Dimitris Xygalatas: The Power of Rites.

Based on these, it may be worth taking a closer look at our daily habits and how they affect us and the society around us. For me, this is an important topic to think about. Perhaps the book’s overly scientific approach will not make it easy for everyone to read, but it has some interesting lessons to draw.

2024. 12 June. Book experience.
Dimitris Xygalatas: The Power of Rites. To my mind, it’s more of an academic treatise, which is beautifully written. From ancient times to the present day, we read stories and their conclusions about customs and rituals. You will see why they are still relevant and useful today. I’m not sure the book was entirely my world. For me it was a bit too scientific and a bit dry in comparison. Nevertheless, I admit it is a very useful book. As this work, written with academic rigour, did not always bind me, I found myself skimming the end of chapters. I had suspected that habits were important, but now I am sure. I’ve always thought that there are some things that don’t help efficiency in the short term (e.g. starting the working day with a coffee), but in the long term it’s worth the “waste”. Time for rituals makes society a better place. This book is worth reading even if you think of the author as a scientist rather than an artist.
I first picked up the book because it was recommended to me by a couple I admire, the creators of the documentary “On the Spot”. Then I didn’t put it down because the subject was interesting to me. I have always been interested in the formation of habits and why. For me, one of the big lessons of the book is that the time we waste can actually be an investment in the future.