Couldn't agree more about reading - it's been a life long (well from the age of 5!) pleasure and source of information. One habit I have is when flying off on holiday I go to a bookshop at the airport and deliberately buy books by an author I've not previously read, or a genre I've not read/only rarely read - great way of discovering new books to read, and adds to the enjoyment of the holiday!
Hello Ash. I have two bookcases full of WW2 military history. It's taken many years to read and re read these most wonderful books. I'm now halfway through my first Dostoevsky book( The Brothers Karamazov), Wow! I think it may require a couple of readings. I think the wrong way to read a book would be " Speed Reading". You would miss so much. With my Dostoevsky book, each sentence is an experience in it's self. All the best.
One thing I do to get back to the book I have started. All the characters take on a look in my imagination. When I read a bit, and then pause to tackle life as it may, I imagine those characters stopping and standing around, waiting on me to continue their adventure. How rude of me to leave them waiting. It motivates me to start reading and get the characters back into action. Weird, but it works.
It is frightening how many people never read a book - more than half the people in the US. I love science fiction because it is speculative, looking at ourselves and seeing what things might be like if history varied. I spent time in Monterey when young, and read all of Steinbeck. Being where he wrote about was great fun. Your emphasis on reading and on how we live our lives is marvelous. I love the direction you are going.
I like taking notes when I'm reading non-fiction books, looking through the notes makes it easier for me to remember the key points and find the important passages. Even if I never take a look at my notes again just the simple process of distilling the important points and writing them down helps me greatly to remember them.
I use a number of sources for all of the books I read: - local library, local secondhand bookstore, charity shops, car boot stalls, “World of Books”website (highly recommended especially for old or out print titles) and very recently ‘The Imperial War Museum’ online shop.
Recently finished and highly recommend these: - The Great Degeneration, by Niall Ferguson - Destined for war : can America and China escape Thucydides's trap? by Allison, Graham - Thirteen days in September : Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David by Wright, Lawrence - Prisoners of geography : ten maps that explain everything about the world by Marshall, Tim But don't forget about the book of all the books, The Holy Bible (AV1611)
The background environment or aesthetics physically behind the book I'm reading helps make the reading more interesting. On a green living room wall, there's a gold Italian clock, some artworks by Helen Dryden, Asian and Egyptian products, Indian tapestry, bamboo plants in gold-like vases, some European style astrology artworks, etc. etc.
Reading gives you another persons perspective of the world. I cant think of anything more valuable. I grew up in a working class home myself, but we had more books than many middleclass or upperclass families. We also used the library a lot, some of my earliest childhood memories are my mother taking me to the library. A good tip for parents is that if you want your children to read, you should read yourself. Children emulate what they see adults do.
More good advice Ash. The factual and fiction alternating is very helpful. I am a retired academic and read mainly books concerning the latest in social policy, sociology and social theory to keep abreast of what was my subject in university. However, I have always kept a book of poetry, preferably an anthology, nearby when I feel I need to read a beautiful line or two, as academic literature can be a tad dry after a couple of hours of theoretics, as you might guess. Keep up the good work.
I used to read far more than I do these days. For about 15 years I had a job in industrial sales in which I travelled frequently. That meant a lot of time spent in airports, on airplanes, and alone in restaurants. I always had a book with me. I set a goal to try to average a book per week. I never quite achieved it; 48 books in one year was the best I did. Now I don’t have that much quiet alone time, and when I do I find that there are so many other ways to distract myself… RUclips being one of the main ones. These days I probably average a book per month… maybe.
Sometimes reading can also encourage you to do more research on a subject. I took your advice Ash and read An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean what a great read and what a true hero he was. Thanks for the heads up. I also along with a few others read two books on an American WWI hero and medal of honor recipient Major Woodfill. I had never heard of him and he lived in my area. Very best regards Ron
Probably not for many, but I have loved Stephen king for the past 24 years Iain Banks, Ian McEwan, Peter May (blackhouse trilogy is great), Ken Follett I guess I prefer fiction to non fiction. I may not learn as many facts, but I get to travel to amazing places in my mind
Great advice to read a factual book followed by a novel. By following this path I have rediscovered the pleasure in reading Science Fiction. Along the way I have discovered new authors and those I missed as a young man. This morning I finished reading 'Mosquito' by Rowland White; a riveting story of the WW2 plane and missions. Centre stage is Denmark, the resistance movement, its characters and the RAF. I highly recommend it. Now off into my home office to pick the next SF story!
Some interesting tips there, Ash - thanks! Always sworn (with my dinosaur-mentality) that reading should be done from books; will give audio books a try, though - indeed, you could say your videos are similar to audio books. Like the idea of encouraging the family to read (although I've been trying for years). Sometimes wonder if my wife can read at all....!
