eve, I would outline goals for the upcoming year, aspiring to lead a healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly, walk 10,000 steps daily, become a morning person, learn ballroom dancing, and save money. Some goals would materialize, while others would be carried over to the next year. However, this year, I express gratitude to my teacher for instigating the goal of reading 100 books, providing a list, and offering a starting point for Journey of Book.
Usually, I purchase books in English through the Kindle app. However, this time, I visited a bookstore with my sister, referred to the list, and acquired few of the world's best classic books published in Mongolian.
Now, let me share how I compose my book notes.
For instance, when jotting down notes on the book "Mongolia in 11 Words," I reflected on my thoughts and ideas after each chapter, sometimes even after each section. To recall names of characters and places from books I'd read earlier, I turned to Google search. During this process, I explored different methods of writing book notes, read interviews with the author on YouTube, and incorporated those insights. In responding to the teacher's initial task, which involved analyzing the novel from a modern perspective and understanding the writer's ideas, I found it beneficial to engage with classmates, recall key points, and include them in my notes. Therefore, my book notes encompass not only my impressions of each book but also whether I grasped the main points, the lingering lessons, and how I can apply them in my life. Additionally, factual information such as the full book title, the author's name, the work's creation date, chapter and section titles, are incorporated into my book notes.
Rereading after note-taking serves as an exercise in emulating the writer's style. At times, I express my personal impressions, drawing from my life experiences, parental teachings, and grandparents' wisdom. Since there are no strict guidelines on the structure of book notes, I believe everyone should articulate what they find significant after reading a book, what lessons they've absorbed, how they can apply those lessons to life, and any analyses they wish to make, aligning with their unique worldview.
J.Tanan
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