I feels this whole hustle culture round how many books you read is a bad idea. People are running after numbers, picking smaller books, not enjoying books, have very little comprehension and zero retention. If you read 50 books a year for 10 Years you read 500 books. Do you really need to read 500 books (fiction or non fiction) to become wise? Or just 5 books in each field of your interest multiple times to develop depth and retention? I myself did this thing called book marathon and realized that I stopped enjoying books.
As someone with ADHD who struggles to just sit down and read for an hour, I find that setting a ridiculously low bar for myself helps. I set the goal of reading one page per day. Usually I end up reading a whole chapter, and somedays only a couple pages. What matters is having a non-zero day and making progress. I may not read 100 books a year, but I read more than the average american so I'm good haha
As someone with ADHD I’ve also had to learn that I have to read differently than other people. The idea of getting rid of distractions doesn’t work for me b/c my brain NEEDS to have a lot of input to focus, otherwise I will find other things to focus on outside of the book. Now I listen to classical music or white noise when I read to give my brain enough stimulation and now reading is MUCH easier.
One of the tips I would follow is very simple: Read a minimum of 1 page every day. This really helped me to read more. It only takes 1 - 2 mins to read a page so you can do it even if you're really busy. However, it forces you to sit down with the book. Personally, I find that one page is enough for me to get interested in the book again and I often end up reading a chapter or two instead of one page.
This is my view on it as well. Something is better than nothing. Even just one page is something, and therefore better than nothing. It's progress, and that mentality has helped me a lot.
See my issue is I'm just not engaged after a page. My girlfriend will read a single sentence and immediately be engaged by the book and will be able to completely zone in. For me, I just really struggle with finding reading to be an interesting and engaging endeavor without reading for 20-30 mins at least, so the commitment is larger. I don't know how to reframe my mind on this, I've tried many times and still struggle.
@@tylergalligani6450 read the prince by Niccolo, Makaveli, you need a book that interests you. Don’t just read what others read. Find and read something that teaches you new things every page or chapter.
thats also explained in atomic habits as a 2 minute rule where you do thing that you want to make a habit for 2 minutes so it forms as a habit author says that in order to make something a habit you should do it regularly
Some points that have helped me: -Interact with the book. Find quotes or passages that you like. Look up words and phrases that you don't understand. Write a journal entry. -Set goals. Read x number of chapters each day. Read for 30 minutes at this time of day and another at this time. -Follow along with an audiobook while reading. For sluggish reading sessions. -Put on ambient music. For ex. I put on a Hogwarts Library ambience video while reading The Hobbit. -Get active in a community (online or irl). Find some booktubers you like. Write a discussion post or just look around and make a comment once in awhile. Make reading take up space in your mind aswell as social feed. Remember getting back into reading will take time and patience. It's alright if some reading sessions are not as great as others as long as you're consistent and honest about your efforts. Day by day flip one page after the other and notice your reading muscle grow.
As someone with ADHD I’ve also had to learn that I have to read differently than other people. The idea of getting rid of distractions doesn’t work for me b/c my brain NEEDS to have a lot of input to focus, otherwise I will find other things to focus on outside of the book. Now I listen to classical music or white noise when I read to give my brain enough stimulation and now reading is MUCH easier.
I would like to give a rebuttal to your comment on not reading below your level. Since college I have found myself reading less and less. Then I started my family. In reading books to my kids I rediscovered my love of reading. Whenever I find that I'm watching too much TV I like to go back and pick up a Roald Dahl or V.E. Schwab (her young readers books (if you didn't know she wrote those, they are so worth it)) and remind myself of the joy. I now recommend to others who say they wish they could read or read more, that they start with klds books. The adventures of Toad and Frog may be well beneath the readers abilities, but the nostalgia and feeling like you really can finish a book cannot be overstated. I would ask that you try this yourself. I think it would change your mind about how to start reading again.
I want to second this. Reading fun YA or even easier books can rekindle your love for reading. After being tired of reading academic work, I dove into CS Lewis's The Magician's Nephew and enjoyed it. Watch out for those uncles...
I want to contribute a possible amendment to what you said concerning audiobooks. Something that I've found unique to my generation is astronomically low attention spans for those of us who spent our formative years on the Internet and social media with basically major corporations designing their software to keep us on their platforms or thinking about them constantly. I had found myself in this camp, remembering when I was in middle school and completely off the stuff I would read constantly and late into the night, and finding myself completely unable to do that anymore, I started audiobooking instead which was a lot more palletible especially since I could multitask while audiobooking. To audiobooking's credit, it has rekindled in me a love for literature and "reading," but I want to add that beyond that, it has not helped me in any way to start picking up physical books again. Reading physically really is a skill in attention and patience and focus that has to be trained, especially since audio is inherently more a receptive experience for us. I agree that audiobooking counts as reading, but it might be worth noting the extent to which it is helpful for those who want to acquire that skill of reading
I used to read a lot as a kid, but for various reasons I had fallen out of the habit. Now I'm starting to slowly get back into it and one tip I can share that worked for me is to start by rereading not just any random book, but rather that special book that you read as a kid and has stuck with you ever since. For me it was a YA Spanish novel called "Grimpow - The Invisible Road". It's the first "real" book that I read as a kid (or at least the first one "with no pictures") and I have a distinct memory of my little self getting so immersed in this story that I couldn't stop reading it and not being able to shut up about it even long after I finished. I used to talk about it with whoever was willing to listen and I even wrote a small review of it in my school's newspaper. It was the book that truly sparked my love for reading, and even though it's definitely catered to a more younger audience and now I can totally see its flaws (those dialogues are cringey as hell), I'm deliberately choosing to start from this one because that's exactly what I need: to remind myself of WHY I love reading in the first place. I haven't finished it yet, I'm going very slowly and I lose focus a lot, but still, I've already read almost a third of it, and that's more than I've been able to do in years with any other book that I tried, so I'd say it's working so far.
I started using the immersion reading technique with a Kindle and Audible book combination. The Kindle has a visual word pacer mode when you have it play audio at the same time. This way, a grey bar starts highlighting words on the page to match the Audible book being read. I love it! I found an audio pace that works for me, and it really helps me focus on the book I'm reading. Of course, not all books have unabridged audio that goes with the text. Those I read the old fashioned way, but I do highly recommend immersion reading to those folks that want to focus more and enjoy reading again. It helped me a bunch! 😀
Reading on different formats definitely helped me get back to reading this year. I bought an e-reader this year and could read in bed again, without disturbing my partner who needs total darkness to sleep. I also started to listen to audiobooks last year, which allows me to "read" public transportation without the fear of missing my stop. It is also an excellent motivation for me to do house chores. Also, audiobooks got me back into reading after a depression. I didn't have the energy to read a physical book, but I was ok with listening to a story. Just these 2 changes allowed me to read so much more this year!
It’s much more impressive to read one book and have it deeply impact you, than to read a hundred and not feel a thing. Quality over quantity every time.
@@Rogerdude899 while common sense dictates that you are correct. the highest of qualities is extracted from the act of observation, and very little of value needs to be observed for something deeply meaningful to be extracted, and the books that most affected me were average ones I gave myself into. granted, at an extreme, you'd be writing a book in your head (you need a minimum of quality to do that). can't enrich your soul by reading tabloids. or I guess maybe you can, with sufficient knowledge and insight, coming to them as something to be researched. I'm tired I hope my point comes through.
@@andrewsawdon2170I think they mean that you will get more value out of a book the more you pay attention to it and analyse it. A book could have many meanings and great value but not touch/impact you if you skim read it. It will give more to you the more you give to it. OP, did I get this right and did I do a decent job of explaining things?
