If curiosity and education flow through your veins, well, then reading is critical. I get quite a few questions in regard to how I read when I read and what I read, so I thought it prudent to share my strategy. But before we touch the books you must make a decision and this decision can be a difficult one. You have to not only put your phone down you must commit to keeping it down, or even better, never picking it up. When you arise in the morning, instead of picking up that brain grenade reach for a book instead and watch what happens. Your brain will physically change, and my guess is it will change for the better. Mindless scrolling versus endless knowledge. You be the judge.
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I agree, we should all be reading more. I read three times a day – an hour in the morning, 30 minutes or so in the afternoon while our daughter naps, then again at night before bed. I’d say 60/40 in favor of non-fiction but fiction plays an important role in mixing things up and taking you into other people’s worlds. I can’t think of a better escape mechanism than fiction.
A word about paper books. Yep, I get it… But for someone who doesn’t live in an English-speaking country the Kindle is an absolute life saver. Used English books are hard to find unless you go online and get them shipped from the US or the UK which isn’t particularly good for the environment. So it’s Kindle for me 95% of the time. Photo books are the obvious exception.
By the way, add Tim Winton to your list – lots of Western Australian goodness.
Author
Sean,
Love Tim Winton. Even ventured to his town a few years ago. All remote and such. I get the Kindle. And I have one too but access to paper here is easy so I’m sticking with my paper for now.
Thanks for this. I’m an avid reader, but it is a struggle sometimes with my own Internet-fried, hummingbird brain. Your tips are helpful, practical, and on target, and thanks for reminding me of books I’ve read and revered. It sounds like I’m due for a re-read of the masterpiece Blood Meridian. (Very curious about that coffee recipe, too). I’ve always admired your advocacy of reading—a practice I’d never have guessed need any encouragement at all, but when you look around …sheeesh. Clearly libraries and books need all the champions they can get. And they’ve got a good one in you.
Author
Tim,
I now have plenty of friends who don’t read. At all. They all claim they don’t have time but spend half the day on social and surfing meaningless content that is often the only basis for a conversation they have. I am actively cutting these folks out of my life as they just aren’t fun to be around.
This was great Dan! A few things: 1) How about sharing that coffee recipe? 2) Love Rum Diary! 3) I know you said you do not read magazines. I’d be interested in your opinion, if you have one, of The New Yorker. To me it’s unlike any magazine I’ve read.
Author
Paul,
Coffee and smoothie recipe is in my latest Q&A film which will go out this week or next. The New Yorker is great. John McPhee is one of my fav writers and their fact-checking is legendary.
Thank you for making this video, and for the reading recommendations (I enjoyed Yellow Dirt and plan to read several more). Your website and videos are a welcome antidote to social mania.
Author
Thanks Mathias!