I’ve made it more of a focus over the past few months to be consuming more content while I am producing (or at least, publishing) less content. Specifically, to consume content from related, but different, fields and subject matters. It is developing an ability to read one book while making connections to other books and using information in one to analyze or synthesize information from another that contributes to the development of original thought. In an effort to promote intellectual flexibility, for lack of a better term, I’ve been pushing myself to read more than 3 books at once, something that would have been difficult a few years ago.
Currently Reading:
- The Inner Game of Tennis, W Timothy Gallwey
- Starting Strength, Mark Rippetoe
- Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
- Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (Audiobook)
- The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Nathaniel Branden (rereading)
- The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle (rereading)
Recently Read (finished in last 60 days):
- Deep Work, Cal Newport
- The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin
- Timing the Real Estate Market, Craig Hall
- High Output Management, Andy Grove
- The Science of Growth, Sean Ammirati
- De-Mythify, Korbett Miller
- Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins
- Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
- Benjamin Franklin, Walter Isaacson (Audiobook)
- Fooled by Randomness, Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Audiobook)
I used to push myself to finish any book I was reading, even if I found that I wasn’t getting value out of it. Not anymore. Instead of getting the pang of guilt at putting down a book that I am not yet enjoying, I remind myself the other books and content I could be consuming while reading that book and the opportunity cost of continuing to read that book. This makes putting the particular title down much easier.
My books Freedom Without Permission and The End of School are currently free on Amazon until December 28. Pick them up on your Kindle or give them as a gift.