I became an avid reader like three months ago and I can't stop. I stopped watching tv and I don't spend much time on youtube anymore. Here's how I did it. -Remember the average person reads like zero books a year. If you read 5 pages a day, you are 5 pages above the average person -Don't force yourself to read. Commit to read 5 pages a day. I swear after three days you'll feel like reading more and after a month or so you should be reading 50-100 pages a day for pleasure -Read various books at the same time. When I grab a difficult book or one that makes me sleepy I grab another and switch. This should refresh your head. Keep them thematically different. I read economics and fiction. -It isn't a race. Reading slowly won't make you sleepy that fast. Try to acknowledge what books are for you to read fast and which aren't. -Buy the physical copies. When you get the books from your own money you'll feel the need to read them to avoid the feel of wasting your money. -Start with books highly discussed here or other places so you feel motivated to discuss.
For my fellow ADHD humans, one thing I do every time I read is have on background noise or other stimuli. I can be in a bustling coffee shop, flying in a plane, or at home with ambient sounds. Books are not very stimulating alone so the extra added stimuli that's not distracting really helps. Give it a shot sometime and see if you like it.
It's interesting to think I'm not the only person who finds active settings better for studying instead of quiet places. Ig I just need constant brain activity
“If you have to read less in order to learn more, that is fine and good.” Opposite of the approach I learned in graduate school. I picked up some bad reading habits in grad school, and I’m still trying to unlearn some of them 10 years later.
One tip I might suggest is to read a chapter a day if you find you cannot pin down a specific time-based goal (such as an hour or 30 minutes). For example, if it is somewhat of a slog of a book to get through (such as Russell's History of Western Philosophy, which I am reading and enjoying right now), then reading a chapter a day might be good to do, because it breaks down the book into pieces which are easier to digest. Edit: This is particularly true if you are not reading for enjoyment. I personally do not view reading as my main source of enjoyment, but I do view it as one of my main sources of education, so I usually read non-fiction, which can be like I say, a slog to get through.
When I got serious about reading aged 13 I started with Machiavelli's The Prince and I set targets of finishing chapters and fortunately the chapters in The Prince are very short.
Agree with the point about scheduling. This year, I've started blocking 30 minutes every morning for reading, and this is the first time in my life when I've read that much. This also helps reading a new book every week.
For me it has helped to designate one day per week to reading; not making any plans, making sure I have all of my ‘musts’ done so I can literally read all day without feeling like I’m neglecting other things. Designated daily reading time doesn’t tend to work for me, I feel discouraged if I miss a day and it makes it feel like a chore rather than a pleasure or hobby. I read most days anyway, but I don’t put expectations on myself to read x amount of pages or chapters, and I don’t treat it as a goal. For me, a daily reading goal makes missing a day feel like a failure rather than simply being too busy or too tired to read that day. Having a whole day gives me more time and it doesn’t stress me out as much.
Oh, I love this idea! I don't think I could do a whole day. But maybe a few hours. I did not grow up in a reading family. To this day, I always feel guilty for reading, like I'm lazy and should be doing something productive. Even if work and chores and every other obligation is done, I can only read a short time before I have to stop and go clean the bathroom or do something else, "useful". (Even if everything is already clean. Yeah,I know. It's crazy.)
Appreciate you for the points on variety of genre and format as well as the flexibility around note taking. Altho I do like to take notes on books and reccomend it, I also know there's this pressure to always do it - like if you don't take notes, then reading is a waste of time. Reading can be both work and leisure for your mind. Sometimes I need to be challenged and stimulated, so I need complex thigns that make me think and critique arguments and form my own - so i take more notes. Other times I just want to chill and relax - I might underline a quote or two, but I don't feel like expanding on it. And they're both fine! Reading is a highly personal activity so it should suit your needs and preferences and just the way your mind works in general 💪
I love your approach - very helpful. May I share mine? I don’t schedule reading times - I know myself; I love spontaneity thus I don’t enjoy following a schedule unless it’s absolutely necessary, for things like work and appointments. However, I’m reading a lot these days - it’s a habit - simply because I carry a book (i.e., my kindle) with me everywhere I go, and I tell myself two things: read ONLY when I’m IN THE MOOD for it & read SLOWLY for the love of reading itself. To keep myself motivated despite the slowness of my reading, I keep a reading log where I count the number of pages I read in a session in a day. Sometimes it’s only 4 pages and other times it’s 40 pages. I don’t care how many books I read in a month or a year. I’m reading simply because reading is pleasurable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore!
Research is interesting especially when you look at the formats in which AMericans choose to read. In terms. of preference, I love physical books. I love the way they feel, I like how they look, I like having them in my bag. I like being able to flip them open to somewhere random. But in the interest of being able ot read more I enjoy having the access to unlimited reading by just tossing my kindle in my bag. However, as life has taken up more and more of my physical time, I'm realizing audio books may be an essential tool to expanding my ability to access information. I've tried before and I just didn't care for the experience but it may have been the book or the narration. However, I'd find it interesting how much the data in general are impacted by the fact that people have inexpensive and easy access to other audio outlets for information. Podcasts, Online Platforms etc etc... Super Interesting.
I read almost exclusively in the foreign language I'm trying to learn. I've implemented many of these tips over the years. I'm not at all naturally inclined towards reading when compared with say watching TV or RUclips. I love the advice, eliminate distractions. I'd go even further and add, eliminate distractions systematically. You may also want to add "anchors" and stack them. So if you know that you've set aside 10 minutes to read first thing in the morning, that is a great start. Stack that by reading every day in the same place. Turn a practice into a habit, then try to automate that habit. SO it becomes something that you do habitually without thinking. I also find reading several books in parallel very useful, if helps combat boredom of a genre. Last but not least. I found it very helpful to read in small amounts frequently, and to carry a kindle with me wherever I went. This way I would have e plethora of books at my disposal and I could easily make dead time useful.
Great advice. I read about 50 books a year, and my reading goals are constantly changing. It's no longer about the numbers; it's about quality and content now. One thing that I love is keeping a reading journal. I enjoy reading back over that even more than a lot of the books I read. It allows me to be as creative and honest as I want, and that has big value for the future, mostly because I crack myself up.
It was an attention issue for me, and it probably is for you too. During my hospital stay, I could easily read non-stop for nearly the whole day, just because there was nothing "better" to do. Just make the time and remove the distractions, that's all.
> I think that reading a *100 books* a year is insane. - Reading one good book a month & reflecting on what you read & incorporate the new knowledge into your own life makes a hell more sence. - I have reread some books several times thru the years & got more out of them then just reading them just once. - Ofcourse that wouldn't apply to "who done it" books or mysteries. - Unless it's a novel, I never read without a color pen in hand. I read; *Why Does E=Mc²?* a dozen times in ten years & used different colors each time to show how I missed something that I thing is important in rereads. This includes writing notes in magins & ending chapter blank pages & spaces...
@@ryanstarlight8018 Whatever sparks in my mind when I read a certain passage that helps me understand somwthing. Like the *Theory Of Relativity.* I jot down in the book margins.
I never read more than two books at a time, I read much faster if I’m not carrying multiple unfinished narratives at once. And not allowing myself to start any new exciting books before I finish the previous one, gives me a significant extra push.
Jared. You are spot on. I do like the diet of 4-5 books per shot. I have actually had 8-10 books at a clip and it does get unwieldy but 4-5 is optimal. Also, scheduling is a great idea. Set your watch or the timer on your phone for 15 minutes and perhaps you find you can go over. These are great lessons
I set a goal to read 12 books this year. 5 months in, and I’ve read 3. Challenges slowing me down: tired from work (nightshift healthcare), too much RUclips, competition from other interests, film and tv. I also tend to take a lot of breaks while reading to ruminate and think passages over. Reading a fiction and nonfiction simultaneously helps with this a little. I’ll have to watch your notetaking video, I don’t retain information from my nonfiction reads a well as I’d like.
