Brian B Kim

I went from Harvard Law School to being lost with my career to finding my calling in teaching---especially teaching writing and reading.

Helping students write essays for school is one of my favorite teaching activities. I always learn something new or I'm reminded of a vital life lesson every time I study with a student, even and especially with a classic that I have read many times before (you name it: The Great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn, Shakespeare's plays, The Odyssey, Frankenstein, etc.)

There is something uniquely rewarding and satisfying about finding a life-affirming and wisdom-giving interpretation of a story, formulating a thesis, and writing an interesting essay that helps you and the reader remember the timeless life lesson.

And that is what is most important: reading for our pleasure and benefit---and writing down our thoughts is the best way to help us remember and act on our insights. Good grades and all the rest come naturally if you do this. Don't read and write for college admissions officers; do them for yourself!

Teaching has allowed me to explore my curiosities and write about them. Check out my other books when you have a chance. My other interests include the financial markets, writing essays, graphic design, and economic history.

So many things start with reading, but reading doesn't mean just the so-called classics I mentioned above. Reading anything---and I mean ANYTHING---is one of the best things you can do as someone curious about life. I wrote a book called "How A Few Words Can Change Your Life" to convince my students of the life-changing power of reading literally anything (including just a few sentences or even a single short phrase).

Happy exploring!