Journalist Truong Anh Ngoc: I don't read books that teach how to make money and get rich.

- As someone who has ignited the passion for travel for young people through 5 travel books, what inspired you to write about this genre?

The five travel books I wrote were inspired by the journeys of many other people around the world, as well as works of literature, history, travel… that I have read.

The books I read over the years provided the basic foundation, then as I read more, the books equipped me with in-depth knowledge on a subject that I was truly interested in.

The identities of authors of travel books are also diverse. Some are travelers and writers, but others are just ordinary people… Traveling and writing is that simple, but when I read about their journeys, the desire to travel and experience flares up in me.

With the advantage of living and working in Europe for many years, being curious, willing to learn, willing to travel... so why can't I do that?

- So how did your process of accumulating knowledge from books begin?

The story begins in the 80s, when children were still forced to stay indoors and our living spaces were so small.

Even when I was allowed to go out, I still chose to stay home and keep company with books. Starting from classic novels by Lev Tolstoy, Victor Hugo... to books on socialism and capitalism by Lenin, Karl Marx... There was no Internet, no television, limited information, so the biggest world for me at that time was books.

Some novels such as In the Desert and in the Deep Forest (Henryk Sienkiewicz), Sans Famille (Hector Malot), The Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas)... have inspired me to adventure and travel.

Until now, I still consider books as a friend, a main source of knowledge and entertainment. Therefore, every time I go abroad, I buy books, sometimes carrying up to a dozen books, spending a lot but never feeling sorry.

- Which writer influenced you the most to quickly pack your bags, go and learn how to feel from the journey?

That is Paul Theroux, one of the world's foremost writers on travel. We translated and published his book The Orient Gliding Out the Window , published in 1973, about a journey from Europe to Asia by train. Although it was a long time ago, my excitement and emotions are still intact as they were then.

Accordingly, instead of exploring new lands by plane, people can take the train to observe everything, immerse themselves in the local culture and see everything around.

I also started to travel like Paul Theroux, but not from one continent to another. When traveling abroad, I chose to travel by train, giving me more opportunities to be close to the life there, to feel the outside world and to grow more mature from each trip.

- Along with the development of society, audiobooks and e-books are very popular. As a busy person, do you pay attention to these two genres?

Honestly, I don’t have the habit of using audiobooks because I feel passive. I prefer to read more actively. Although this is a form that helps people access books, according to the basic principle, books must still be presented in text form.

As long as you are willing to read, it doesn't matter whether you choose e-books or paper books. The biggest fear is being lazy to read.

Every year, I have a habit of ordering some e-books and newspapers, in case I can't get the paper version, for example, I usually order from National Geographic magazine. In addition, there are many tour guides about the world, I will visit the LonelyPlanet website to buy and store on my phone.

I learned to combine the two forms together. Because it is not always convenient to carry a thick book when traveling, sometimes using the phone is faster.

However, books must have their physical value, with shape, color, cover, words, etc., so I mainly choose to read them the old-fashioned way.

I believe that books will never die, as long as there are people like me.

- With such a passion for books, is there any topic that you pay little attention to?

There is one type of book that I don't read, and that is books about making money, getting rich, and financial tricks.

It's not that the book lacks meaning, but I find it too dry. Partly because getting rich has never been my life goal.

Being rich or not depends on your knowledge and life experience. Being rich in knowledge will naturally lead to being rich in material things, that will happen - just like being famous.

- As someone who is active on Facebook, even creating a separate album about books, can you share more about the meaning of this?

The album was released during the period of Vietnam's lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That period of time made me ask myself: Instead of focusing on Facebook to argue and worry, why don't people turn to books to kill time and gain information?

Two years into the pandemic, thanks to books, I can still go out into the world in my own way.

At first, I just quoted the best parts of the novels I read. Gradually, I opened a separate section to share more topics, then updated the introduction of the works I was reading, suitable for all ages.

The children's books I recommend to parents are not the usual entertainment, but dictionaries.

- Many parents pay little attention to investing in their children's reading, what do you think about this issue?

I believe that one of the basic factors to maintain a reading culture is to guide children to read books from an early age and limit the use of smartphones.

Usually, children who are introduced to electronic devices early are considered smart and clever, and thanks to the devices, they can stay in one place. But in return, their language thinking and eyesight can be seriously affected.

Teaching children to read is important, but often overlooked by parents. They think books are not valuable and expensive, while they do not spare money for drinking, shopping or wasting on other things...

For many people, books are not considered a top priority when educating their children, as well as enriching their own information. That is a great pity!

- From understanding the role of books in children's education, how did you and your husband build a reading habit for your daughter?

When my child was little, my wife or I would read fairy tales at night, to the point where he knew the stories by heart. Sometimes I was sleepy and read wrongly and my child would remind me of my mistakes.

In addition, the daughter also received a good education in an international school, then studied abroad. European education places great emphasis on reading, and all subjects require students to research and read books on their own. Therefore, books naturally become the children's companions.

But books only become useful when parents and schools find ways to make them more interesting.

A child will never naturally pick up a book without encouragement or participation, while everything displayed on a phone screen is much more sparkling and vivid.

Having one or both parents read with their child not only helps the child become interested in the book, but also increases the bond between family members.

Therefore, in the past, my wife and I often read and bought books with our children, took our daughter to libraries, large bookstores, etc. Spending a lot of time in such cultural spaces became an indispensable habit in the family.

- Have you talked to your daughter about this topic recently?

Father and son often talked to each other. He was also very interested in many books I brought home, such as books about the French Revolution, because this was a topic related to History.

Thanks to my daughter learning about art and painting, I have also gained more knowledge. I read the small books she learns at school and find them fascinating. I have to read and research more to be able to take my daughter to interesting places, explain about works of art in museums… This is a process where we both learn together.

Until now, my daughter still maintains the habit of reading since she was young. According to my observation, children who read a lot have gentle personalities and good thinking, including thinking about language.

My daughter is studying in the UK and working part-time at a big bookstore in the city. We are very proud that she has chosen to continue her passion for books in her own way. She wants to become a book editor and has supported a number of Vietnamese writers when they came to the UK.

Who knows, maybe in the future you can make a living by editing books? That is also one of the opportunities and new horizons that books bring to us.

As for me, if I hadn't read books in the past, there would be no Truong Anh Ngoc today.