I use a reading app that I can input how long I've read and how many pages, and it'll calculate how long a book approximately is going to take. Also, if you read during the day couple minutes here, couple of minutes there, you don't need to log every single moment, but just fill out how many pages you've read at the end of the day and it'll calculate for you how many minutes you've read (approximately). It's also interesting that some books you'll read very slowly (difficult ones), some books really fast. And to notice that you might start to read faster as time progresses!
Ah, sci-fi and philosophy plus a variety of interests, a kindred- reader-spirit! I'm so happy I found your videos! Clear explanations & interesting recommendations.
This video was so insightful. Recently read through the Myth of Sisyphus and got so wrapped up in the note taking part of it that I didn’t retain much of it. Gonna have to give it another go and take it bit by bit!
Good point on variety! I loved reading manga during my childhood but as an adult, I forgot about it. Not too long ago, I got back to reading it and I've read some really amazing stories. Not to mentions the art adds joy to reading.
When I rode the subway to work everyday, I got a lot of reading done. Sometimes I would even miss my stop because I was so engrossed. Likewise when I moved and took a commuter bus reading was easy. I too used to read as many as five books at a time. Now, I struggle to read a book a month. I know it's because I spend too much time on my phone or watching TV. You've made me realize if reading is important to me something's gotta go.
I love reading... it is my super power. So many adventures in fiction as well as non-fiction... i love learning and growing. I wish I would have discovered a love for reading earlier in life. I am so back logged in what I want to read. I also use audiobooks when walking. Thanks for the tips.
my 2 peculiar tips: • read physical books along with listening to audiobooks, especially novels, download torrents if you have to, it doesn't have to cost more money • find a short book you find more interesting with (slightly) the same subject to the hard-grinning book you want to absorb and read them together, it'd be like researching the sophistication behind the short book using the "big" book :)
I practiced reading and learnt to quiet my mind. I had failed the ninth grade twice, out of rebellion. Today I spend most my time on guitar. If I do read I don't want to read too many books at once, preferably one but that's hard to do.
Randomly came across this video as I'm trying to get back into reading after all these years and this video is so amazing and full of great pointers. Thanks!
Hell yeah! Hitch-22 is a great read! I will check out that cryptography book you listed! I think especially listening to Hitch-22 is a different experience because it is spoken in the author's voice which I think makes that whole experience more special and intimate as a reader.
An excellent video. I got into the bad habit of watching too much TV and spending ridiculous amounts of time on social media, to the exclusion of all else, including reading. I have dozens of books that I want to read, so now I must try to get back into the reading habit. It would be a far more productive use of my time.
Great Video and with a great and clear English pronunciation. Being myself a Spanish person I really appreciate those qualities when I watch Videos . But I was looking for a Video with tips about how can read faster. I know there are some technical issues which could help to get my goals. Anyway, I enjoyed watching your Video. Keep on posting and Greetings from Spain 👍
it used to be a habit for me to read as a teenager, gobbled up 2 books a week, but it became a habit for me to not read for a full 4 years. Switched to phone addiction and the repercussions of this was so blaringly obvious. I could feel my brain become slower diminishing my attention span, unable to articulate myself well enough as I could before. I'm trying to reverse this habit. Feeling hopeful about it.
Good tip for those starting to try and read more is to use the pomodoro method. Essentially you focus in sprints, read for twenty-five minutes straight, take a five minute break, then repeat. Two or three per day reading goes a long way.
Here are the key points from the video: Reading consistently: The speaker reads between 50 and 75 books per year, aiming for at least one book per week. Reading more than the average American: The typical American reads only four books per year, while the speaker reads 13 times as many books. Finding motivation: Determine why you want to read more, focusing on personal development, learning, and expanding your mind. Reading better over reading more: Quality of reading is more important than quantity. Pursuing variety: Read books from different genres and formats (physical books, e-books, audiobooks) to maintain interest and maximize reading time. Taking notes: Develop a note-taking system that suits the type of book you're reading, focusing on understanding and extracting useful information. Scheduling reading time: Allocate specific time for reading, either before bed or by blocking out time during the day, and eliminate unnecessary distractions. Practice and consistency: Treat reading as a mental exercise that requires regular and consistent training to improve focus and attention. Setting goals: Determine your reading goals, increase reading time gradually, and challenge yourself to read more books each year.
I think scheduling time is a very good idea, also reading first thing in the morning instead of browsing the phone and before sleep. I've read that reading reduces stress and increases life span by 5 years at least, so it's a good thing for the nervous wrecks.
a couple years ago my phone was like really broken and i was really broke so i couldn't afford to fix it so i couldn't scroll social media. what i started doing was carrying a book with me to distract me during my regular commutes to work because i live in Boston and having something to distract you on the mbta is a lifesaver. once i got a new phone i generally used it less but because now my reading time had a competitor i tried to figure out how much to read so i can stay consistently reading, so i made sure to read around 10 pages per day.
I find it helps to have expectations external to me. So I'm in several book clubs. They motivate me to read because I want to be able to participate in them. There's a base amount I'll read every month to stay caught up with those groups. And then when I'm more free, I read more personally on top of that.
I found the interesting thing was when I retired with lots of "free time" but my reading routine was disrupted significantly and I discovered I had been doing a lot of reading on my commute from home to work and it was very productive reading too. I had to rebuild my reading schedule which I had not expected. Being in hospital was a trigger to start using my eReader and I now use it for novels and continuously flowing texts. If I am learning something or it is a tricky or novel text I, like you, prefer a physical book. I did an experiment with different media, in a project to read texts associated with my birth year, Erle Stanley Gardner wrote and published three novels in his Perry Mason series, I read one in physical form one on my eReader and the third as an audiobook. I didn't feel a difference between the eReader and physical form but the audiobook - sent me to sleep and I had to keep replying sections to get even the gist of the story. So until my eyesight becomes very problematic I don't think audiobooks will even be a primary source of consuming texts. I use a command line journal programme called jrnl to make quick notes and have a tiddlywiki set up as a Zettelkasten à la Niklas Luhmann (BTW his actual Zettelkasten - lots of index cards is held by the University of Bielefeld and was part of an exhibition at the Art Gallery called "Serendipity" where stochastic methods were used in art and thinking.)
John Stott, the longtime rector at All Souls (Church of England) in London, proposed this reading plan: -- each day an hour; -- each week a morning, afternoon, or evening; -- each month a full day; -- each year a week If you follow that plan without fail, you'll spend 640 hours reading. (Stott regarded the plan as a bare minimum for ministers. Obviously, not everyone's workload or other commitments allow them to follow such a plan, but it can be adapted.) To break that 640-hour total down: -- 365 daily hours -- plus an additional 3 hours per week = 156 hours -- plus an additional 7 hours per month = 84 hours -- plus an additional 35 extra hours per year = 35 hours I've just started following this plan. I want to be realistic at the outset about days I know I'll miss. I'm unlikely to give much time to reading on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, for example. So I've subtracted those days and others. But I can also make up for at least some of those days by doubling up on others, etc.
Thanks. I appreciate your use of strategy, and the variety of information for different cases. This video is not only helpful for how to read more, but how to do other things more as well, or how to develop consistent and effective habits. It was an odd synchronicity for me that this came up- I was just in a little mastermind circle where we were discussing how to be more effective with certain tasks. Thanks.
His advice work. I started 15 minutes, now im at 20 minutes haha. I do it 3x a day so i have 1 hour worth of reading. Im on my way to my 2nd month. This is the first time im being consistent in my life haha. Start small then adjust.
I was really Thankyou for your motivation at the end. I have started a few books but I felt like I kept forcing myself to keep reading, then it became a chore and then I read less. But it makes scense that the brain just needs regular training for at least 3 months to be able to focus in this very low stimulating format I will try to keep that in mind, when I feel like I read too slow or feel like I get so distracted that I need to read twice :)
Thank you for sharing these valuable tips! I really appreciate your insights and suggestions on how to read more effectively. Your advice on understanding our motivation, pursuing variety in reading, and scheduling dedicated reading time is truly helpful. I will definitely implement these strategies to enhance my reading habits.
