Lessons from years of book reading
Nothing comes close to what reading books have to offer other than your own life experiences. But isn’t reading a book an experience in itself?
I started reading from age 14 and I haven’t gone a single month without having read at least one book (I do 3–4 books a month nowadays though). I have read books from across the genres. I have read romantic novels, thrillers, informational tombs, space-faring anecdotes, and whatnot. Several years of book reading have obviously taught me a score of lessons and I’ll here be sharing a few with you.
1. Books are far more detailed than any movie can ever be.
No amount of direction and no amount of tweaking the script will be enough to add the amount of detailing that books do. Of course, some books are crap (I have definitely learned that one and it’s a point I’ll be making soon) and they can easily be beaten by a 5-minute short Ted video but who has time for crap anyway?
2. Most self-help books follow the Pareto principle.
Almost every single one of self-help books follows the Pareto Principle. Up to 80% of the book’s essence is captured in merely 20% of the written content. Given this odd proportion of information density, I now read self-help in a skimming fashion. I just waltz through the book, picking up on essentials and dropping inconsequential content at the earliest possible.
3. Books can be crap.
It’s a relative term. Crap. But that doesn’t save books from being crap. Some books are plain pathetic and are best avoided. I have categorized a lot of my early reads as being craps. And that’s okay. You can do too. Books are very important resources in our life but what’s more important is our time.
4. Strictly reading 30–45 minutes a day (at any damn speed) is enough.
You don’t have to invest tremendously in book reading. It’s a very easy task and can be carried on very easily. If you can pull off 30 minutes of reading, you’re done. You can easily crush one book per week. You just have to create a routine and stick to it.
This reminds me of suggesting you an amazing book by James Clear called Atomic Habits. Do read.
5. A reading-list helps.
I used to read books but at a snail’s pace. I made a reading list and I devoured to them faster than a cheetah can run (metaphorically of course). A reading-list eases the burden of having to choose your next read. Every time you finish a book, all you have to do is consult your reading-list and boom, you have your next read.
6. Not following the reading-list strictly helps.
I know. You’re almost second-guessing my integrity. But chill. I have a point. Listen out.
More often than not, I used to pick books away from my reading list. As mentioned previously, I did consult my reading-list. But then I enjoy my freedom. So I pick random books (suggested from here and there) and put them on my reading list. And then I used to read the randomly suggested book. Reading-list is only a scorekeeper. What I read need not concern it.
7. Most books repeat the subject content!
It’s funny how so many books are written on the same subject over and over again. These repetitions add little to no extra value to what was previously said. It’s as if the authors were trying to compete and somehow felt a retelling of the topic was necessary.
8. Some books are better heard than read.
There is this beautiful book called Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I spent a lot of time reading it. It was just so beautiful and so filled with conflicting perspectives. But you know what was better than reading that book? Listening to an amazing narrator, Derek Perkins. It was an auditory treat to listen to him read the book. And what more? I finished that book in far less time than I had by reading it.
There. I have said it. Of course, there is that books are amazing friends, books give you life lessons and so on. But that’s already been told so many times that it’s almost cliche. So let’s save it and call it a day.
Thank you.
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