Alec Hogg: Fiction’s restorative benefits

As a teenager consumed with tales of derring-do by Wilbur Smith's Courtneys and Ballantynes, it's been a joy to redicover the restorative power of fiction. In this case, courtesy of my bank inviting me to a webinar with historical novelist Ken Follett. The consequence was an experience ranking alongside the discovery of When The Lion Feeds so long ago..Also read: Alec Hogg: Interview with Charlie Munger.Last night I closed the cover on Pillars of the Earth for the final time, having done the same last month with its prequel, SA's current best-selling fiction, The Evening and the Morning. At 1 092 and 817 pages respectively, they're chunky companions. But once getting into the tomes, there's few better ways of temporarily departing the challenges of everyday life..Years ago after a post AGM press conference in Omaha, I asked Berkshire chairman Warren Buffett for reading advice. The famously voracious bookworm advised a focus on biographies because "there's a great deal you can learn from dead guys." So, for literally decades that's been my standard fare..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.Also read: Alec Hogg: Barry Hore's R10bn legacy.For relaxation, however, there's great value in fiction. Especially at a time of the year when we can release the strained elastic of our lives. Follett is a masterful storyteller who transports his audience into an ancestral age where battles between good and evil bear uncanny resemblances to today's world. After 2020, we can all benefit from a little time travel. They're great stocking fillers, too..TO LISTEN….Latest audio on BizNews Radio.…..(click on the link to access).Flash Briefing: Money managers ranked; MediClinic overloadedFractional property ownership and long term investing.FirstRand founders: on entrepreneurship, friendship, life.Inside Covid-19: What SA will look like in 2021BizNews share portfolio – Celebrating six great years.TO WATCH….Plenty to choose from on the BizNews TV channel on Youtube….Also, in ase you haven't watched it yet, here's the link to last Thursday's hour-long interview with Charlie Munger featured yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaDU1J91hY8

Alec Hogg: Fiction’s restorative benefits

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