Ok, this video indirectly answered the question how " I " can read more, but I think many of you can also benefit from this, thus this comment: I saw 1:10 and was thinking "damn thats extremely fast reading", so I looked up how fast the average person reads and it turns out to be somewhat between 40-100 pages/hr (apx). That is extremely fast for me, I read like 20 pages/hr. At first I thought that was due to the fact that I mainly read really complex and advanced classical literature which tends to have half the font size of, say, Harry Potter or other easy to read mainstream books but then I stumbled upon this article online that stated "Why you are reading slowly: You're reading too slow!" and I was like "nah, you dont say" but went into the article. And it actually said that when not reading fast pace the brain gets distractive and bored and without noticing it even slower. So I tried to read almost the pace like 1:10 in this video and I powered through. At first, the first one or two pages I missed half of the content, it was just too fast for me. But then after like two pages I got extremely peak concentration and there were no more disruptions, I was what sportsmen would call "in the zone". And this works just everytime. I also use my finger for recognizing the line I am in which I never did before and yes while it is a bit stupid that I would miss half of the first 1-2 pages the reward I get is well worth it: I average 40-50 pages/hr with really advanced and hard to read literature by now (instead of the before 20). The only thing I need to work on is the first two pages, maybe I need to start a bit slower but speed up every half page, I think thats a bit of trial and error for everyone but I can really recommend this! Not only am I way faster that way but I also tend to get a better picture of the story arc - sure, I wont digest every single word like before but for novels thats not really what you want anyways, since you wont remember all the words anyways in the end of your reading session, its more about the story itself. It is another thing for sure for things like poems where you really want to enjoy every single word and verse or for scholastic literature which is a complete other story though. The here stated method especially helps for thick novels. I hope that helps, for me it was a true gamechanger!
Reading is a journey from one book the the next. One book will have references that lead to the next connections which drive the research. Ideas need to be cross referenced to be valuable and informative. The reading journey will take you to a deeper level of understanding of the ideas being presented when the context has a number of sources that require further analysis.
I too read multiple things at once, it's a substantial tip. Soon I'll be back to full time study which is going crush my interest in reading other things if I'm not careful.
I have a question. I used to be an avid reader as a child. But now I'm 20 and I struggle with PTSD and Depression, but still decided to get back into reading this year. So far, I've read 14 books this year, but a major thing I struggle with is getting my brain to read sentences seamlessly. Basically, I find it hard to read a line without constantly repeating it like 4-5 times; I have to tell myself "Focus and move on to the next word". I'm not dyslexic, and I don't have ADHD. Personally, I think this is a result of having been away from reading for so long, but does anyone else think it may related to some sort of mental illness or learning disorder?
You may have ADHD. Just because you haven't thus far been diagnosed with it doesn't mean you don't have it. A lot of people, including myself, have to reread sections because our mind wanders. It's not that unusual.
Thank you for these tips. I want to read more. Often I can’t decide what to read. My solution based on this video is to have several different genres available. Scheduling reading will be necessary for me. I have to be alert when I read or I’ll fall asleep 💤
Something that kept me away from reading, especially in high school, was that all my teachers - and in general the cultural environment of Italy - portrays reading as an activity that you necessarily have to do because otherwise you become automatically an ignorant. So I felt like i HAD to read, and despite beign a curious person, everytime I started reading I got stressed, and that made it very difficult. If I had to add a couple of advices, they would be "read just if you want to", and "read what you want to read, not what it is perceived to be "necessary", or a classic, or whatever it is". About your advices, I was undecisive about whether reading more books at the same time or just one, but seeing that somebody else reads more books makes me feel like it might not be a bad idea.
Good advice but it's important to remember that studies have shown that if reading off a screen you will not retain as much as if you read from a hard copy. They don't know why. Perhaps try introducing variety by changing your physical location. Go to the park, the veranda, etc.
Its also okay to dnf a book. I had to learn that when getting back into reading. If a book is not keeping your interest don’t force yourself to finish it otherwise it defeats the true purpose of actually enjoying reading.
I don't have much to say, but really wanted to leave a comment on how much I enjoy your videos. Awesome, work! Greetings from Chile -- while heading to read a bit before sleeping :)
As a new reader the best advice is find books that interest you. I’m at work thinking about going home and reading same way I would be looking forward to playing a video game or watching a tv show. If books good you’ll want to finish it to know what happens.
I started with magazines and moved on to books. Now I can read a 350 word book in 3 days, while not having time off work. In 2 languages. I also prefer physical books. I can't keep my attention to audio books, my mind drifts off too easily on those. I tried during walks with my dogs and such. I moved on to podcasts about recent stuff, like news and such (my favorite podcast is from the same person as my favorite magazine) and this is better for me. I don't have a tv subscription and limit RUclips/Netflix to only when I eat. That really helps in getting time free. I do play videogames on off days, there are some games with really nice stories and environments.
From u.k. Love reading, also playing guitar, and drawing. All my hobbies I do sitting down! Not enough hours in the day! Cut down youtube hours by half. Best thing I have done.
Not scheduling is where I mess up. After supper seems like the perfect time; apparently it's the perfect time for doing most anything... I unloaded the major time-sucks from my computer. Could BookTube be next on the chopping block? I'm actually going to add (great) movies back into my schedule. Don't worry; it'll all work out...
I read more because I love to read, and I love to learn more. At 71 I want to have my mind as active as I can. I love reading the classics, and I also love reading English history and World War Two history.
I was going to read but watched this instead
X2
😂😂
Lmao same here
me everyday
😅😅😅
No intro, no filler, just solid cogent useful content. Love your channel. Always good.
It had an intro lol he was giving statistics on how much Americans read a year lol
@@queencupcake09 I think he means no "Hi, welcome to channel' etc.. Some videos take like 45 seconds to start.
“Hey guys …!” ☺️
new sub for that
I'd expect nothing less from someone who reads 50+ books a year
I feels this whole hustle culture round how many books you read is a bad idea. People are running after numbers, picking smaller books, not enjoying books, have very little comprehension and zero retention. If you read 50 books a year for 10 Years you read 500 books. Do you really need to read 500 books (fiction or non fiction) to become wise? Or just 5 books in each field of your interest multiple times to develop depth and retention? I myself did this thing called book marathon and realized that I stopped enjoying books.
As someone with ADHD who struggles to just sit down and read for an hour, I find that setting a ridiculously low bar for myself helps. I set the goal of reading one page per day. Usually I end up reading a whole chapter, and somedays only a couple pages. What matters is having a non-zero day and making progress. I may not read 100 books a year, but I read more than the average american so I'm good haha
As someone with ADHD I’ve also had to learn that I have to read differently than other people. The idea of getting rid of distractions doesn’t work for me b/c my brain NEEDS to have a lot of input to focus, otherwise I will find other things to focus on outside of the book. Now I listen to classical music or white noise when I read to give my brain enough stimulation and now reading is MUCH easier.
Bro with all respect, but ADHD does not exist its just an a excuse😃
@@vegetaintherain2570doesn’t sound very respectful, just sounds like a poor attempt at hate baiting.
@@DonovanGG__ ok
@@vegetaintherain2570how so?
One of the tips I would follow is very simple: Read a minimum of 1 page every day.
This really helped me to read more. It only takes 1 - 2 mins to read a page so you can do it even if you're really busy. However, it forces you to sit down with the book. Personally, I find that one page is enough for me to get interested in the book again and I often end up reading a chapter or two instead of one page.
This is my view on it as well. Something is better than nothing. Even just one page is something, and therefore better than nothing. It's progress, and that mentality has helped me a lot.
See my issue is I'm just not engaged after a page. My girlfriend will read a single sentence and immediately be engaged by the book and will be able to completely zone in. For me, I just really struggle with finding reading to be an interesting and engaging endeavor without reading for 20-30 mins at least, so the commitment is larger. I don't know how to reframe my mind on this, I've tried many times and still struggle.