I still enjoy reading an actual book and not listening to audiobook or electronic book . Currently reading Give Me Fast Ship about the how the American Navy was formed during the Revolutionary War . Really good read I like the classics as well . Just finished 1984 . It def helps your vernacular for sure !
I have been an avid reader since I entered my 20's - I love the classics, historical fiction, biographies, history, sci-fi, fantasy - everything really. One thing I have noticed is the bookshops these days are selling books that no-body is reading. I am willing to wager that most publishing houses are glorified toilet paper producers. I genuinely have no idea who wants to read some of the pap that is on the shelves these days.
I do enjoy it. In my previous house I had a magazine rack with built-in toilet roll holder. It gave me the opportunity to read those membership newsletters and periodicals from organisations one subscribes to. Today sadly no room on the wall for it in the new house and those magazines get chucked out unread.
I persuaded my wife to add an Arnhem day to a trip to the Netherlands. She wasn't keen at first. 'But look at the town centre, its all ugly modern buildings, why do you want to go there?' says she. But I had a ready answer for the need for post war re-development in central Arnhem...
Love your channel. You talk a lot about reading paper books but what about ebook reading. You mention audio so can I say I know you use modern technology. What is your take on reading ebooks on your phone or tablet?
Highly recommended! It's a bit slow some places, especially the start and the chapters with Tom Bombadil, but it's definitely worth the effort. I would also recommend Narnia and the Earthsea books.
Remember you can listen to newspapers for free with the press reader app from your local library. Ask your local librarian how it works in audio mode .
I subscribe to the digital New York Times. Kees me in touch with what’s happening with US politics and sooo many other fiction and non fiction sections. I could read this for 6+ hours a day. If I had the time. Cheep to. $4 a week.
PRO TIPS for the chaps who may be afraid and/or embarrassed of admitting they have the attention span of a gerbil when it comes to reading ( GUILTY 🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️). I read lots of poetry and I’m not talking about that light frilly fluffy stuff either. One will be really surprised at what subjects they can find and read about in poetry form. It’s a short quick burst of reading and then you stop and decide if you want to flip the page or not,almost like a RUclips real. I also recommend essays. 101 Essays that will change the way you Think by Brianna Wiest is a fantastic book to start with. And lastly, don’t be afraid to listen to the audiobook and read along with the physical book. Having both print and audio really makes for an immersive experience that yields not only longer periods of attention but also absorption of information. Don’t be afraid to admit that reading can suck but also don’t be so stubborn to think it can’t do you any good. Just some things that currently help me take them as you will. I hope this helps at least one person.
@@KlausKokholmPetersen Indeed Sir! Often I’ll read the paper book along with the audio for complete immersion. Working on Day of The Jackal along with a bio of Napoleon.
@@9er.. I'm very rarely only reading just one book. I usually have 2-3 books at the time. Alternating between fiction and non-fiction. I've been reading the Silmarillion on and off for 3 weeks now. It's just a bit too heavy to read on its own so I need something lighter in between. Alternating between the audiobook and paperbook is nt something I've thought about. The missus sometimes alternates between e-books and paper. She does about ⅔ of her reading on e-books, where I'm 95% paper.
Couldn't agree more about reading - it's been a life long (well from the age of 5!) pleasure and source of information. One habit I have is when flying off on holiday I go to a bookshop at the airport and deliberately buy books by an author I've not previously read, or a genre I've not read/only rarely read - great way of discovering new books to read, and adds to the enjoyment of the holiday!
My goal has always been the same: Read a lot of books, ask a lot of questions.
Hello Ash. I have two bookcases full of WW2 military history. It's taken many years to read and re read these most wonderful books. I'm now halfway through my first Dostoevsky book( The Brothers Karamazov), Wow! I think it may require a couple of readings. I think the wrong way to read a book would be " Speed Reading". You would miss so much. With my Dostoevsky book, each sentence is an experience in it's self. All the best.
Spot on! I always seem to have about six or seven in the queue. Always mixing up the genres keeps it from becoming too academic.
One thing I do to get back to the book I have started. All the characters take on a look in my imagination. When I read a bit, and then pause to tackle life as it may, I imagine those characters stopping and standing around, waiting on me to continue their adventure. How rude of me to leave them waiting. It motivates me to start reading and get the characters back into action. Weird, but it works.
Great ideas! When I used to commute to work all the audiobooks came from the library.
Thanks for the encouragement. I listen to audiobooks a lot, but I even just bought a Kindle so I can read at night before going to sleep.
It is frightening how many people never read a book - more than half the people in the US.
I love science fiction because it is speculative, looking at ourselves and seeing what things might be like if history varied.
