I decided to share something that I know a lot about. It is book reading.
The reason why I'm writing this, is that I know a lot of guys that are very intelligent but are not very knowledgeable. The difference is that they can quickly solve a puzzle or calculate a sum but they don't really have anything interesting to say that could be described as wisdom. And as we know wisdom and stating your own opinion is very attractive. So here are my tips to reading as many books as possible.
(Oh and if you think reading books is nerdish, read Pook's post "Origin of the 'Nerd'" on http://dapook.blogspot.com/ and think again.)
- Read only if you feel like it
The symptoms of your braining telling you I want to read are: curiosity and anticipation. This may be counter-intuitive but this is the way I read. And I read a lot this way.
- If you don't feel like reading, you haven't found anything worth reading FOR YOU.
Don't read what everybody else is reading, read only what interests YOU. Even if the subject is interesting the book may be boring itself. Don't ever force yourself to read! If you can't read the book there are two reasons for it: the book is boring or you are bored with the subject. Find something else.
- Get book recommendations from people you respect.
For example I read most of the books David DeAngelo recommends. It is a powerful motivator because you know the person got something from the book.
- Make reading a habit in certain contexts.
What I mean by this is: find a place or time to read everyday. I read a LOT of books and I nearly never read at home. I established a habit of reading: on the bus, at coffee shops, in the book store. I think those are the only 3 places I read. If you have trouble focusing on reading, this is the #1 tip to get yourself focused instantly. How do you establish a habit like this? Start small. Bring a book with yourself on the bus. Don't read if you don't want to, but if you feel like it start reading. Quickly you will notice that it is far more interesting than watching the window.
- If you get sleepy, get more oxygen.
Sometimes you get sleepy when reading a book even if it is interesting. Probably you need oxygen. Breath deeper. Sit straight. Your neck must be straight so the blood can easily pump itself to the brain. Take a break, walk around a bit.
- If you catch yourself wondering with your imagination then it is good!
Imagining stuff while reading is more important than reading. Unless it is a book where the story is really important you can wonder with your imagination. I frequently catch myself imagining something for 10 pages and then returning and realizing I don't know what I was reading about! It is a good sign, because the book has stimulated your brain and you are actually THINKING.
- Don't worry about forgetting what the book was about.
I rarely remember any facts from books I read unless it was really clever or funny. Don't worry that you don't remember the character names after 2 months. Facts are not important, computers can be fed with facts. The thing you learn while reading books is how to think and process language. If you read many books you will start seeing patterns in the way knowledgeable people think. You will learn how to state opinions and express them easily because intelligent reasoning will be your second nature.
The reason why I'm writing this, is that I know a lot of guys that are very intelligent but are not very knowledgeable. The difference is that they can quickly solve a puzzle or calculate a sum but they don't really have anything interesting to say that could be described as wisdom. And as we know wisdom and stating your own opinion is very attractive. So here are my tips to reading as many books as possible.
(Oh and if you think reading books is nerdish, read Pook's post "Origin of the 'Nerd'" on http://dapook.blogspot.com/ and think again.)
- Read only if you feel like it
The symptoms of your braining telling you I want to read are: curiosity and anticipation. This may be counter-intuitive but this is the way I read. And I read a lot this way.
- If you don't feel like reading, you haven't found anything worth reading FOR YOU.
Don't read what everybody else is reading, read only what interests YOU. Even if the subject is interesting the book may be boring itself. Don't ever force yourself to read! If you can't read the book there are two reasons for it: the book is boring or you are bored with the subject. Find something else.
- Get book recommendations from people you respect.
For example I read most of the books David DeAngelo recommends. It is a powerful motivator because you know the person got something from the book.
- Make reading a habit in certain contexts.
What I mean by this is: find a place or time to read everyday. I read a LOT of books and I nearly never read at home. I established a habit of reading: on the bus, at coffee shops, in the book store. I think those are the only 3 places I read. If you have trouble focusing on reading, this is the #1 tip to get yourself focused instantly. How do you establish a habit like this? Start small. Bring a book with yourself on the bus. Don't read if you don't want to, but if you feel like it start reading. Quickly you will notice that it is far more interesting than watching the window.
- If you get sleepy, get more oxygen.
Sometimes you get sleepy when reading a book even if it is interesting. Probably you need oxygen. Breath deeper. Sit straight. Your neck must be straight so the blood can easily pump itself to the brain. Take a break, walk around a bit.
- If you catch yourself wondering with your imagination then it is good!
Imagining stuff while reading is more important than reading. Unless it is a book where the story is really important you can wonder with your imagination. I frequently catch myself imagining something for 10 pages and then returning and realizing I don't know what I was reading about! It is a good sign, because the book has stimulated your brain and you are actually THINKING.
- Don't worry about forgetting what the book was about.
I rarely remember any facts from books I read unless it was really clever or funny. Don't worry that you don't remember the character names after 2 months. Facts are not important, computers can be fed with facts. The thing you learn while reading books is how to think and process language. If you read many books you will start seeing patterns in the way knowledgeable people think. You will learn how to state opinions and express them easily because intelligent reasoning will be your second nature.
. Style also recommends this book.