61–70 of 200 posts
100% describes me. Haven’t found a solution yet.
Wow, do I feel this pain. As both an author[1] and a book-lover, I've been on both sides of this divide. People just don't consume books the same way they used to. As a reader, I find I have to slowly re-introduce deep reading -- even if I've just been away for a week or two. I usually do this by getting a physical book and a physical distraction device, usually my phone. I go to a place where there's nothing else in…
I noticed myself doing this while watching a movie. Even at suspenseful moments, I press "pause" and pick up my phone to browse around HN and Facebook. After a while I continue watching, but then five or ten minutes later I'm back on the phone.
What do I do now? Come home, do yoga for 15-30 minutes, make tea, meditate for 10 minutes, read for 15 - 50 minutes. Then I'll allow myself to do other things that may occupy my time.
I'll admit that as a single man without kids I have a lot more freedom over my schedule but this is very similar to my morning routine. At the minimum I've got 30 minutes of reading and 20 minutes of meditation in my day every day. This has done wonders for my ADD brain.
The other big thing is focuses on books I know I'll enjoy. For me that means Sci-Fi fiction novels and Magical Realism books. Also if I find myself not wanting to pick up the book then I'll move on from it.
Right now I'm reading alternating Murakami book, Vonnegut books, and books from The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell) series. Are they all at the level or War and Peace? No. But I enjoy them and that's what maters.
P.S. I've got a kindle paperwhite which is IMO the best e reading device I've ever used. It sits in my draw while paper stack up around my house and near my bedside. It just doesnt feel the same. It's great for when I'm going to be traveling and need a few novels but dont have the space in my travel bag.
A lot of non-fiction books have a lot of filler. No need to read 300 pages when a wiki articles or PDF gives you important points
The author's more concerned with fiction
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The author's more concerned with fiction
Fiction has suffered the same bloat. Used to be that letting an author ramble for 200,000+ words was considered indulgent. Dune told it's entire story in around 180,000 words, I can hardly say anything more intriguing is going on in Song of Ice & Fire at 1.7 million words.
You're the second person I see in this thread complaining that texts have become too bloated and using this exact example. Perhaps the guy is just a hack.
A lot of non-fiction books have a lot of filler. No need to read 300 pages when a wiki articles or PDF gives you important points
Perhaps the the worst consistent example is the New Yorker - I just read, uh ok, skimmed, a piece about Elliot hedge fund. It's many many pages long, but could be summarized in a paragraph, or a page, to add some supporting examples.
But, there's a big difference between reading for information, and reading for pleasure/escape.
I get quite frustrated by information pieces fluffed into literature, but can still find the time for engrossing stories and captivating writing.
Nothing too revelatory here, but I can certainly agree with the ideas presented. So many of us are used to a constant, reliable dopamine drip while reading things on the internet that larger texts bore us. The conclusion at the end of the piece is right, though--it just takes willpower. Choosing delayed gratification in the form of good, rich, long-form writing is a lot like choosing a balanced diet. The benefits of…
I've gone from reading 10 books a year to reading 25+ books a year over the last few years. Mostly I've cut down on my screen time. I am on a computer all day for work but once I go home I try to spend as little time as possible on a computer. What do I do now? Come home, do yoga for 15-30 minutes, make tea, meditate for 10 minutes, read for 15 - 50 minutes. Then I'll allow myself to do other things that may occupy m…
And I write iOS apps for a living.
Being a teenager i am very grateful that we have so many books on an electronic device. I read on a smartphones because 2 things:
Spaced repetition. I can read anywhere, anytime. At school, at home, in the car etc.
TTS Audiobooks on offline epub with speed changer. It took me a while but because of the technology improvement of TTS I don't see a difference. I can listen to the next pages where I last read on the way to the gym or school. Or I can listen to the introduction and then read when I have time where I bookmarked it.
The modern problem with understanding is the need of recall and effort. There is a great video:https://youtu.be/V-UvSKe8jW4
Edit 1: I started taking productivity more serious after 6 months detox of my smartphone. (during my school time and during exams, I was successful because I broke it and my parents never give me gifts or have good income)
Edit 2: off time is the best app. It basically doesn't allow to access only some apps that you choose for a period of time
For around ten years I didn’t read much, not because I didn’t want to, I certainly did, but because it takes too long. I get up at around 6am, get home from work at around 5pm and then I have daily chores mixed with family stuff for 3-5 hours. Not much left after that, and I’m not good at setting fixed hours for specific hobbies, so reading a whole book just didn’t work out for me. I soon found that even if I managed…