Books are Devil Fruits.

I was watching the Netflix series One Piece last weekend, and I got an idea of perceiving books as Devil Fruits. Just like Monkey D. Luffy gets rubber-like powers from the Gum-Gum Fruit, I imagined gaining real-life superpowers from books.

Netflix Series - One Piece

For example, reading “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy could give the superpower of compounding habits, savings, and personal growth over time. Reading “Ikigai” by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia could give the superpower of keeping myself busy by doing what I love while being surrounded by the people I love.

And honestly, this is achievable. That’s the whole truth and purpose behind reading books that most people fail to truly understand. Books give us the superpower to solve our day-to-day problems, if they are properly understood and reflected upon.

As soon as I got this idea, I went to my book collection and started picking the ones that had the potential to become my Devil Fruits. I have listed them below, and I hope to keep adding more in the future as well.

Let’s explore the superpowers.

“The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel

This book is very personal to me because it gave me a better understanding of how I look at the value of money. The superpower it provides is the ability to achieve financial independence while still being able to sleep peacefully at night, without being trapped by unnecessary commitments. I often think about and reflect on this excerpt from the book: “Every bit of savings is like taking a point in the future that would have been owned by someone else and giving it back to yourself.”

“The Richest Man in Babylon” by George Samuel Clason

This book is an ultimate gem and a standout read for me. In addition to “The Psychology of Money”, this book gives me the superpower of seven financial cures: start fattening my purse, control my expenditures, make my money multiply, guard my money from loss, make my savings a profitable investment, ensure a future income, and increase my ability to earn. To me, this beautifully summarizes everything a person needs for financial stability.

“Think Straight” by Darius Foroux

This book gives me the wonderful superpower of changing the way I think. It taught me to stop wasting my energy on useless thoughts and start taking control of my mind. When my mind is disturbed and filled with unnecessary thinking, I cannot truly achieve anything meaningful in life. To accomplish my goals and have a successful life, I need a clear and positive mindset, and this book helps me achieve that.

“Atomic Habits” by James Clear

This book gives me clarity on how to make my actions sustainable. The superpower it provides is the ability to stick to habits and follow the right routines that are essential for a disciplined life. I reflect on this especially while following my health routines – waking up at 6 a.m., going for walks, lifting weights, eating clean foods, and having zero-sugar days. As the book says, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.”

These are a few books that immediately came to my mind when I thought about superpowers. And not to forget, there are countless great books out there in this vast world, written by some of the finest minds, waiting for us to explore and make use of them.

The superpower to control your thoughts, maintain good health, and grow your money is truly the need of the day.

We should keep exploring the nuances of various authors’ thoughts on these subjects and choose the ones that add real value to the superpowers we possess, ultimately enriching our lives for the better.

So, let’s keep picking the Devil Fruits and gaining the superpowers.

Srikarthik Vasudevan