Mini habits
@@tylergalligani6450 read the prince by Niccolo, Makaveli, you need a book that interests you. Don’t just read what others read. Find and read something that teaches you new things every page or chapter.
thats also explained in atomic habits as a 2 minute rule where you do thing that you want to make a habit for 2 minutes so it forms as a habit author says that in order to make something a habit you should do it regularly
Some points that have helped me:
-Interact with the book. Find quotes or passages that you like. Look up words and phrases that you don't understand. Write a journal entry.
-Set goals. Read x number of chapters each day. Read for 30 minutes at this time of day and another at this time.
-Follow along with an audiobook while reading. For sluggish reading sessions.
-Put on ambient music. For ex. I put on a Hogwarts Library ambience video while reading The Hobbit.
-Get active in a community (online or irl). Find some booktubers you like. Write a discussion post or just look around and make a comment once in awhile. Make reading take up space in your mind aswell as social feed.
Remember getting back into reading will take time and patience. It's alright if some reading sessions are not as great as others as long as you're consistent and honest about your efforts. Day by day flip one page after the other and notice your reading muscle grow.
As someone with ADHD I’ve also had to learn that I have to read differently than other people. The idea of getting rid of distractions doesn’t work for me b/c my brain NEEDS to have a lot of input to focus, otherwise I will find other things to focus on outside of the book. Now I listen to classical music or white noise when I read to give my brain enough stimulation and now reading is MUCH easier.
I would like to give a rebuttal to your comment on not reading below your level. Since college I have found myself reading less and less. Then I started my family. In reading books to my kids I rediscovered my love of reading. Whenever I find that I'm watching too much TV I like to go back and pick up a Roald Dahl or V.E. Schwab (her young readers books (if you didn't know she wrote those, they are so worth it)) and remind myself of the joy. I now recommend to others who say they wish they could read or read more, that they start with klds books. The adventures of Toad and Frog may be well beneath the readers abilities, but the nostalgia and feeling like you really can finish a book cannot be overstated.
I would ask that you try this yourself. I think it would change your mind about how to start reading again.
I want to second this. Reading fun YA or even easier books can rekindle your love for reading.
After being tired of reading academic work, I dove into CS Lewis's The Magician's Nephew and enjoyed it. Watch out for those uncles...
I want to contribute a possible amendment to what you said concerning audiobooks.
Something that I've found unique to my generation is astronomically low attention spans for those of us who spent our formative years on the Internet and social media with basically major corporations designing their software to keep us on their platforms or thinking about them constantly.
I had found myself in this camp, remembering when I was in middle school and completely off the stuff I would read constantly and late into the night, and finding myself completely unable to do that anymore, I started audiobooking instead which was a lot more palletible especially since I could multitask while audiobooking.
To audiobooking's credit, it has rekindled in me a love for literature and "reading," but I want to add that beyond that, it has not helped me in any way to start picking up physical books again. Reading physically really is a skill in attention and patience and focus that has to be trained, especially since audio is inherently more a receptive experience for us. I agree that audiobooking counts as reading, but it might be worth noting the extent to which it is helpful for those who want to acquire that skill of reading
I used to read a lot as a kid, but for various reasons I had fallen out of the habit. Now I'm starting to slowly get back into it and one tip I can share that worked for me is to start by rereading not just any random book, but rather that special book that you read as a kid and has stuck with you ever since. For me it was a YA Spanish novel called "Grimpow - The Invisible Road". It's the first "real" book that I read as a kid (or at least the first one "with no pictures") and I have a distinct memory of my little self getting so immersed in this story that I couldn't stop reading it and not being able to shut up about it even long after I finished. I used to talk about it with whoever was willing to listen and I even wrote a small review of it in my school's newspaper. It was the book that truly sparked my love for reading, and even though it's definitely catered to a more younger audience and now I can totally see its flaws (those dialogues are cringey as hell), I'm deliberately choosing to start from this one because that's exactly what I need: to remind myself of WHY I love reading in the first place. I haven't finished it yet, I'm going very slowly and I lose focus a lot, but still, I've already read almost a third of it, and that's more than I've been able to do in years with any other book that I tried, so I'd say it's working so far.
same here! :)
I started using the immersion reading technique with a Kindle and Audible book combination. The Kindle has a visual word pacer mode when you have it play audio at the same time. This way, a grey bar starts highlighting words on the page to match the Audible book being read. I love it! I found an audio pace that works for me, and it really helps me focus on the book I'm reading. Of course, not all books have unabridged audio that goes with the text. Those I read the old fashioned way, but I do highly recommend immersion reading to those folks that want to focus more and enjoy reading again. It helped me a bunch! 😀
I do this as well, it’s great!
It's really helping! I started it couple weeks back and I just love the combination.
Reading on different formats definitely helped me get back to reading this year. I bought an e-reader this year and could read in bed again, without disturbing my partner who needs total darkness to sleep. I also started to listen to audiobooks last year, which allows me to "read" public transportation without the fear of missing my stop. It is also an excellent motivation for me to do house chores. Also, audiobooks got me back into reading after a depression. I didn't have the energy to read a physical book, but I was ok with listening to a story. Just these 2 changes allowed me to read so much more this year!
Thanks for this video. I was a bookworm back in the day. Mostly spent the rest of my days as a child just reading nonstop.
It’s much more impressive to read one book and have it deeply impact you, than to read a hundred and not feel a thing. Quality over quantity every time.
You can find a quality book more often if you can increase your quantity.
@@Rogerdude899 while common sense dictates that you are correct. the highest of qualities is extracted from the act of observation, and very little of value needs to be observed for something deeply meaningful to be extracted, and the books that most affected me were average ones I gave myself into.
granted, at an extreme, you'd be writing a book in your head (you need a minimum of quality to do that). can't enrich your soul by reading tabloids. or I guess maybe you can, with sufficient knowledge and insight, coming to them as something to be researched.
I'm tired I hope my point comes through.
@@coffeebreakhero3743 what
@@andrewsawdon2170I think they mean that you will get more value out of a book the more you pay attention to it and analyse it. A book could have many meanings and great value but not touch/impact you if you skim read it. It will give more to you the more you give to it.
OP, did I get this right and did I do a decent job of explaining things?
@@Rogerdude899well...you need a filter to know beforehand if a book has more chances of being more high quality than those average books
I became an avid reader like three months ago and I can't stop. I stopped watching tv and I don't spend much time on youtube anymore.
Here's how I did it.
-Remember the average person reads like zero books a year. If you read 5 pages a day, you are 5 pages above the average person
-Don't force yourself to read. Commit to read 5 pages a day. I swear after three days you'll feel like reading more and after a month or so you should be reading 50-100 pages a day for pleasure
-Read various books at the same time. When I grab a difficult book or one that makes me sleepy I grab another and switch. This should refresh your head. Keep them thematically different. I read economics and fiction.
-It isn't a race. Reading slowly won't make you sleepy that fast. Try to acknowledge what books are for you to read fast and which aren't.
-Buy the physical copies. When you get the books from your own money you'll feel the need to read them to avoid the feel of wasting your money.
-Start with books highly discussed here or other places so you feel motivated to discuss.
Wasn’t expecting to see a video for awhile. This is a treat!
This is probably the last one for about a month!
For my fellow ADHD humans, one thing I do every time I read is have on background noise or other stimuli. I can be in a bustling coffee shop, flying in a plane, or at home with ambient sounds. Books are not very stimulating alone so the extra added stimuli that's not distracting really helps. Give it a shot sometime and see if you like it.
Why is reading in coffee shops so much more appealing than reading at home alone??!!
@@sonnyvarioni1654 coffee, vibes, and cute baristas.
