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.
There’s a different quality about Sunday. Compared to the other days of the week, it’s softer and less hurried. I hear the rhythmic tick of the clock and the occasional sounds of my home settling in for a quiet, winter day. My kids are still asleep as I scoop Earl Grey tea into an infuserContinue reading Reading on Sunday
Gilligan’s Island comes on at 6:00 a.m. If I get out the door by 7:15, I can bike the two miles to school and still make Mrs. Freeman’s fifth-grade class. She’s the kind of teacher who wanders the room with a wooden yardstick slapping desks and grinding her teeth. I’m convinced she’s the twin sisterContinue reading Quiet, Gilligan’s Island is On
Mom never made me eat broccoli – she wanted me to be happy. And so I was. She fed me well, always nutritious food, but if I didn’t like it, why have a fight about it? That’s my mother, wise and kind in the same package. She’s irreplaceable and she taught me a lesson. IContinue reading Stop Eating Broccoli Books
Philosophy is hard to understand, but there’s a reason you should read it. My first experience with Plato, Aristotle, and contemporaries like Hannah Arendt came in the fall of 2004. I was getting a Bachelor’s degree in business, and I needed an easy class to fill my schedule – so I took Intro to Philosophy.Continue reading The Flywheel of Philosophy
I have a friend who wants to be a reader. He’s a great father, and he maintains a career. But at the end of the day, after all the paperwork is filed and the piggybacks are done, he has just enough energy to sleep. That’s why I think his reading system is brilliant. He recognizedContinue reading The Art of Holding the Book
What does it mean to become more articulate? Do we need to master the Oxford Dictionary, sprinkling words like obsequious or colloquial into daily conversation? I don’t think that’s necessary. We should learn the meaning of sesquipedalian (words with many syllables) phrases so that when we read or hear them, we can participate in theContinue reading Become More Articulate
After nine hours of pulling electrical wire, Mark Robinson sat in his armchair reading a copy of Grey’s Anatomy, a medical book weighing in at over 1500 pages. I sat on the couch opposite watching this man read with more passion than an army of football fans at the Superbowl. All he needed was aContinue reading Become an After-Hours Academic
I have a challenge for you. The goal is to read every day (with focus) for 60 minutes over an entire month. Can you do it? For the brave souls who want to tackle this project, I’ve just launched The 30-Day Focused Reader Challenge in my private community. If you dare to sign up (I’mContinue reading The 30-Day Focused Reader Challenge
There’s value in learning to read hard books. Perhaps the best way to explain this is with a ridiculous fitness metaphor. Sidenote. Yesterday, I talked about the hedonic treadmill of reading. I must subconsciously be trying to get ready for my summer bikini body. Anyway— I love going to the gym. I’m a powerlifter, whichContinue reading Why You Should Read Hard Books
The Hedonic Treadmill is an idea in psychology that if you keep busting your ass, you’ll be happy one day. Except that, for each “improvement” you make, you don’t feel any different. That’s because you’ve erroneously assumed the end result matters. If you drive a certain car, date a level-10 girl, or make a millionContinue reading The Hedonic Treadmill of Reading