Why should engineers read more fiction?
1 – Empathy
Fiction enables you to walk through your world in someone else’s shoes. The finest writers of contemporary fiction hook you, reel you in and place you firmly inside the head of one or more of their characters. You see what they see, hear what they hear, touch and smell and taste what they sense, and experience everything that they feel. Does it help you to see familiar things in a new light?
Joe South wrote a song in 1970, made famous by Elvis Presley
‘Before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Then walk a mile in my shoes‘
If empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person then fiction is a great way to do that without a full brain transplant.
All in comfy shoes.
My recommendation: Try Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession and see if it doesn’t change the way you think about someone you know.
The uplifting story of friendship between quiet men, a story suffused with gentleness and kindness.
“As sometimes happens with boys who prefer games to sports, Leonard had few friends but lots of ideas.”
What novel would you recommend ?
Continue to number two – Gender Balance.
The full list of 10 recommended books (and a few extras) is available here
Fiona Erskine is a professional engineer and the author of Jaq Silver thrillers The Chemical Detective, The Chemical Reaction, The Chemical Cocktail and genre defying Phosphate Rocks: A death in Ten Objects.
The Chemical Detective 