It's interesting to think I'm not the only person who finds active settings better for studying instead of quiet places. Ig I just need constant brain activity
“If you have to read less in order to learn more, that is fine and good.” Opposite of the approach I learned in graduate school. I picked up some bad reading habits in grad school, and I’m still trying to unlearn some of them 10 years later.
Me in grad school: "I can't wait to finish this crap so I can go back to reading what I want!"
Me after grad school: [scrolling RUclips]
One tip I might suggest is to read a chapter a day if you find you cannot pin down a specific time-based goal (such as an hour or 30 minutes). For example, if it is somewhat of a slog of a book to get through (such as Russell's History of Western Philosophy, which I am reading and enjoying right now), then reading a chapter a day might be good to do, because it breaks down the book into pieces which are easier to digest.
Edit: This is particularly true if you are not reading for enjoyment. I personally do not view reading as my main source of enjoyment, but I do view it as one of my main sources of education, so I usually read non-fiction, which can be like I say, a slog to get through.
Russell's history is funny.
When I got serious about reading aged 13
I started with Machiavelli's The Prince
and I set targets of finishing chapters
and fortunately the chapters in The Prince
are very short.
Agree with the point about scheduling. This year, I've started blocking 30 minutes every morning for reading, and this is the first time in my life when I've read that much. This also helps reading a new book every week.
For me it has helped to designate one day per week to reading; not making any plans, making sure I have all of my ‘musts’ done so I can literally read all day without feeling like I’m neglecting other things.
Designated daily reading time doesn’t tend to work for me, I feel discouraged if I miss a day and it makes it feel like a chore rather than a pleasure or hobby. I read most days anyway, but I don’t put expectations on myself to read x amount of pages or chapters, and I don’t treat it as a goal. For me, a daily reading goal makes missing a day feel like a failure rather than simply being too busy or too tired to read that day. Having a whole day gives me more time and it doesn’t stress me out as much.
Oh, I love this idea! I don't think I could do a whole day. But maybe a few hours. I did not grow up in a reading family. To this day, I always feel guilty for reading, like I'm lazy and should be doing something productive. Even if work and chores and every other obligation is done, I can only read a short time before I have to stop and go clean the bathroom or do something else, "useful". (Even if everything is already clean. Yeah,I know. It's crazy.)
Ah you must be single and childless.
Appreciate you for the points on variety of genre and format as well as the flexibility around note taking. Altho I do like to take notes on books and reccomend it, I also know there's this pressure to always do it - like if you don't take notes, then reading is a waste of time. Reading can be both work and leisure for your mind. Sometimes I need to be challenged and stimulated, so I need complex thigns that make me think and critique arguments and form my own - so i take more notes. Other times I just want to chill and relax - I might underline a quote or two, but I don't feel like expanding on it. And they're both fine! Reading is a highly personal activity so it should suit your needs and preferences and just the way your mind works in general 💪
I love your approach - very helpful. May I share mine?
I don’t schedule reading times - I know myself; I love spontaneity thus I don’t enjoy following a schedule unless it’s absolutely necessary, for things like work and appointments. However, I’m reading a lot these days - it’s a habit - simply because I carry a book (i.e., my kindle) with me everywhere I go, and I tell myself two things: read ONLY when I’m IN THE MOOD for it & read SLOWLY for the love of reading itself. To keep myself motivated despite the slowness of my reading, I keep a reading log where I count the number of pages I read in a session in a day. Sometimes it’s only 4 pages and other times it’s 40 pages. I don’t care how many books I read in a month or a year. I’m reading simply because reading is pleasurable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore!
My favorite video of yours. Great tips and reminders and the way you explained things was very helpful!
I really like the new visuals of this video - especially how you visualized "variety"
Research is interesting especially when you look at the formats in which AMericans choose to read. In terms. of preference, I love physical books. I love the way they feel, I like how they look, I like having them in my bag. I like being able to flip them open to somewhere random. But in the interest of being able ot read more I enjoy having the access to unlimited reading by just tossing my kindle in my bag. However, as life has taken up more and more of my physical time, I'm realizing audio books may be an essential tool to expanding my ability to access information. I've tried before and I just didn't care for the experience but it may have been the book or the narration. However, I'd find it interesting how much the data in general are impacted by the fact that people have inexpensive and easy access to other audio outlets for information. Podcasts, Online Platforms etc etc... Super Interesting.
I read almost exclusively in the foreign language I'm trying to learn. I've implemented many of these tips over the years. I'm not at all naturally inclined towards reading when compared with say watching TV or RUclips. I love the advice, eliminate distractions. I'd go even further and add, eliminate distractions systematically. You may also want to add "anchors" and stack them. So if you know that you've set aside 10 minutes to read first thing in the morning, that is a great start. Stack that by reading every day in the same place. Turn a practice into a habit, then try to automate that habit. SO it becomes something that you do habitually without thinking. I also find reading several books in parallel very useful, if helps combat boredom of a genre. Last but not least. I found it very helpful to read in small amounts frequently, and to carry a kindle with me wherever I went. This way I would have e plethora of books at my disposal and I could easily make dead time useful.
Great advice. I read about 50 books a year, and my reading goals are constantly changing. It's no longer about the numbers; it's about quality and content now. One thing that I love is keeping a reading journal. I enjoy reading back over that even more than a lot of the books I read. It allows me to be as creative and honest as I want, and that has big value for the future, mostly because I crack myself up.
It was an attention issue for me, and it probably is for you too. During my hospital stay, I could easily read non-stop for nearly the whole day, just because there was nothing "better" to do. Just make the time and remove the distractions, that's all.
Wow! What an expert! I’ve been searching every person on tips on how to read, write, comprehension, and understanding to get better.
> I think that reading a *100 books* a year is insane.
- Reading one good book a month & reflecting on what you read & incorporate the new knowledge into your own life makes a hell more sence.
- I have reread some books several times thru the years & got more out of them then just reading them just once.
- Ofcourse that wouldn't apply to "who done it" books or mysteries.
- Unless it's a novel, I never read without a color pen in hand. I read; *Why Does E=Mc²?* a dozen times in ten years & used different colors each time to show how I missed something that I thing is important in rereads. This includes writing notes in magins & ending chapter blank pages & spaces...
Why type of thing do you write in your notes ?
@@ryanstarlight8018 Whatever sparks in my mind when I read a certain passage that helps me understand somwthing. Like the *Theory Of Relativity.* I jot down in the book margins.
You noted that you read multiple books at a time, this is what I do and I thought I was one of the few, so thanks
I never read more than two books at a time, I read much faster if I’m not carrying multiple unfinished narratives at once. And not allowing myself to start any new exciting books before I finish the previous one, gives me a significant extra push.
Jared. You are spot on. I do like the diet of 4-5 books per shot. I have actually had 8-10 books at a clip and it does get unwieldy but 4-5 is optimal. Also, scheduling is a great idea. Set your watch or the timer on your phone for 15 minutes and perhaps you find you can go over. These are great lessons
I set a goal to read 12 books this year. 5 months in, and I’ve read 3. Challenges slowing me down: tired from work (nightshift healthcare), too much RUclips, competition from other interests, film and tv.
I also tend to take a lot of breaks while reading to ruminate and think passages over. Reading a fiction and nonfiction simultaneously helps with this a little. I’ll have to watch your notetaking video, I don’t retain information from my nonfiction reads a well as I’d like.
Fight
I use a reading app that I can input how long I've read and how many pages, and it'll calculate how long a book approximately is going to take. Also, if you read during the day couple minutes here, couple of minutes there, you don't need to log every single moment, but just fill out how many pages you've read at the end of the day and it'll calculate for you how many minutes you've read (approximately). It's also interesting that some books you'll read very slowly (difficult ones), some books really fast. And to notice that you might start to read faster as time progresses!
Ah, sci-fi and philosophy plus a variety of interests, a kindred- reader-spirit! I'm so happy I found your videos! Clear explanations & interesting recommendations.
