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.
Becoming a reader takes patience. It’s no different than going to the gym, eating healthy, or waking up early. When we try and do things that are “good for us,” we often start with the best of intentions, but then a few days in, find ourselves in the pantry surreptitiously eating entire bags of OreosContinue reading Day 1 (Start Reading Again)
Saturday is my catch-all day for the rest of the week. I have lawns to mow, kids to monitor in the completion of their chores, electrical circuits to fix, water heaters to replace, and, well you get the idea. There’s a never-ending stream of things to do around my house. That’s why reading MUST beContinue reading Saturday Reading
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