Beyond the Surface: Delving into Well-Read Habits
I stumbled across this great three part series on becoming well-read.
I am a reader, but I tend to buy more books than I read, and I suspect many of you are the same way. Just something about being around books that is comfortable. I go through phases where I read a lot then don't have the desire to read because when I look at my bookshelf, there are a ton of books and I don't know which to start.
Bram Adams outlines a great strategy in his blog
Here's a strategy that worked for me when I first started a reading habit that you, or someone who is new or averse to reading might try – taking inspiration the Secretary Problem from my Computer Science days at university. All the books referenced in this issue were consumed with a similar strategy.
- The first of the month, choose 3-4 books that appeal to you.
- Read ~20-30 pages into each book.
- Cut the worst book from the pack.
- Repeat steps 2 & 3 the second week (read another 20-30 pages), for the remaining 2-3 books.
- Finish the book(s) that are better than the best book you cut the filters for weeks three and four (1-2 books).
I think this is just what I needed. When I first saw this, I said 'I can do this' and I know this will help me move through books at a quicker pace.
I think we all have that feeling that even if a book is not hitting the mark, we feel we need to finish it because we spent money on it. But, that's not the case, you can toss those books that are not adding any value because I'm sure it's not going to get any better closer to the end.
This year, I am also trying not to buy the most popular books that everyone else is reading. I like to seek primary sources and get the full context of the topic.
I hope this series by Bram gives you a boost in your reading and at the end of the year, let's compare how many books we read.