I spent time in Monterey when young, and read all of Steinbeck. Being where he wrote about was great fun.
Your emphasis on reading and on how we live our lives is marvelous. I love the direction you are going.
I read a lot of Steinbeck in high school.
This is the only channel I like the most.
I like taking notes when I'm reading non-fiction books, looking through the notes makes it easier for me to remember the key points and find the important passages. Even if I never take a look at my notes again just the simple process of distilling the important points and writing them down helps me greatly to remember them.
I use a number of sources for all of the books I read: - local library, local secondhand bookstore, charity shops, car boot stalls, “World of Books”website (highly recommended especially for old or out print titles) and very recently ‘The Imperial War Museum’ online shop.
Recently finished and highly recommend these:
- The Great Degeneration, by Niall Ferguson
- Destined for war : can America and China escape Thucydides's trap? by Allison, Graham
- Thirteen days in September : Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David by Wright, Lawrence
- Prisoners of geography : ten maps that explain everything about the world
by Marshall, Tim
But don't forget about the book of all the books, The Holy Bible (AV1611)
Excellent advice and video Ash.
Excellent timing Ash!
Dear Ash, 100% agree. Gives me new motivation to switch off Netflix and continue a new book. Cheers, Tim 😎
Go for it!
I read self help books. Very helpful and enjoyable.
Great video, I read a ton. I also read books with my daughter.
I very much appreciate these life commentaries.
Thank you sir, your kind words and practical support is much appreciated.
The background environment or aesthetics physically behind the book I'm reading helps make the reading more interesting. On a green living room wall, there's a gold Italian clock, some artworks by Helen Dryden, Asian and Egyptian products, Indian tapestry, bamboo plants in gold-like vases, some European style astrology artworks, etc. etc.
Reading gives you another persons perspective of the world. I cant think of anything more valuable.
I grew up in a working class home myself, but we had more books than many middleclass or upperclass families. We also used the library a lot, some of my earliest childhood memories are my mother taking me to the library.
A good tip for parents is that if you want your children to read, you should read yourself. Children emulate what they see adults do.
A terrific topic and incredibly well-timed: I just started reading “The Prometheus Deception” by Robert Ludlum last week myself!
Thanks Ash for the usual
Intellectual content. You are
The Chap’s professor emeritus!
My pleasure!
Thank You for the Video 😀
You're welcome 😊
More good advice Ash. The factual and fiction alternating is very helpful. I am a retired academic and read mainly books concerning the latest in social policy, sociology and social theory to keep abreast of what was my subject in university. However, I have always kept a book of poetry, preferably an anthology, nearby when I feel I need to read a beautiful line or two, as academic literature can be a tad dry after a couple of hours of theoretics, as you might guess. Keep up the good work.
I used to read far more than I do these days. For about 15 years I had a job in industrial sales in which I travelled frequently. That meant a lot of time spent in airports, on airplanes, and alone in restaurants. I always had a book with me. I set a goal to try to average a book per week. I never quite achieved it; 48 books in one year was the best I did.
Now I don’t have that much quiet alone time, and when I do I find that there are so many other ways to distract myself… RUclips being one of the main ones. These days I probably average a book per month… maybe.
Sometimes reading can also encourage you to do more research on a subject. I took your advice Ash and read An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean what a great read and what a true hero he was. Thanks for the heads up. I also along with a few others read two books on an American WWI hero and medal of honor recipient Major Woodfill. I had never heard of him and he lived in my area. Very best regards Ron
I’m on a similar reading journey about D-Day. I’m joining my Corps Association’s Battlefield Tour to Normandy in September.
Probably not for many, but I have loved Stephen king for the past 24 years
Iain Banks, Ian McEwan, Peter May (blackhouse trilogy is great), Ken Follett
I guess I prefer fiction to non fiction. I may not learn as many facts, but I get to travel to amazing places in my mind
Great advice to read a factual book followed by a novel. By following this path I have rediscovered the pleasure in reading Science Fiction. Along the way I have discovered new authors and those I missed as a young man. This morning I finished reading 'Mosquito' by Rowland White; a riveting story of the WW2 plane and missions. Centre stage is Denmark, the resistance movement, its characters and the RAF. I highly recommend it. Now off into my home office to pick the next SF story!
Recently finished reading Mosquito too. A great book and heartily agree with your recommendation!
Some interesting tips there, Ash - thanks!
Always sworn (with my dinosaur-mentality) that reading should be done from books; will give audio books a try, though - indeed, you could say your videos are similar to audio books.
Like the idea of encouraging the family to read (although I've been trying for years). Sometimes wonder if my wife can read at all....!
