21–30 of 53 posts
As a general presumption, avoiding anything on the non-fiction bestseller list is a good idea. Those books are generally aimed at the lowest common denominator that reads so you probably won't get anything of value out of them. There are rare exceptions that prove the rule and you'll generally know them when you see them. People who tried reading the non-fiction bestsellers and then equated them with "books" are pret…
I don't understand the need to go to GoodReads, pick a read challenge to be "hooked" and collect "little trophies". It's absurd. For me reading is the exact opposite experience of the author. Take time to pick your book, take your time to read it (not eat it) and above all enjoy it, but reading just because you have to finish the GoodReads "homework", nope.
For me, I want to be OK with putting down a book I’m not loving. I do put books down all the time, but I want to be OK with it. I lose interest and put books down, but they stay on my mental list of books I need to finish for YEARS, often long after I have forgotten the current context and would be unable to continue reading where I left off.
I try to normalize putting books down by talking about books I've never finished. People who have read these are more than happy to fill in the details, and I get the Cliff Notes. If the conversation resonates, then I have a reason to pick the book back up with fresh perspective.
There are more books in hypothetical list of “highest rated classic and modern staples” than you can read in a lifetime.
Then there’s all the non-fiction.
You should read for pleasure and as widely as you can. But do not spend a moment longer than necessary with anything you fail to enjoy or isn’t adding value for certain. There is, quite simply, not enough time.
> Once you start caring about the progress bar, you’re hooked! Your dopamine-driven brain sees each book as a little trophy of the mind and you want to keep going. I don't understand the need to go to GoodReads, pick a read challenge to be "hooked" and collect "little trophies". It's absurd. For me reading is the exact opposite experience of the author. Take time to pick your book, take your time to read it (not eat…
Really?
I've been addicted to chemicals before, but that's not what's going on with people who like to read books.
It's getting really ridiculous. People see dopamine behind everything now.
As a general presumption, avoiding anything on the non-fiction bestseller list is a good idea. Those books are generally aimed at the lowest common denominator that reads so you probably won't get anything of value out of them. There are rare exceptions that prove the rule and you'll generally know them when you see them. People who tried reading the non-fiction bestsellers and then equated them with "books" are pret…
Perhaps. But it's also important from time ro time to leave your comfort zone. I occasionally ask other for suggestions just to stop me from always being me. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But I'm okay with risk.
> Once you start caring about the progress bar, you’re hooked! Your dopamine-driven brain sees each book as a little trophy of the mind and you want to keep going. I don't understand the need to go to GoodReads, pick a read challenge to be "hooked" and collect "little trophies". It's absurd. For me reading is the exact opposite experience of the author. Take time to pick your book, take your time to read it (not eat…
> If you’re finishing every book you start you’re doing something wrong: you’re probably finishing books not worth your time This is how you'll have time to read a lot of interesting books: by not finishing all books you started. If you read half of a book and it still didn't gave you good feelings, the last half probably won't. Save your time.
I'm an incorrigible book non-completist. I only read to get what I need and I duck out. Now with ChatGPT-4, I can read and comprehend even faster. For dense books in areas I'm unfamiliar with, I ask ChatGPT to, not summarize, but to break things down for me. For me, it's the new efficient way for doing syntopical reading (Mortimer Adler's technique for reading deeply). https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-get-…
As a general presumption, avoiding anything on the non-fiction bestseller list is a good idea. Those books are generally aimed at the lowest common denominator that reads so you probably won't get anything of value out of them. There are rare exceptions that prove the rule and you'll generally know them when you see them. People who tried reading the non-fiction bestsellers and then equated them with "books" are pret…