So how exactly do you read a book a week

[The Protagonist]

I was reading one of Steve's articles and he mentioned that he aims to read a book a week. This sounds awesome since I have bought a ton of books, all which I have yet to read. There are the interesting (48 laws of power, 33 strategies of war) the boring but integral (ask and it is given, what smart students know, think and grow rich), and the pleasure reading (freakonomics, ian fleming). I know that the obvious answer to the question is: open the book and read it.. right? Well not for me, I'm having difficulty finding the time and motivation to read books. Usually any free time that I have when I'm home is spent on the internet. And if I do find time for guilt free reading, I usually read Robert Greene's books (the first category) since I'm a sucker for the historical stories within them. Books that have information I want to learn and harness like Ask and it is given I usually can't get past the first few pages because I don't get involved into the book. Don't get me wrong I don't mean to detract from the book, but it's not exactly a page turner like John Grisham's stuff.

Any tips for me in this regard?

[Cassie]

I always have my nose in a book. While taking a bubble bath. At the gym. On the beach while sunbathing. Before going to sleep at night. Between college classes. I read two or three books at the same time and gobble them up usually within a week. Then it's back to the library or Borders for another armful

If you can't tell by now, I love reading. I make it a priority, no matter how busy my schedule is. And I'm usually pulling 10-12 hour work and school days. Because of my hectic schedule, I always carry a leisurely book (by leisurely, meaning not related to reading for uni courses) with me where ever I go.

Maybe you'll feel more inclined to read if you start carrying a book along with you on your busy day as well. You'll be surprised how easy it is to squish five minutes in here and there.

[Scipio]

I read from my field so it makes it easy to read books because I am motivated to do well in my area of study. So pick books relating to your career, assuming you are working in what makes you happy in life.

Instead of watching TV, I read books*. Instead of sitting on the computer and searching for information, I can usually get a much more concentrated source on one topic from a book. Ask yourself how much time you invest in non-productive tasks on your computer, and compare that to your output--the educational value you receive. For me, reading a book is often a lot better, especially if I want an in depth look at something.

*I don't eliminate TV altogether. I use it only when it is useful--which is rare.

[Henrik]

I listen to audiobooks on personal development while doing mentally passive things, like riding the bus and doing the dishes. Those small patches of time add upp pretty quickly.

[helgi]

I wake up at 6AM and typically get 1-2 hours of reading before going to school. On weekends that's 5-6 hours of reading before lunch, and even then you will feel like the day is just starting.

And then I usually read myself to sleep at night, for an hour or so.

[Holistic Star]

I run a reading group so I have to read at least 1 fiction book a month. However this just isn't enough for me. If it is a book I am interested in, it consumes me. I can't wait to finish it. I always have a book in my bag. In fact I bought a bigger bag, on purpose, just so I could always have a book with me which I will whip out any time I have a spare 5 minutes.

I read a whole book yesterday because it interested me. I came back from town at about 5pm and sat down and read it all the way through finishing at about midnight. I did take a couple of breaks (to eat, put some washing on and speak to H) but I just wanted to absorb all that information.

I should probably mention, if it is an information book I don't read every word. Most books have a lot of filler, so I scan some chapters and skip the repeatitive bits and take just the useful info. At a later date if I feel I need more detail I might go back and re-read those sections carefully.

I generally read for about 30 minutes before going to bed. I find it relaxes me and helps me wind down for the night. You can get a lot done in that half hour.

<rant> I tried reading in my lunch hour, but I found that people would cheerfully plonk themselves down next to me and start chatting. 'oh is that a good book' 'yes, thanks' 'I read a book once, it were great... blather, blather, blather'
I think people who don't read, have no appreciation of the fact that others do it for pleasure! </rant>

[Akashic_Librarian]

How do you read one book a week?


Fast.

[RT Wolf]

^ Lol.

Photoreading may help.

You could also read a book called "How to Read a Book" by Adler. It's pretty much the original howto on reading. I doubt that Pavlina actually reads one book a week all the way through, I'm sure he used to pick which stuff looked interesting and/or new in the book which allowed him to get through books faster.

I've always been a faster than average reader so a book a week isn't really a problem for me, perhaps increasing your base reading speed will help?

[Greg]

You could also use one of those flash reader programs on the net if the book is electronic. It flashes the words to you so you don't slow down or back read.

[Sadhana]

I think it really depends on whether you like reading books or not.

I love reading books and I typically read 3 - 5 books a week. On the other hand, I'm not that crazy about audio programs and I listen to maybe 1 a month, and I'm OKAY with it.

If you like browsing the Internet, you can perhaps start by reading PD articles and the like. In my opinion, articles generally tend to be much more focused and clearer than books anyway.

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by Sadhana

I think it really depends on whether you like reading books or not.

I think it also depends on whether you're truly interested in the book, and whether it's a style that engages you or not. A book you're trying to force feed yourself you'll never finish (for me, The Brothers Karamozov... great book, but I only made it halfway through, lol). And if it's hard to read, it's going to take a while (like a book called Light Emerging that I'm reading; it's fairly dense in content).

