Kalle Päätalo's Copy of Aiotko Kirjailijaksi

​Origin
Kaarlo (Kalle) Alvar Päätalo (November 11, 1919 – November 20, 2000) was a Finnish novelist, the most popular Finnish writer in the 20th century. His Iijoki series, comprising 26 novels, is one of the longest autobiographical works ever written. As a child he dreamed of being a writer and read avidly, and was namely influenced by Jack London's Martin Eden and Mika Waltari's Aiotko Kirjailijaksi, a guidebook for aspiring writers.

​Effects
When read, all of the book's original text is replaced with a highly detailed biography of the reader starting at birth and ending at death. Each chapter marks one year in the reader's life, with special moments and vivid memories being highlighted. No matter how long the person's life is, the book seems to have enough pages despite its size. Readers will be enticed to read as much as they can, even past the present into their future life. Upon reading the final page, which ends in a description of the reader's natural death, the reader will soon die of the same cause in the present moment.