Good video. Thanks. It may sound obvious, but reading a book you'll enjoy also helps! Keep it simple and fun to start.
This video was so insightful.
Recently read through the Myth of Sisyphus and got so wrapped up in the note taking part of it that I didn’t retain much of it.
Gonna have to give it another go and take it bit by bit!
Are you talking about the Camus essay? In case, that's a very tough one to digest haha, I have to re-read it too
Good point on variety! I loved reading manga during my childhood but as an adult, I forgot about it. Not too long ago, I got back to reading it and I've read some really amazing stories. Not to mentions the art adds joy to reading.
Great channel. Keep it up
Taking notes no matter what genre interest readers is a helpful tool to write down thoughts or feelings for few chapters in my experience.
2:37 I have just finished reading that book, one of my favourites absolutely
I find that classical music helps me focus, any white noise would do but those 2hr + RUclips videos with crazy titles are actually really good.
I got a recommendation from my friend about the channel his exact words - It gives your kind of content. SO TRUE I LOVE IT
When I rode the subway to work everyday, I got a lot of reading done. Sometimes I would even miss my stop because I was so engrossed. Likewise when I moved and took a commuter bus reading was easy. I too used to read as many as five books at a time. Now, I struggle to read a book a month. I know it's because I spend too much time on my phone or watching TV. You've made me realize if reading is important to me something's gotta go.
I have no idea why this is but reading in company like on the subway or in a cafe is so much more appealing than reading at home alone.
I have never been this attentive while watching a video on RUclips from the beginning to the end.
I love reading... it is my super power. So many adventures in fiction as well as non-fiction... i love learning and growing. I wish I would have discovered a love for reading earlier in life. I am so back logged in what I want to read. I also use audiobooks when walking. Thanks for the tips.
After I finish a book I write down the title, author and my take away or how it influenced/impacted me.
My favorite channel right now! Your advice is so helpful for a struggling grad student (aka ME!)
my 2 peculiar tips:
• read physical books along with listening to audiobooks, especially novels, download torrents if you have to, it doesn't have to cost more money
• find a short book you find more interesting with (slightly) the same subject to the hard-grinning book you want to absorb and read them together, it'd be like researching the sophistication behind the short book using the "big" book :)
I practiced reading and learnt to quiet my mind. I had failed the ninth grade twice, out of rebellion. Today I spend most my time on guitar. If I do read I don't want to read too many books at once, preferably one but that's hard to do.
I like your videos a lot, not only because they are wise and interesting, but also because your voice is very pleasant I just like to listen to it
Yes!
It's a rainy day today, this is a good reminder to make time for reading
Randomly came across this video as I'm trying to get back into reading after all these years and this video is so amazing and full of great pointers. Thanks!
You have opened my mind to approach reading a whole new way , i thank you for your valuable advice.
Hell yeah! Hitch-22 is a great read! I will check out that cryptography book you listed! I think especially listening to Hitch-22 is a different experience because it is spoken in the author's voice which I think makes that whole experience more special and intimate as a reader.
An excellent video. I got into the bad habit of watching too much TV and spending ridiculous amounts of time on social media, to the exclusion of all else, including reading. I have dozens of books that I want to read, so now I must try to get back into the reading habit. It would be a far more productive use of my time.
Great Video and with a great and clear English pronunciation. Being myself a Spanish person I really appreciate those qualities when I watch Videos . But I was looking for a Video with tips about how can read faster. I know there are some technical issues which could help to get my goals. Anyway, I enjoyed watching your Video. Keep on posting and Greetings from Spain 👍
it used to be a habit for me to read as a teenager, gobbled up 2 books a week, but it became a habit for me to not read for a full 4 years. Switched to phone addiction and the repercussions of this was so blaringly obvious. I could feel my brain become slower diminishing my attention span, unable to articulate myself well enough as I could before. I'm trying to reverse this habit. Feeling hopeful about it.
Good tip for those starting to try and read more is to use the pomodoro method. Essentially you focus in sprints, read for twenty-five minutes straight, take a five minute break, then repeat. Two or three per day reading goes a long way.
Here are the key points from the video:
Reading consistently: The speaker reads between 50 and 75 books per year, aiming for at least one book per week.
Reading more than the average American: The typical American reads only four books per year, while the speaker reads 13 times as many books.
Finding motivation: Determine why you want to read more, focusing on personal development, learning, and expanding your mind.
Reading better over reading more: Quality of reading is more important than quantity.
Pursuing variety: Read books from different genres and formats (physical books, e-books, audiobooks) to maintain interest and maximize reading time.
Taking notes: Develop a note-taking system that suits the type of book you're reading, focusing on understanding and extracting useful information.
Scheduling reading time: Allocate specific time for reading, either before bed or by blocking out time during the day, and eliminate unnecessary distractions.
Practice and consistency: Treat reading as a mental exercise that requires regular and consistent training to improve focus and attention.
Setting goals: Determine your reading goals, increase reading time gradually, and challenge yourself to read more books each year.
I think scheduling time is a very good idea, also reading first thing in the morning instead of browsing the phone and before sleep. I've read that reading reduces stress and increases life span by 5 years at least, so it's a good thing for the nervous wrecks.
This channel should have more subscribers this is a great channel absolutely
Love The Very Hungry Caterpillar, such a beautiful story!
I'm only halfway through the video, but you're giving some very sane advice, I can get behind this approach to reading
Good advice. Thank you. I will try to read an hour a day. I like the idea of scheduling.
a couple years ago my phone was like really broken and i was really broke so i couldn't afford to fix it so i couldn't scroll social media. what i started doing was carrying a book with me to distract me during my regular commutes to work because i live in Boston and having something to distract you on the mbta is a lifesaver. once i got a new phone i generally used it less but because now my reading time had a competitor i tried to figure out how much to read so i can stay consistently reading, so i made sure to read around 10 pages per day.
I find it helps to have expectations external to me. So I'm in several book clubs. They motivate me to read because I want to be able to participate in them. There's a base amount I'll read every month to stay caught up with those groups. And then when I'm more free, I read more personally on top of that.
being compassionate to yourself, helps you get back up, and get going again
I found the interesting thing was when I retired
with lots of "free time"
but my reading routine was disrupted significantly
and I discovered I had been doing a lot of reading
on my commute from home to work
and it was very productive reading too.
I had to rebuild my reading schedule
which I had not expected.
Being in hospital was a trigger to start using my eReader
and I now use it for novels and continuously flowing texts.
If I am learning something or it is a tricky or novel text
I, like you, prefer a physical book.
I did an experiment with different media,
in a project to read texts associated with my birth year,
Erle Stanley Gardner wrote and published three novels
in his Perry Mason series,
I read one in physical form
one on my eReader
and the third as an audiobook.
I didn't feel a difference between
the eReader and physical form
but the audiobook - sent me to sleep
and I had to keep replying sections to get even the gist of the story.
So until my eyesight becomes very problematic
I don't think audiobooks will even be a primary source
of consuming texts.
I use a command line journal programme called jrnl
to make quick notes
and have a tiddlywiki set up as a Zettelkasten
à la Niklas Luhmann
(BTW his actual Zettelkasten - lots of index cards
is held by the University of Bielefeld and
was part of an exhibition at the Art Gallery
called "Serendipity" where stochastic methods were used in art and thinking.)
John Stott, the longtime rector at All Souls (Church of England) in London, proposed this reading plan:
-- each day an hour;
-- each week a morning, afternoon, or evening;
-- each month a full day;
-- each year a week
If you follow that plan without fail, you'll spend 640 hours reading. (Stott regarded the plan as a bare minimum for ministers. Obviously, not everyone's workload or other commitments allow them to follow such a plan, but it can be adapted.) To break that 640-hour total down:
-- 365 daily hours
-- plus an additional 3 hours per week = 156 hours
-- plus an additional 7 hours per month = 84 hours
-- plus an additional 35 extra hours per year = 35 hours
I've just started following this plan. I want to be realistic at the outset about days I know I'll miss. I'm unlikely to give much time to reading on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, for example. So I've subtracted those days and others. But I can also make up for at least some of those days by doubling up on others, etc.
