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Four Principles That Helped Me Go From 0 to 56 Read Books a Year

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Simple mindset shifts I see not many readers following.

Source: Canva

Each January, people pledge it will be the year they will read many books. Each December, the majority wonders why they didn’t.

In 2016, I was among the millions of people who said they’d read many books — but I didn’t read a single one. Yet, in the years that followed, I gradually transformed from a reading-muffle into a book-binger.

How I went from 0 to +50 read books a year. (Source: Screenshot from Goodreads).

Books are the cheapest but most impactful way to gain more skills, meaning, joy, and contentment in your life. For an average of $9, you can receive years of someone’s wisdom, distilled to some hundred pages that can be read in a few hours.

Reading 50 books a year is way easier than you might think. You don’t need to compromise on sleep, relationships, or work. In fact, you can even elevate these aspects by reading more.

Caveat: Reading is often treated as an intellectual status symbol. The more books you read, the smarter you are thought to be. It’s tempting to focus on reading as many books as possible - but it comes at the cost of depth and enjoyment. This article doesn’t encourage you to speed up your reading practice. Instead, it's an inspiration to read more (and yet slow, joyful, and thoroughly).

1) Break Up With Your Perceived Hierarchy of Books

If you’re reading this, you likely grew up with a very narrow definition of knowledge.

The existing paradigm, also prevalent in schools, is left-brain centred. Logic, reasoning, and quantification are more respected than creative expression, imagination, or emotions.

We rate knowledge sources based on this binary scheme. Many people would agree that reading for knowledge is the best reason to open a book.

Of the 102 books Bill Gates recommended over eight years, 90 were non-fiction. And from the 19 books Warren Buffett recommended in 2019, 100% were non-fiction.

But this knowledge hierarchy comes with limits. Social critic Minna Salami wrote: “The idea that calculable reasoning is the only worthy way to explain reality through is one of the most dangerous ideas ever proposed.”

Books don’t exist in hierarchies. Non-fiction isn’t superior to fiction.

Again, Salami: “We need an approach to knowledge that synthesizes the imaginative and rational, the quantifiable and immeasurable, the intellectual and the emotional. Without feeling, knowledge becomes stale.”

Luckily, there are books that can make you feel and know.

When you read Tara Westover’s memoir, you’ll feel how it’s like to grow up in a Mormon family in off-grit Idaho. Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest novel helps you understand what it was like to break free from social expectations in the 1940s.

Through stories, you elevate your levels of empathy for people outside of your cultural community. You learn not only to see the world from the perspective of others but also to share their feelings of pain, fear, and joy.

What to do:

Expand your definition of ‘knowledge’ and break up with the fiction versus non-fiction hierarchy.

Pick the book that sparks your interest, and forget whether this book will make you ‘smarter’ in a traditional sense.

“….a good book can teach you about the world and about yourself. You learn more than how to read better; you also learn more about life. You become wiser. Not just more knowledgeable — books that provide nothing but information can produce that result. But wiser, in the sense that you are more deeply aware of the great and enduring truths of human life.”

― Mortimer J. Adler, How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

2) Read Books You Love Until You Can’t Stop Reading Because You’re In Love With Books You Read

The first book I picked up for my reading goal in 2016 was Kahneman’s ‘Thinking Fast and Slow.’ It was on top of any bestseller list, and my university professors praised it.

Yet, whenever I read a page, I fell asleep. Ultimately, I stopped opening it altogether. Kahneman’s pamphlet became my ultimate reading killer.

I was too proud to stop. I wish I could’ve told my younger self to stop forcing yourself through books you don’t enjoy.

If your goal is to read more, quit the books that slow you down.

You might have to quit several books before you open a book you can’t stop thinking about.

What to do:

Knowing what you want to read is essential, but so is its inversion — knowing what you don’t want to read.

You’re the only person who can judge whether what you’re reading is best for you now. Read the genres you cherish, the content you enjoy, and the authors you admire.

Don’t feel guilty to start with the ‘bad stuff.’ A few hundred books in, you will become a more critical reader and anyway gravitate towards the good stuff.

Better to waste 9$ than 4 hours of your lifetime. Books aren’t created equal — millions aren’t worth your time.

