Robert Greene, author of Mastery and other psychologically juicy books, shares a powerful tip for achieving a higher level of skill in any field — and it’s connected to how you read. Before I share his secret, let’s figure out WHAT you should master in your life. In the first section of his book, Greene suggests thatContinue reading The Art of Mastery (For Book Lovers)
Decide to Be a Note-Taker Let’s assume you want to make notes when you read. How should you go about doing it? First off, it’s important that you decide to take this venture seriously. No more casual notes on loose sheets of paper or random ideas saved to your phone. You need a system ifContinue reading How I Take Notes When I Read a Book
Let’s pretend, for a moment, that every time you finish a book, you apply at least one idea from its pages to your life. I’m not talking about remembering a concept, sharing what you learned with friends in a book club, or teaching a class on the ideas – I’m talking about making a real,Continue reading Apply One Idea from a Book
I’m not a virtuoso reader, but I hope to be one day. I was reading Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi this morning, and on page 25, he explains how virtuosos are made. He says: “Like all virtuosi, he must spend many years learning, and he must keep constantly in training. Being a specialist, he cannot affordContinue reading Become a Virtuoso Reader
I was preparing my notes for Plato’s Republic, and I came across this beautiful little gem on p.269 (536e for those using Stephanus numbers): “A free man ought not to learn anything under duress…compulsory learning never sticks in the mind.” Now, we can open up an entire can of worms here, and start talking aboutContinue reading Being Forced to Read Books
If you look at your bookshelf, do you see a wall of forgotten books? These might be books you’ve read and possibly even loved, but now you can’t remember what they were about. While you may be able to tell someone the general idea of a book, you struggle with the thought of teaching aContinue reading A Wall of Forgotten Books
When you read a book, you can approach it passively, letting the words wash over you without leaving a lasting impression. Alternatively, you can engage actively by starting a note-taking system. The distinction between making notes and taking notes isn’t originally mine, but it’s a concept worth exploring. If you’re new to this idea, here’sContinue reading Making Notes vs. Taking Notes
I’ve gone back to school to get a degree in philosophy, and I’m shocked at how my brain is playing games with me. I have to constantly have to remind myself that I’m doing this for the knowledge – not the grade. For some reason, if I focus on getting an A, I approach theContinue reading Don’t Read This Way
In the book Flowers for Algernon (1958), Charlie Gordon is a person with mental disabilities who receives an experimental operation to make him smarter. As his intelligence grows, the people he loves begin to resent him. Frustrated by this, Charlie asks, “But what’s wrong with a person wanting to be more intelligent, to acquire knowledge,Continue reading What’s Wrong with Getting More Intelligent?
Some of my family and friends will say that books ruined me. My wife and I left the Mormon church with our four kids in tow last September. For years, I was told never to read religious materials unless they came straight from the church. Luckily, I have a wife with a PhD who tookContinue reading Have Books Ruined Me? Let’s Find Out.