Oliver James lives in California together with his companion and their two children.
Courtesy of Oliver James
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Courtesy of Oliver James
Oliver James lives in California together with his companion and their two children.
Courtesy of Oliver James
Oliver James exudes an abundance of positivity and hasn’t let his incapacity to learn cease him from pursuing his pursuits and wishes. He is managing his psychological well being via studying books as an alternative of remedy.
In the US, greater than 8 million adults are thought of functionally illiterate in English.
James, 34, aspires to be a motivational speaker. And, in a method, he is attaining this by sharing his journey with greater than 120k followers on BookTok.
“I’ve had goals of being greater than I used to be exhibiting myself,” James instructed NPR’s Leila Fadel.
#BookTok is a group for e-book lovers and creators. The recognition of this nook of TikTok exploded at the beginning of the pandemic, and as of immediately, it has over 104.4 billion views.
James grew up with studying and conduct disabilities.
“If you happen to requested me a yr in the past, ‘how was college?’ I mentioned, ‘Oh, good. You recognize, I simply went to highschool and issues occurred,” James says.
By “issues” he means he was restrained and put into headlocks as a child in particular training. He says his followers have been those who made him understand the training system had failed him.
With out having the ability to learn, he has been unable to discover a job that covers bills like remedy. Within the meantime, he’s resorting to self-help books to assist him handle his PTSD and OCD.
Monetary boundaries aren’t unusual for lots of Individuals attempting to obtain psychological well being care. Greater than 50% of respondents say price prevents them from attempting a therapy they’re desirous about, in response to a 2021 survey by the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness.
James would not plan to return to highschool, however is at present targeted on studying 100 books in 2023 and will rent a tutor to show him Spanish sooner or later.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
Interview highlights
On how James found the BookTok group
I really realized about Booktok by going to a park and simply figuring out and deciding so as to add studying to my exercise journey. I did not know BookTok was really even one thing. I am nonetheless sort of figuring BookTok out. So, I used to be extra into the health business, attempting to determine the way to push my exercises and push my content material as a private coach, pushing myself to be a content material creator for health. And I used to be studying on there as a result of studying was a wrestle for me. I might add that on there like, “hey, I can learn” as a result of it was one thing that sort of bothered me and it was one thing that I wished to have the ability to categorical as a lot as I can. So I added that to one thing I used to be already good at. After which BookTok got here, and was like, “Hey, welcome to BookTok!”
Day-after-day I’m going on-line and categorical that studying is one thing I need to enhance at. And I am prepared to point out your entire world that I am not good at it, so I haven’t got to be fearful of it anymore.
On accessibility points
They need to train you to learn in the identical method they train you to speak, as a result of you may’t do something with out studying it. I’ve Google Voice now, in order that helps me with voice, textual content and sure issues like that. However after some time, I’ve realized the way to learn by chatting with the cellphone after which seeing the phrases, after which I learn to textual content these phrases. So I’ve realized even with that. So the world has helped me a bit of bit with, you realize, the Web. You recognize, I’m going grocery procuring. My woman will ship me footage. You recognize, she will be able to do this so I can go grocery procuring. And she or he’s like, here is 5 footage of one thing you’ll want to decide up. And I am like, good. I haven’t got to truly learn nothing, do nothing. I simply match the image with what I am selecting up.
I would like entry to all of the issues I did not perceive have been even there. You recognize my monetary scenario is one among them. I’ve solely labored in warehouses or as a private coach as a result of these have been my strengths. Now, I’ve created new strengths. I can learn so I can really get a job above my pay grade proper now. I can do one thing past my wildest creativeness. I did not even know I may be this particular person.
On why he wished to be a greater reader
I’ve had goals of being greater than I used to be exhibiting myself. I all the time wished to be a motivational speaker. And I might categorical this stuff to folks. And folks sort of wooden simply be like, “oh, you might,” “you may’t,” “you might,” “you may’t.” And I knew what I may do if I may learn. And I used to be like, “If I learn to learn, nobody can inform me I can not be a speaker.”
On how studying has helped his relationship together with his son
We learn the Percy Jackson e-book collectively. We learn The Witches collectively. And he is ten, so I’ve to completely keep in mind that his world is completely different than mine. So he will get the studying journey, however he would not absolutely get it. However he is tremendous supportive relating to it. It is opened up a brand new area for us to simply bond. I did not know the way a lot my journey was going to have an effect on him, however I see now it isn’t even concerning the studying. The books I am studying have taught me about my psychological points, which I can not placed on to him. I can really work on them, so he would not find yourself with the psychological points I’ve, as a result of I can take them out of my family as a result of I am engaged on them. With out these books, I might need proven him these psychological issues.
The audio model of this story was edited by Reena Advani. This digital piece was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
