Very Very True!
I like to browse/read/study books on various subjects (have a large collection of my own) which lead me to the realization that it is only by reading books and getting exposed to new ideas that one can engage in better self-reflection leading to a more comprehensive self-awareness.
Absolutely. One of my favorite books about the power of books is The Swerve: How the World Became Modern (2011) by Stephen Greenblatt. It tells the story of the rediscovery of Lucretius's poem De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things), which was assumed lost.
Nice. I had long wanted to read Lucretius' work and try and understand his philosophy/arguments. But a couple of translations that i looked at were in verse form and hence i did not followup on it. I am less interested in his poetry/form and more in his ideas. Maybe i should start with the book that you mention.
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swerve
De rerum natura - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_rerum_natura
PS: I just submitted this which you might also find interesting - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47295304
If you're only interested in his ideas, The Swerve summarizes them on pages 185-199 (1st edition).
That certainly is helpful; a TLDR of his ideas before tackling his work in entirety (a rather difficult endeavour).
A quick Google search gave me exactly what you pointed out i.e. Chapter 8, Pages 182-202 which somebody had uploaded.