I'm a lit major, and I have my dry periods where I go months without reading a book all the way through, but sometimes (this weekend for example) I'll just pick up a book and read it cover to cover, and then go to the store, get another book, and read it cover to cover, too. Both the books I read this weekend were ones that I was really, really engaged in each topic, and they also had a very easy-to-read style that included a lot of engaging narrative between informational bits (Rage Against the Veil, and Rich Dad Poor Dad).

One thing that I occasionally do (which is difficult for a lit major and bookworm) is grab a book that sounds interesting and skim through it. I do this with dated nonfiction, for example. I read the first and last sentence of a paragraph unless it really grabs my attention -- then I'll actually dig in and read it more thoroughly. I read Fit for Life that way; took me less than an hour and I grasped the basics quite well. It was a very repetive book with important ideas in bold and caps, which helped with the skimming method.

[SamBeaven]

I find setting a page quota helps. Having a clear target just in terms of physical pageidge helps me stay on track - just take the word count and divide it by five or seven or whatever works for you, then don't stop until you've read AT LEAST that many pages every day.

Takes self discipline, but as Pavlina-sensei points out, slef-discipline is a muscle that needs exercise to get stronger.

[cftwo]

For me reading a book a week means reading slowly. I love to read and always feel my day isn't complete if I don't get in some reading. I don't watch much TV (a DVD every now and then), I don't spend much time on the internet at home, and I know it is an activitiy which has always been healing for me. Even "light" reading is nice.

[thef0x]

Originally Posted by Cassie

I always have my nose in a book. While taking a bubble bath. At the gym. On the beach while sunbathing. Before going to sleep at night. Between college classes. I read two or three books at the same time and gobble them up usually within a week. Then it's back to the library or Borders for another armful

If you can't tell by now, I love reading. I make it a priority, no matter how busy my schedule is. And I'm usually pulling 10-12 hour work and school days. Because of my hectic schedule, I always carry a leisurely book (by leisurely, meaning not related to reading for uni courses) with me where ever I go.

Maybe you'll feel more inclined to read if you start carrying a book along with you on your busy day as well. You'll be surprised how easy it is to squish five minutes in here and there.

God dammit your blog photo is so cute.

Marry me.

I'm kidding but seriously marry me.

[Henry]

Simple. From left to right.

[Ilya]

My parents have taught me to read when I was three years old. Since then I'm a very fast reader. Until recently, I didn't even realize that I'm reading faster then many other people. If I can read uninterrupted, I usually finish a book within one day (or night). So I guess I read about one book per day.

I once went to a speedreading workshop and found out that my starting reading speed was close to what the people were supposed to achieve during the workshop. My speed didn't increase much at the end, but I've learned some skimming techniques that I use to read perodicals.

Also during this workshop I was trying to figure out what allows me to read this fast and I've realized that actually I do not see (do not perceive consciously) the individual words, much less letters. In fact, once I start looking at the page I see a movie. The books are like DVDs for my brains. Of course this works best with fiction. Non-fiction, technical texts tend to require some time to build up the necessary imagery, but after that - it's a movie again.

This agrees well with what I've heard at the speed-reading workshop. What they were doing is teaching the people to visualize the pictures behind the words. So that is what I suggest you do if you want to read faster. Read a sentence - imagine a movie scene that comes to your mind when you read the word. Then do the same for the next sentence and so on. It may take practice, but then you will learn to do see the images instead of letters. Reading will be much more fun, really.

[SamBeaven]

Originally Posted by Henry

Simple. From left to right.

Unless it's Manga.

</pedantry>

[Deolu]

I don't think it has to do with loving to read or not. I think it depends on if you want to live a meaningful life or not. If you want to be the experiment or to learn from other peoples experiences. Books are food for the soul, and like an empty bag can't stand upright, an empty mind can't stand up for much. I think you make yourself like reading.

I am a continous learner...I read books, get information on the net, listen to people, talk to people, think e.t.c. I believe there are many ways to learn and I use a good deal of them.

[shiatsustudent]

I love reading and can easily spend hours reading which can result in getting through at least one book a week. You have to be interested in the book though I cannot just wade through something for the sake of it, so I probably would not be a good literary reviewer!

[SamBeaven]

If you ever read palm .pdb ebooks I can reccommend the desktop versions of eReader Pro - they have this awesome little 'RSVP' feature, which sticks up one word or one group of words at a time at a user defined rate. Awful name, really, but still a neat way to get through a book quickly and keep yourself form skipping backwards across a line when you're reading.

Spreeder does a similar thing (and for free), but eReader's got a more intelligent algorithim - it'll give you more time on longer words, and it can pause for punctuation. I used it last night to read a load of Getting Things Done. Great little app.

[supertom]

Do you guys think its better to read one book at a time or read a few for variety.