Thanks. I appreciate your use of strategy, and the variety of information for different cases. This video is not only helpful for how to read more, but how to do other things more as well, or how to develop consistent and effective habits. It was an odd synchronicity for me that this came up- I was just in a little mastermind circle where we were discussing how to be more effective with certain tasks. Thanks.
I want to read deeply. I read about three books per month. I make notes and then see what I learned. I, too, read several books at once.
His advice work. I started 15 minutes, now im at 20 minutes haha. I do it 3x a day so i have 1 hour worth of reading. Im on my way to my 2nd month. This is the first time im being consistent in my life haha. Start small then adjust.
Im here because im learning english and I was looking for a video to listen, and now I want to read more. Thank you mister
Your channel is pure gold. Thank you!
I was really Thankyou for your motivation at the end. I have started a few books but I felt like I kept forcing myself to keep reading, then it became a chore and then I read less. But it makes scense that the brain just needs regular training for at least 3 months to be able to focus in this very low stimulating format
I will try to keep that in mind, when I feel like I read too slow or feel like I get so distracted that I need to read twice :)
Thank you for sharing these valuable tips! I really appreciate your insights and suggestions on how to read more effectively. Your advice on understanding our motivation, pursuing variety in reading, and scheduling dedicated reading time is truly helpful. I will definitely implement these strategies to enhance my reading habits.
writing on my Phone books I Have read helps me
Great video!
Ok, this video indirectly answered the question how " I " can read more, but I think many of you can also benefit from this, thus this comment:
I saw 1:10 and was thinking "damn thats extremely fast reading", so I looked up how fast the average person reads and it turns out to be somewhat between 40-100 pages/hr (apx). That is extremely fast for me, I read like 20 pages/hr. At first I thought that was due to the fact that I mainly read really complex and advanced classical literature which tends to have half the font size of, say, Harry Potter or other easy to read mainstream books but then I stumbled upon this article online that stated "Why you are reading slowly: You're reading too slow!" and I was like "nah, you dont say" but went into the article. And it actually said that when not reading fast pace the brain gets distractive and bored and without noticing it even slower. So I tried to read almost the pace like 1:10 in this video and I powered through. At first, the first one or two pages I missed half of the content, it was just too fast for me. But then after like two pages I got extremely peak concentration and there were no more disruptions, I was what sportsmen would call "in the zone". And this works just everytime. I also use my finger for recognizing the line I am in which I never did before and yes while it is a bit stupid that I would miss half of the first 1-2 pages the reward I get is well worth it: I average 40-50 pages/hr with really advanced and hard to read literature by now (instead of the before 20). The only thing I need to work on is the first two pages, maybe I need to start a bit slower but speed up every half page, I think thats a bit of trial and error for everyone but I can really recommend this! Not only am I way faster that way but I also tend to get a better picture of the story arc - sure, I wont digest every single word like before but for novels thats not really what you want anyways, since you wont remember all the words anyways in the end of your reading session, its more about the story itself. It is another thing for sure for things like poems where you really want to enjoy every single word and verse or for scholastic literature which is a complete other story though. The here stated method especially helps for thick novels. I hope that helps, for me it was a true gamechanger!
Reading is a journey from one book the the next. One book will have references that lead to the next connections which drive the research. Ideas need to be cross referenced to be valuable and informative. The reading journey will take you to a deeper level of understanding of the ideas being presented when the context has a number of sources that require further analysis.
I too read multiple things at once, it's a substantial tip. Soon I'll be back to full time study which is going crush my interest in reading other things if I'm not careful.
I have a question. I used to be an avid reader as a child. But now I'm 20 and I struggle with PTSD and Depression, but still decided to get back into reading this year. So far, I've read 14 books this year, but a major thing I struggle with is getting my brain to read sentences seamlessly. Basically, I find it hard to read a line without constantly repeating it like 4-5 times; I have to tell myself "Focus and move on to the next word". I'm not dyslexic, and I don't have ADHD. Personally, I think this is a result of having been away from reading for so long, but does anyone else think it may related to some sort of mental illness or learning disorder?
You may have ADHD. Just because you haven't thus far been diagnosed with it doesn't mean you don't have it.
A lot of people, including myself, have to reread sections because our mind wanders. It's not that unusual.
Loss of concentration is a symptom of depression
It could also be the result of some medication you are taking
Good motivation. I think I'll add an audio book to my daily walk - It's an hour, so that's about 2 books a month. Good use of time. Thank you.
Honestly, the biggest thing for me was getting a Kindle. Idk why, but it has motivated me so much
Thank you for these tips.
I want to read more. Often I can’t decide what to read. My solution based on this video is to have several different genres available. Scheduling reading will be necessary for me. I have to be alert when I read or I’ll fall asleep 💤
Something that kept me away from reading, especially in high school, was that all my teachers - and in general the cultural environment of Italy - portrays reading as an activity that you necessarily have to do because otherwise you become automatically an ignorant.
So I felt like i HAD to read, and despite beign a curious person, everytime I started reading I got stressed, and that made it very difficult.
If I had to add a couple of advices, they would be "read just if you want to", and "read what you want to read, not what it is perceived to be "necessary", or a classic, or whatever it is".
About your advices, I was undecisive about whether reading more books at the same time or just one, but seeing that somebody else reads more books makes me feel like it might not be a bad idea.
Good advice but it's important to remember that studies have shown that if reading off a screen you will not retain as much as if you read from a hard copy. They don't know why. Perhaps try introducing variety by changing your physical location. Go to the park, the veranda, etc.
Thanks for this video, I honestly really needed this.
Its also okay to dnf a book. I had to learn that when getting back into reading. If a book is not keeping your interest don’t force yourself to finish it otherwise it defeats the true purpose of actually enjoying reading.
Thank you for this video, Jared.
I credit my empathy with being a reader. I wish more people could find ways to increase their reading. I think it would benefit our fractured society.
I don't have much to say, but really wanted to leave a comment on how much I enjoy your videos. Awesome, work!
Greetings from Chile -- while heading to read a bit before sleeping :)
As a new reader the best advice is find books that interest you. I’m at work thinking about going home and reading same way I would be looking forward to playing a video game or watching a tv show. If books good you’ll want to finish it to know what happens.
Seeing the first Malazan Book of the Fallen book pop up has me excited haha. Gardens of the Moon. It's my favorite fantasy series of all time.
Audible, Librivox, and Libby have become my primary way to absorb books, since I have long drives during my work week.
I started with magazines and moved on to books.
Now I can read a 350 word book in 3 days, while not having time off work. In 2 languages.
I also prefer physical books.
I can't keep my attention to audio books, my mind drifts off too easily on those. I tried during walks with my dogs and such.
I moved on to podcasts about recent stuff, like news and such (my favorite podcast is from the same person as my favorite magazine) and this is better for me.
I don't have a tv subscription and limit RUclips/Netflix to only when I eat. That really helps in getting time free.
I do play videogames on off days, there are some games with really nice stories and environments.
From u.k.
Love reading, also playing guitar, and drawing.
All my hobbies I do sitting down!
Not enough hours in the day!
Cut down youtube hours by half.
Best thing I have done.
Not scheduling is where I mess up. After supper seems like the perfect time; apparently it's the perfect time for doing most anything... I unloaded the major time-sucks from my computer. Could BookTube be next on the chopping block? I'm actually going to add (great) movies back into my schedule. Don't worry; it'll all work out...
I read more because I love to read, and I love to learn more. At 71 I want to have my mind as active as I can. I love reading the classics, and I also love reading English history and World War Two history.