There’s a Japanese word that always sticks in my mind: tsundoku (積ん読).
It describes that stack of unread books sitting on your nightstand, your desk, your floor… You know the ones — bought with the best intentions, filled with knowledge you genuinely want to absorb. But somehow, they just sit there, a quiet pile of patient companions waiting for their moment to shine.
These books remain unfinished not because we lack interest or willpower, but because their linear format goes against how our brains want to naturaly process information.
We’ve redesigned nearly every medium for our modern minds — our phones, apps, games — yet books remain stubbornly unchanged for centuries. This isn’t about lamenting reading habits or suggesting we need to “dumb down” complex ideas (*cough* TikTok). It’s about recognizing an exciting opportunity: What if we applied thoughtful design principles to evolve one of humanity’s most powerful technologies?
The opportunity in modern reading
The data tells a fascinating story: Americans consume around 100,000 digital words daily — equivalent to a 400-page book — while spending over 7 hours on screens outside of work. We’re reading more than ever, just not books. The median American completes just 4 books per year, down significantly from previous…
