How to Read More Books

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Me (who was supposed to read books now) watching a video on how to read more books instead of reading more books that I was supposed to read.

My take is that much of the value you get from "reading the book" doesn't actually come from "reading" per se, but rather from the "pausing and thinking" that occurs between those of reading. It's like listening to piano pieces, where you appreciate both the musical notes and the silences in between. You may speed through the music as fast as you wish, but it won't be the same.

I'm a 27 year old dude who has never read (just played video games) and what fixed it for me was getting a Kindle. No distractions, no app notifications, just pure book. Because I never read there's lots of words I don't know, but I can hover over them on Kindle and get quick dictionary meanings which has been helping tremendously for me. Reading Bram Stoker's original "Dracula" right now!

I agree, reading book summaries and only sections of a book doesn’t count as reading. There are lots of big Youtubers who advocate for only reading parts of a book. Great advice, Jared; thank you.

I love how you mentioned “bad reading advice” and showed a clip from Ali Abdaal. Completely agree by the way.

My Reading Advice: I have ADHD by the way. I read 10 pages a day at minimum. 30 pages at maximum. I read 5 pages in the span of 30 minutes, take a break, whether it be 1 hour or wait till the evening if you like, then come back to your book 📖 and read another 5 pages within a 30 minute timespan. I've been doing this for a couple of months and it's less stressful, unless you procrastinate 🙃 which I do. I don't read multiple books at a time. It will mess me up.

A different perspective but personally, I tried to focus on reading less and being more selective with what I read. I would do these GoodReads challenges where I would try and read 100 books a year, only to look back and realize 90% of those books were a waste of my attention but I chose them because I knew I would get through them. Reading something like Plato/Aristotle/Kant seemed like a bad bet to maximize reading quantity. Once I became more selective, I moved on to advice like reading at least one hour a day. Better to be reading quality than quantity. I still read about 60-70 books last year anyway.

Note-taking is time-consuming, but it helps me retain and think critically about the information I've read. I have been trying to be more concise and succinct with my note-taking though.

I agree with what you are saying. This year I started reading more and my goal is to read 13 books. I have completed 5 already. I have been reading multiple books. None of them are related. It works for me and I am enjoying it which is the point.

I’ve found that breaking up my reading in a day (like 4 different 15-minute sessions) helps me to fit it in when days are chaotic and messy.

Jared, I have to thank you. It’s your videos that got me reading again and to also start the habit of journaling. I understand that these are not solely the reasons for the improvement of my mental health, but it’s these habits that have turned me into a far more perceptive and thoughtful person. I regularly have gotten people comment on how much more articulate with my thoughts i am. I’m coming up on my first year of consistent journaling and it’s been so satisfying to see those pages fill. 🙏🙏

I appreciate this advice. It's simple and honest. No cheats. Good advice. Thanks

Great Advice. When I first started to challenge myself to read more books I definitely struggled to keep my attention on the book I was reading, I had to start leaving my phone out of reach until I got into the habit of reading. Now I force myself to read at least 1 page a night, even if I don't feel like reading, 1 page is not a daunting task, and it almost always gets me in the mood and I end up reading for the full hour. I think its important to let yourself know that you can quit a book you aren't enjoying as well, I don't count them on my books read lists, but knowing that if I'm not enjoying it I can just quit it does make picking up the book to begin with less daunting.

Great video as always. I’ve found myself developing these same habits on my own after deciding to read more again. Having a lighter book for lunch breaks has been a game changer.

Great tips. And actually practical ones. Great video!!

I've been making more of a conscious effort over the last few months to improve my reading habit and one thing was to become aware of the times where I'd reach for my phone or typically opt for some other form of screen time. When it's lights out settling the kids down, I used to scroll through my phone. I now have a small, portable reading light so I can now read in a dark room without disturbing anyone. Most evenings instead of watching a film, I now choose to sit and read (and also draw but that's off topic). Every day at lunch, I now read, when I make a cup of tea, I read a page or two... Finding time is easy when you look for those little pockets throughout your day. I also find pausing notifications and putting on headphones really helps me focus too - Spotify have some great playlists: Ambient Relaxation or Floating Through Space are my go-tos.

Thank you very much for this video. For many years I was under the impression that I had to use speed reading tactics and all that to be a better and a productive reader. However I've been very much suspicious of the speed reading stuff recently since that never made me enjoy reading; worse yet, I couldn't retain much info. After seeing your video on becoming a better reader and reading normally for a few days, I understood the actual fun of reading good books. My reading speed has also increased slightly along with my comprehension. I also highly appreciate the suggestion of reading multiple books at once, since Im someone with slight attention issues, switching between different 2-4 books would help my brain stay fresh. Once again, I thank you for your work. May you and your family be well.

Hey Jared! Thank You for the helpful tips and ideas. Have a good day☀️😁

Recently discovered your channel and really enjoy it. Especially the point about building the “muscle” of reading. Was making me think of how overtraining applies as well. I’m getting back into regular reading after a few years of very little reading - after I finished my PhD (reading like 1000 pages a week for years) I just couldn’t get my mind to re-engage in books unless it was for work. I was still learning things in that time in but in different formats. I’ve just started to enjoy it again in the last 6 months or so. As much as I was frustratED, looking back I needed that rest from prolonged over-engagement. Thinking about rebuilding my reading as retraining an atrophied skill is quite helpful!