And how much do you guys spend buying books?? $us

[beautyscientist]

I don't have any trouble reading books in English, but I am also reading books in Portuguese and French which is a bit tougher. My strategy is simple. I read each book for exactly 10 minutes every day. The timer goes on and I start reading. I can always manage 10 minutes even if I am tired and uninterested, but often I find that I want to carry on at the end of the session. This carries over to the next day so I am looking forward to my reading.

If you keep this schedule up - and it is pretty embeded in me now after about a decade- you start a book knowing you are going to finish it. It is like dropping a twig in a stream. You just know it is going to reach the ocean.

But you can't read a book in a week this way.

[Stephen]

Reading a book a week? Yes this is entirely possible, but whats the point?

If you read one book which had everything you needed and actually took action and implemented the book you wouldnt need to read any others.

Take - Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins, or say 7 Habits of HSP by S.Covey or any other wise book. How often do we read these, get a quick shot of adrenalin and move onto the next book, without actually living the message?




I am guilty myself. I am a literature bug. If I was to implement everything i have read I would be a zillionaire twice over!

Nevertheless I am human and not robotic. I have my nuances and quirks. I spend more time reading fine literature than reading PD books, although I will often be somewhat through an example of both.

Isnt that the key? Enjoy life. Enjoy James Boswell as well as Anthony Robbins?

[Mags]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Reading a book a week? Yes this is entirely possible, but whats the point?

Absolute pure pleasure

I love reading. Like one of the previous posters, I also learned to read when I was 3 years old (Between 3 and 5, before children start school, is actually when their language acquisition skills are highest - I'm pretty convinced every child could learn to read much earlier than we allow them to). I've been reading ever since and I read very fast, also taking in whole paragraphs or pages at a time.

Originally Posted by Stephen

If you read one book which had everything you needed and actually took action and implemented the book you wouldnt need to read any others.

Since I read fast, I do get through at least 1 book a week, sometimes more. I read for maybe 2 hours a day in total during the week, more on weekends (I read whenever I can, so this is made up of anything from 10 minutes here to an hour there). I sleep for 8, which leaves 14 hours to implement all that I learn

[Jim11]

If you have some time and want to read a book a week you just need to get some interesting material and make it habit.

Sometimes when you sit down to read the first few minutes you may get distracted and be thinking about other things. But if you tell yourself you will read at least 20 minutes each day, as a rule, then you will likely get into it and end up reading much longer.

20 min was just a random figure. I don't each keep track of time - but I do make an effort not to put the book down in the first few minutes because I'm distracted from what's gone on in my day, etc

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Reading a book a week? Yes this is entirely possible, but whats the point?

...Take - Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins, or say 7 Habits of HSP by S.Covey or any other wise book. How often do we read these, get a quick shot of adrenalin and move onto the next book, without actually living the message?

Agreed. We (people who enjoy reading) often overlook the important application part of reading.

This goes for all you book-per-week readers out there (myself included): instead working up to reading a book a week, wean yourself down to reading only one really good page per week. Invest the extra time you have in APPLYING what you learn.

Suddenly reading a multitude of books per week seems easy in comparison.

[Jim11]

At first reading a lot, in terms of volume, can be beneficial to give you some ideas and broaden your perspective.

After that when you find something of true value it is essential to reread it, study it, apply it, learn from it.

At some point there should come a time when you should stop reading other people's ideas and build your own. I have not made much progress here at this point in my life. But there has to be a point where you need to dedicate more of your time to your own ideas

[SmokenFlames]

I agree with Jim11 with building your own ideas. At least for me, this gives me some motivation.

I mean reading academic or philosophical books can often be dry and tediuous, specially if the author fails to make himself clear. But when I read the same book searching for ideas to disscuss and work with makes me more interestested in doing so, since im reading from a critical point.

I a not actually sure of what I think in relation to life and the world, so I try to build my own ideas considering the 25 centuries of culture we have got. So this stimulates me to look for books that help me in that sense.

When I get tired of non-fiction I swich to literature and fiction to rest my mind, since there are great messages too in literature and it's lighter to read it. Trust me, it avoids hedaches from reading Hegel.

[supertom]

This is a cool thread, seeing all the people that love books

[Marshall]

I also agree with Jim11. Try reading one page of a good book then write. I like the stream of consciousness approach, just writing whatever comes to mind. Afterward, you can go back and formulate a clearer idea of what you were trying to say. The second time around, try writing something specific about how what you just read and wrote and be applied to your life.

I've only recently tried this read-then-write-then-react style of learning, but I've already found that my thinking has improved. For some reason, it just seemed hard to go directly from reading to reacting. A well-written book could do it sometimes, but most of the time I found myself reading and reading and reading but never reacting.

I have also tried write-then-react approach, but without the inflow of ideas from books, I tended to dry up faster. General life experiences only provoke so must thought, and while they are definitely beneficial, it seems to be much more efficient to learn from books, where the information is (hopefully) well organized.

Getting back to the main topic, trying these different techniques actually increases the amount of material you read as well because suddenly the value of the information increases as it is actively applied to everyday life.