What Reading Every Day Taught Me: January Edition
For someone who routinely skipped required reading through school and never picked up a book for leisure, reading every single day seemed like it would be a massive challenge. The truth is, I have read fairly regularly now for 5 years or so and managed to work through 50 books in 2016 (a goal I had set myself before the year began). The key is, I only read books I believe will interest, challenge me or help me grow and if something isn’t working for me I close the book and find something new to read.
This year I have taken things a step further and aimed to complete a total of 55 books. Such a mild increase in the target seemed achievable and after the start I have made this month I fear it may prove a little too straightforward. Regardless, on a journey to learn and fuel my mind, I have committed to reading every day. A mere twenty pages is the goal and often these are handled during my daily commute and topped up with a little reading before I sleep. I use an app to remind me every night that I also use to track my progress.
At the end of each month, I aim to write about the books I have read and what I have learned from them. The purpose of this is two-fold. First, I hope you the reader can take inspiration from some of the works I discuss here and second, I hope the public nature of this goals spurs me on to continue this worthwhile daily habit.
So here goes What Reading Every Day Taught Me: January Edition
‘When to Rob a Bank’ — Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
The two men responsible for the Freakonomics books, podcast and blog collected a selection of their favourite posts from the latter and compiled them in this book. If you are familiar with their work, Levitt and Dubner share similar stories and research to their previous works that are entertaining and, at times, thought-provoking. For those who have never stumbled across this duo, you will find a collection of short stories based loosely around the field of economics and human behaviour. When to Rob a Bank is by its very nature disjointed but is enjoyable nonetheless.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: In the introduction the authors liken the repackaging and sale of free content (their blog posts into a book) to that of bottled water. It is something that shouldn’t make sense if you are a rationale human being but as is proved time and time again, we are not rationale. As long as there is some level of added value (a physical object, convenience, time saved) people are willing to pay for it.
‘Post Office’ — Charles Bukowski
Here is a book that had been on my radar for years but never quite made it into my collection until very recently. Post Office is a story about surviving menial work and the life that sometimes goes with it. The lead, Chenaski, is an alcoholic who sees the economic system for what it really is, broken. No-nonsense and pretty entertaining throughout, this work highlights the author’s struggles in his life before writing (the book is really autobiographical).
MAIN TAKEAWAY: The absence of goals or a plan for a better future for yourself can lead to a feeling of being swept along by life. At times we may all have felt the ‘trap’ of a day job but the hope and belief of something greater will win out over time.
‘Start With Why’ — Simon Sinek
The main gist is this, starting everything with a reason why puts you in a position of strength. Every endeavour needs to have a purpose and it should be continually communicated to those involved. This is as true for businesses as it is for individuals. Without a purpose or a ‘why’ a project is destined to have a tough time succeeding when compared to those who know their true north.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: Start With Why made me question why I do what I do and have done previously. I will now look at future ventures through a totally different lens and would urge others to read this book and do likewise.
‘Do The Work’ — Steven Pressfield
From the writer of The War of Art, this book provides some more of the same fuel to constantly create and focus on your craft. A short but effective guide through ‘the resistance’ and ‘the work’ that we must do to overcome it. Perfect for anyone with a creative calling or in fields that require a high-degree of self-directed work.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: “Don’t prepare.Begin” Sums it up really.
‘Freedom is Blogging in Your Underwear’ — Hugh MacLeod
Short and sweet. Readers who enjoy the works of Seth Godin or Steven Pressfield will likely have seen this style of writing before. A kick in the ass to get you to open your laptop and get to work.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: Create your own media space and connect all the time. The work is still long and hard despite the internet.
‘Quirkology’ — Richard Wiseman
Having read a few of Wiseman’s other works, I was excited to get into this vast collection of quirky psychology experiments and what they mean. Quirkology includes references to famous experiments by Stanley Milgram and Phillip Zimbardo that anyone with at least a mild interest in psychology will have been aware of before. This book is much in the same vein as Freakonomics (metioned previously) and the Undercover Economist by Tim Harford. An enjoyable and easy read.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: People are weird.
‘Made to Stick’ — Chip and Dan Heath
An incredible book on the power of communication and stories. Contains numerous examples of how people changed their world by crafting their message in a certain way. This builds upon my current obsession with storytelling and its power to achieve ambitious goals. Every now and then you find a book that resonates with you and you know you will read it again, for me, this was one of those instances.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: Tell your story. A compelling narrative can cut through all of the noise.
‘The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe’ — Glenn Clark
Disclaimer, this book is a re-read for me and is very short in length. Clark provides a window into the world and works of Walter Russell. We see the underlying principles of how he operates and thinks and how it propelled him to such prolific output in numerous fields. From time-to-time the book wanders into the realms of spirituality and religion but those with any belief may find some gems of wisdom in these words. Personally I get most from the ‘Meet the Artist’ chapter which is more biographical than the rest. It shows how one man’s attitude allowed him to conquer many creative challenges throughout his life, a true renaissance man.
MAIN TAKEAWAY: Everyone has genius in them and belief, persistence and an openness to explore what is below the surface can yield the greatest of results.
Hopefully next month I will manage to put out this post a little sooner (a house move was in progress this week). I’d love to hear what you are reading, any suggestions are welcome and if you got anything at all from this, a click on the recommend button would mean a lot.
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