I have a short but necessary message for readers today: Every book has a speed limit. Some books can be read at 70 MPH while others start to rumble and shake if you go faster than 10 MPH. To read Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is very different than to read Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River. So, whenContinue reading This Book Has a Speed Limit
These days, I’m trying to spend most of my time with 3-layered books. Let me explain. The first layer is the book itself—the words on the page. It’s written well, makes clear arguments, and gets me thinking. The second layer is in the back, where the author cites their sources. It’s an extensive list ofContinue reading A Good Book Has 3 Layers
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.
The Bible almost got it right. Ecclesiastes 3:4-5 should have read, “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to listen to audiobooks and a time to read paper books…” Audiobooks are a more passive form of learning; they lend themselves well toContinue reading Are AudioBooks Better Than Paper Books?
If you read a book for 30 minutes today, several things will happen: If you DON’T read a book for 30 minutes in favor of more email time, Netflix, unimportant meetings, or mindless scrolling – these benefits will not be forthcoming. Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas. -Eddy
If you spend $16, you can get a copy of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s book, The Idiot. Dostoyevsky toiled over this work, cramming it full of psychology, philosophy, and characters that will stick with you for the rest of your life. For just $16, you get access to a brilliant work. If you were an investor, youContinue reading Get a Book For Just $16
I just timed myself. I read 180 words a minute. The average adult reads 200 to 300 words a minute, and speed-readers clock up to 1000 words a minute. I do this on purpose. By slowing down, I give the words on the page room to breathe. Every word has meaning. Consider the word “educated.”Continue reading Proof That I’m a Slow Reader
There are a lot of ways to “get through” a book. You can buy the Cliff Notes, watch the movie, get a summary from A.I., listen to it 2X on Audible so that the narrator sounds like a chipmunk – but there’s only one way to absorb a book, and that’s by sitting with it,Continue reading Are You “Getting Through” Books?
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
Most of what you learn is surface-level drivel. You never get into the meat of something because you’re trying to learn too quickly. You can’t learn well if you’re in a rush. I start all books the same – casually. I give them a read, and if I’m interested, I highlight passages along the way.Continue reading Some Books MUST Be Read Twice