These days, I’m trying to spend most of my time with 3-layered books. Let me explain. The first layer is the book itself—the words on the page. It’s written well, makes clear arguments, and gets me thinking.
The second layer is in the back, where the author cites their sources. It’s an extensive list of all the great books, academic papers, articles, and more that shaped the book’s direction. As long as these sources are credible, the book has a second layer.
This leads us to the third and final layer. Because the author relied on credible sources, you can go to any one of them to learn even more about the topic. Since these are strong sources, they will likely have their own list of sources for you to review.
To read deeply is to spend time with its sources. Don’t ignore those entries in the back of a book. Take time to read through them and wander further down the rabbit hole of your knowledge.
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
