A friend recently told me, “I struggle to finish books.” I hear this a lot, so let’s talk about it. We want to be better readers, and so we go to bookstores and fill our shelves with shiny new releases. We jump into reading challenges with the best of intentions, join book clubs, and setContinue reading I Struggle to Finish Books
It’s remarkable that I can ask the question, “What do I want to learn today?” Many of my ancestors before me didn’t have that luxury. They were too busy milking cows, fighting wars, and fending off innumerable diseases. Because of their hard work, I can now get my milk from the grocery store, I’m notContinue reading Because of Their Hard Work
If I told you there were aliens in my computer writing these daily posts, would you demand proof before you believed me? Of course you would, because your a sane and logical person. Thankfully, there are no aliens in my keyboard, but this question teaches us something valuable about reading. If an author makes aContinue reading Burn Some of Your Books
I loved being an only child. I had no competition for mom’s love, and there was always a quiet reading nook at hand. Things were simple when it was just me. And then I got married to a woman from a large family and everything in my life changed. Family dinners with the in-laws areContinue reading One Way I Use AudioBooks
It’s 1784. Your name is Immanuel Kant, and you’re a celebrated German Philosopher in the town of Königsberg, (what is now Kaliningrad, Russia). You’re frustrated that people have lost their will think think for themselves. They move about the streets in a sort of robotic trance, like mice in a maze – honestly, this soundsContinue reading SAPERE AUDE! (Dare to KNow)
Whether you like the idea of meditation or not, it has something to teach you about reading books. Consider this: meditation is the practice of taming your mind. It’s not about sitting in silence with an empty brain, it’s about recognizing distraction and then training your brain to come back to a point of focusContinue reading Return to Your Book 100 Times
It’s true. You don’t have time to read everything. The argument, then, is that you should only read the best writers. Why waste your precious time on books that are poorly written or copy the ideas of others (to which there are many)? There’s a benefit to hanging out with history’s brightest thinkers. “Contact withContinue reading Read the Best Writers
I write daily about the benefits of reading, but there is a danger as well. To read a book is only half of the equation. Once you finish the last page and put it back on the shelf, you’re only 50% finished. If, in that moment, you pick up another book, then you’re in dangerContinue reading The Danger of Reading
It’s 1818 and you’ve just been born into slavery. Your father, though it can’t be proved, is the wealthy Maryland slave owner who slept with your black mother. At twelve-months-old, you’re separated from her, and must fend for yourself. As you grow up, you’re shackled, whipped, and told to work. It’s illegal to educate you,Continue reading Your #1 Responsibility Starts Here
It’s possible to read a book without getting distracted. No matter your background, educational level, or outlook on life – you do have the ability to focus for more than 8 seconds. If you haven’t read a book in a while, doing so will feel like a chore. That’s normal. Even now, reading this post,Continue reading The Untrained Reading Brain