Here’s a question: Do books make you smarter? Will reading Shakespeare or Robert Sapolsky’s latest deep dive into neurobiology improve your intelligence? Or are we just reading to massage our egos and swim in some diversion? Books have the potential to make you smarter, but your IQ doesn’t ratchet up just because you read one.Continue reading Do Books Make You Smarter? Potentially.
Flow is a fancy way of saying Optimal Experience. You know what it feels like because you’ve been in flow many times. It’s when you’re unstoppable, everything works, and your focus and skill are laser tight. Let’s talk about how to get into reading flow, or how to have an optimal reading experience. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of FLOWContinue reading How to Get Into Reading Flow
Could I survive my morning reading sessions without coffee? I suppose—if there were a zombie apocalypse and I had to choose between great books and my coffee beans, I’d pick the books. But as far as I can tell, zombies aren’t knocking on my door, and today looks like another perfectly normal day in theContinue reading Great Books and Tasty Coffee
How do you read deeply when life is crazy? That’s a great question, and one that I get almost every day on Facebook or from listeners of my podcast. If you want to read deeply, I’ve found that the hardest part for most people is just getting started. Once you pour yourself a hot coffeeContinue reading Starting to Read Deeply Each Day
I don’t mind distractions. When I read a book, I’m not a focus robot. My mind wanders like yours, and that’s fine. I have kids and a job and interests that all need brain space, and as much as I want to give Jane Eyre my full 100% attention, it’s hard. Let’s acknowledge that. We’reContinue reading Managing Reader Distractions
I’ve highlighted hundreds of passages in books I’ve read over the years, and for a long time, most of them just sat there. I never looked at them again. In this week’s podcast, I discuss a simple strategy for getting your favorite bits off the page and into your life. In short, I’m exploring howContinue reading read, Highlight, apply: A simple strategy for booklovers
I’ve been reading a lot of James Baldwin lately (1924 – 1987). I’m struck by his courage to write about hard things. Here was a man who spoke about being Black in 1950s America. If that wasn’t enough, he was also homosexual. He wrote about these things without reservation. He spoke about being a minister’sContinue reading I Can’t Get Over The Courage of Author James Baldwin
I’m learning the value of doing a little each day. A few weeks ago, I decided to start writing a novel. This isn’t my first attempt. I wrote one in 2016 and another in 2018, both of which I took to New York City in hopes of landing a literary agent. Those books weren’t goodContinue reading A Little Bit Each Day
Yes, we’re finishing up ZAMM – Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in my book club. This passage from the back end of the book (p.367) shook me violently. Have you ever had that happen? An idea reaches out and grabs you in such a way that you can’t stop thinking about it? Here’sContinue reading Zen And The Art of Not Hating Life
Imagine a world where all books are destroyed. It’s a Ray Bradbury dystopia of Fahrenheit 451 coming to life. Look at your precious bookshelf. See the titles that have moved your heart and imagine someone dumping them in the street and setting fire to them. See your shelf, empty and collecting dust. Imagine a governmentContinue reading What Happened To All the Books?