I still enjoy reading an actual book and not listening to audiobook or electronic book . Currently reading Give Me Fast Ship about the how the American Navy was formed during the Revolutionary War . Really good read I like the classics as well . Just finished 1984 . It def helps your vernacular for sure !
I’m
in NYC and I find it a nice way to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air a little cardio in as well
Great Video Ash! I listen to audio books.
I have been an avid reader since I entered my 20's - I love the classics, historical fiction, biographies, history, sci-fi, fantasy - everything really. One thing I have noticed is the bookshops these days are selling books that no-body is reading. I am willing to wager that most publishing houses are glorified toilet paper producers. I genuinely have no idea who wants to read some of the pap that is on the shelves these days.
Ash, how do you feel about reading in the khazi?
If it works for you - go for it. I am not personally a toilet-reader, but I not against the principle.
I do enjoy it. In my previous house I had a magazine rack with built-in toilet roll holder. It gave me the opportunity to read those membership newsletters and periodicals from organisations one subscribes to. Today sadly no room on the wall for it in the new house and those magazines get chucked out unread.
Very true. Readers need to be diligent about using a dictionary in order to understand what they read and become more literate.
I persuaded my wife to add an Arnhem day to a trip to the Netherlands. She wasn't keen at first. 'But look at the town centre, its all ugly modern buildings, why do you want to go there?' says she. But I had a ready answer for the need for post war re-development in central Arnhem...
Love your channel. You talk a lot about reading paper books but what about ebook reading. You mention audio so can I say I know you use modern technology. What is your take on reading ebooks on your phone or tablet?
Or on a kindle
I do have a kindle, but have come to prefer paper books of late. But it’s all reading.
@@TheChapsGuidethe Kindle or Kindle app on a tablet/phone is a great way to bring more books on holiday, or just for a day on the beach.
So you’re suggesting to carry a book and journal when doing your walk about?😊
Reading the Lord of the Rings is on my bucket list.
Highly recommended! It's a bit slow some places, especially the start and the chapters with Tom Bombadil, but it's definitely worth the effort.
I would also recommend Narnia and the Earthsea books.
Ash, you said you have semi-retired what does a period of time week, month, etc. look line in such a life style?
Great question sir, I will try and include it in a Q & A video I am planning at the moment for a thorough response.
Just finished reading Death by Socialism by JM Rock. I highly recommend it.
I’ll be sure to check it out!
Thank you, as one who grew up in USSR I will definitely read this one
Greetings,
Is there any book on Biology or Health you are reading or planning to read?
Sincerely.
You may enjoy I Was a Stranger by John Hackett 😊
Remember you can listen to newspapers for free with the press reader app from your local library.
Ask your local librarian how it works in audio mode .
I subscribe to the digital New York Times. Kees me in touch with what’s happening with US politics and sooo many other fiction and non fiction sections. I could read this for 6+ hours a day. If I had the time. Cheep to. $4 a week.
Time to read? Just book it, into your day.
Spoiler Alert! It was a bridge too far, Ash. Noble effort though.
As someone with ADHD. I'll sadly never be able to enjoy a book.
I have the same brain as you. My trick is to put on classical music on a low volume with noise canceling earbuds, cuts down on the distractions.
@@kents.2866 I might try that with asmr. Hopefully I'll be able to start and finish this book I bought over 2 years ago haha.
How about audiobooks?
PRO TIPS for the chaps who may be afraid and/or embarrassed of admitting they have the attention span of a gerbil when it comes to reading
( GUILTY 🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️). I read lots of poetry and I’m not talking about that light frilly fluffy stuff either. One will be really surprised at what subjects they can find and read about in poetry form. It’s a short quick burst of reading and then you stop and decide if you want to flip the page or not,almost like a RUclips real. I also recommend essays. 101 Essays that will change the way you Think by Brianna Wiest is a fantastic book to start with. And lastly, don’t be afraid to listen to the audiobook and read along with the physical book. Having both print and audio really makes for an immersive experience that yields not only longer periods of attention but also absorption of information.
Don’t be afraid to admit that reading can suck but also don’t be so stubborn to think it can’t do you any good.
Just some things that currently help me take them as you will. I hope this helps at least one person.
Have you tried audiobooks?
@@KlausKokholmPetersen Indeed Sir! Often I’ll read the paper book along with the audio for complete immersion. Working on Day of The Jackal along with a bio of Napoleon.
@@9er.. I'm very rarely only reading just one book. I usually have 2-3 books at the time. Alternating between fiction and non-fiction.
I've been reading the Silmarillion on and off for 3 weeks now. It's just a bit too heavy to read on its own so I need something lighter in between.
Alternating between the audiobook and paperbook is nt something I've thought about. The missus sometimes alternates between e-books and paper. She does about ⅔ of her reading on e-books, where I'm 95% paper.