These blog posts are short, daily ideas on reading deeply, taking notes, and applying the ideas. Each post is written by Eddy Hood with the goal of encouraging readers to pick up a book in favor of technology.
I need to lose 10 pounds (mostly around the belly) and the process of dieting has taught me something interesting about reading deeply. I know what you’re thinking…that I pull these reading thoughts from strange places, but I promise this will help improve your deep reading sessions. Keep reading. Ok, back to the diet. IContinue reading Stop Binging on Junk Media: Feed Your Brain
It’s Sunday. The world is quiet, the coffee is hot, and my book is waiting. I wonder where I’ll go today as I tip-toe over each word, stepping carefully past each period or exclamation mark. It’s only ink on a page, small shapes forming letters. But, for some reason, those pages filled with sentences pourContinue reading The Bliss of Reading Books
Stoic philosophy has gained a lot of steam due to writers like Ryan Holiday (Love that guy). It’s always been a “popular” philosophy because it, along with other Hellenistic philosophies (Greek 323 BCE – 31 BCE) like Epicureanism and Skepticism, tries to answer a useful question: How do I live well? It’s a thing theContinue reading You’ve Heard of Stoicism, But Have You Achieved Ataraxia Yet?
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a book that means a lot to me. The main concept is that we often get stuck doing shallow work in life, and if we want to get something meaningful done, we have to be purposeful on how we approach and do our most important work. So, I usedContinue reading I Applied Cal Newport’s Book “Deep Work” to Learn French
I just sent my weekly newsletter to 6,049 readers throughout the world. Here’s what I talked about: I send my newsletter every Wednesday with one goal in mind: To build a community of deep-reading friends. I’m passionate about books (If you can’t tell), and The Read Well community is growing. If you want to joinContinue reading Let’s Read Deeply Together
Improving focus seems to be a major theme around here. A few months ago, I lost my AirPod case and thought it was the end of the world. I’m the kind of guy who loves filling every possible second with interesting information. My AirPods gave me a way to always learn with audiobooks or YouTubeContinue reading A Quick Tip for Improving Focus
Warning: Today’s post is rosy-eyed and overly optimistic. If you would rather be in a bad mood, then skip this one. Call me romantic or even naive, but I love a fresh start, so the New Year is my favorite holiday. I giggle (yes, giggle) over the prospect of designing the next 12 months ofContinue reading LIVE DEliberately (As a Reader) in 2025
As a reader, I thought you might appreciate this quote. “When I dance, I dance; when I sleep, I sleep.” This wisdom comes from Michel de Montaigne, the French essayist (1533 – 1592). He was obsessed with the experience of life and found that writing about his phenomenon was the best way to know himself.Continue reading Michel De Montaigne on Dancing
Let’s discuss the difference between shallow reading and deep reading. I picked up these definitions from Cal Newport’s book, Deep Work. Deep Work: Activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limits. These efforts create new value, improve your skills, and are hard to replicate. Shallow Work: NoncognitivelyContinue reading Shallow Reading vs Deep Reading
This book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, taught me about Existential Overwhelm. It’s a very real feeling that I get daily. Here’s the definition: Existential overwhelm happens when we’re faced with too many options for how to spend our time. It’s the idea that you could spend your evening learning to cook, readContinue reading Is Existential Overwhelm Real?