Reading Books Better

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There are countless instructional videos and blog posts on how to read faster.

These posts promise to be able to at least double your reading speed. However, I believe this is a false prophet and misses the point completely. In my opinion the goal is not to read books as fast as possible, or to read as many books as possible.

Instead, the goal is to derive as much value as possible from each sentence that the author painstakingly wrote.

There are countless books out there, more books than anyone one could read in a lifetime.

So the question is, what makes a book valuable?

This comes down to the combination of both the clarity of the message and the readiness of the reader. Critically acclaimed books do not make it a good book for everyone at every time. Where the reader is in their life and their experience has far more to do with the value of the book than just looking at the ratings.

Books can fall into many different categories and I believe they also change depending on what the individual is going through in life. For example, I find the first time I go through a book it will be inspiring and give me some new ideas, however, I am seldom going through it with a fine tooth comb trying to get every ounce of information out. The ideas need to marinate in my mind for a while, often times combined with other ideas. It could be months or years down the road but eventually I will have a problem and in my head, I will remember a book addressing that problem.

At this time I will go back and reread it looking for the specific details to shed light on my situation.

Most books can be re-read numerous times and each time something new will emerge as the key-take-away, which is, conveniently, exactly what you were looking for. Some books are even so packed full of information that they act as a textbook ready to be consumed point by point.

An example of this is Ray Dalio’s book Principles. I digested it on Audible which indexed a lot of the ideas and concepts in my head. I know it would be extremely beneficial to buy the physical book and use it as a reference for starting a list of my own principles.

Picking the next book

In most cases, I do not actively look for the next book to read.

Instead, I find they organically show up just as I need them. Oftentimes in life, we will be working through a struggle and looking for a better solution, be it career advancement, relationships, fitness, or wealth.

When we are looking up a solution for a specific problem we often find ourselves digging deeper and reading more articles, listening to other podcasts, or watching youtube videos on the subject. Through this process people always love to recommend books to read, and when you hear the same book being recommended multiple times by the people you relate to, at the time you are looking for the information you know that you have found the next book to read. In my case, I digest a lot of YouTube videos and podcasts, and often times I will hear the same book recommended so many times that I feel compelled to read it.

Digesting books in different ways

I like to digest (PS I use the term digest because some people get upset when I mention reading books when they are actually audio books) books in an iterative process. The first way I almost always digest a book is in audio form, from Audible. I spend a lot of time where my motor skills are occupied (such as driving, woodworking, cooking, or cleaning) but my brain is free.

This allows me to digest far more books than if I just relied on reading. As I can listen and retain much better than I can read and retain. This stage acts as an investigation and an index. I am able to get a really good idea of the book’s key points and takeaways and I can index the ideas for later reference in my head.

After I listen to the book if It really resonates with me or if there is something I want to go through in more detail I will buy the book and then use the hardcopy. When trying to learn and apply something from books I find it far more valuable to have the physical book as you can create pages, highlight text and make notes.

Audio, Kindle, Physical Books

The three main formats for books are audio (typically from Audible), Kindle, and the Physical book. When choosing what format to purchase I think it’s important to decide which type will actually allow you to digest it.

This will depend on what the goal of the read is. For me, I get almost every book on audio first, and then if I like It I will buy it in hardcopy. The exception to this is I like to buy reference books on kindle which I like to read before bed.

Examples of these are cookbooks (this is by far the best method for falling asleep fast) and books like Tim Ferriss’s Tribe of Mentors which have short sections that you can read and then put the book down.

There are many books that I have in two formats as I always like to make notes in the physical version. There are even some books that I have in all three because I enjoy them that much. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of those.

Summary:

Books are dynamic and reveal different information each time they are read depending on what the reader needs
Use other people for recommendations. Pick people who are a few steps ahead of where you are and to whom you relate to. PS: here is my list.
Do not always read new books. I find it far more valuable to reread the same book as it has a kind of familiarity that allows the book to open up more with each read. Just like a friendship
If you are able to learn by listening get Audible
Even if already own the book on Kindle or Audio, if you enjoyed it get it in physical copy
Do not rush in picking the next book to read. I find they often show up just when you need them
Remember the goal is to get the most amount of value out, not to read the most amount of books

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