As a rule of thumb, remember the following: If you don’t look forward to continuing reading the book that’s on your shelf, skip it.

“Books are tangible objects of myriad textures — aged, hardback, hand stitched and so on. They are mentally stimulating, therapeutic, and they potentially transform your deepest thought patterns. They affect you entirely.”

— Minna Salami

3) Make your phone your reading-ally

Desired behaviour isn’t solely tied to your willpower. Self-control and self-discipline depend on your environment, as Nobel-prize winner Thaler discovered.

Phones hijack your self-control: The red notification badges, Apple introduced with its Mac OS X years ago; the pull-to-refresh slot machine mechanisms that we refresh in unconscious hope of a quick dopamine shot; the infinite scrolling design, that in Nir Eyal’s words, is “the interaction design’s answer to our penchant for endlessly searching for novelty.”

The average person spends over four hours a day on their device. If you spent half the time reading, with a reading speed of 250 words per minute and an average book length of 90,000 words, you’d finish more than two books a week.

When it comes to grabbing your attention, books can’t compete with phones.

The equation is simple: The less time you spend on your phone, the more you’ll read.

Tristan Harris said: “Once you start understanding that your mind can be scheduled into having little thoughts or little blocks of time that you didn’t choose, wouldn’t we want to use that understanding and protect against the way that that happens?”

What to do:

Disable all notifications. Use airplane mode whenever possible. When you start reading, put your phone in a different room.

Keeping your phone away from your bed is one of the hardest habits to break. But the work is worth it. I replaced my phone with an alarm clock and stopped taking my phone to the bed two years ago. In bed, I can either sleep or read.

This is what will give you plenty of time.

Make reading the obvious choice. Put your book on the pillow when you make your bed in the morning. Thereby, reading in bed becomes your default option. Not having to use willpower will set you up for a regular reading habit.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

— Naval Ravikant

4) Have an Antilibrary

Do you ever feel guilty about the book staple you haven’t read? You shouldn’t — unread books increase your motivation and capacity to learn.

When you just read a few books in your life, you’re likely aware of what you don’t know. But once you’ve read through some hundred books, you tend to become ignorant.

You might be too confident, too sure, and less aware of the things you don’t know. That’s where antilibraries come into play.

The books you haven’t read (and will never read) assemble your antilibrary.

They represent unknowledge and are the best cure for overconfidence.

“You will never read all those books,” friends say when they look at my want-to-read list. The list grows by 2–3 books every day. They are right. Even if I continue reading 1–2 books a week, I will only get through some of them.

But that’s the point: My antilibrary is a constant reminder of what I don’t know. It helps me stay curious and humble.

Psychologist Adam Grant writes: “No matter how much brainpower you have if you lack the motivation to change your mind, you’ll miss many occasions to think again.”

When you’re convinced you know something, learning something new means you have to change your mind. The best motivator to continue reading your book is a long list of books you want to read after finishing.

What to do:

Don’t ever feel discouraged by the books you haven’t read. Instead, see them as a reminder to be humble and curious.

Whenever somebody recommends a book (and you should ask the people that inspire you the most for their top 3 book recommendations), add it to your reading list (if you haven’t one, check out Google Keep, Wunderlist, ToDoist, or Goodreads and settle on your favourite list).

“Read books are far less valuable than unread ones.”

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

In Conclusion

Reading is liberating. Freedom means choosing from a set of options. The more options you have, the freer you are. And that’s where reading kicks in. It helps you explore options you never knew existed.

No therapy session, university lecture, or coaching session has had a bigger impact on my life than reading books. Books change your life; they change the way you think in unimaginable ways.

While each of the above principles can change how you read in one way or the other, they only serve as inspiration, and you certainly don’t need to implement every single one.

Choose one or two you like, but screw the rest. Only one person should define your reading journey — you.

Want to feel inspired and improve your learning?

Subscribe free to The Learn Letter. I read a book and 50 articles a week, and each Wednesday, you’ll receive the best in your inbox. This newsletter will make you find tools and resources that help you on your path to health, wealth, and wisdom.

Five Common Beliefs About Learning That Are Actually Learning Myths

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Stop following them to save precious time and energy.

Created by the author via Canva.

In 2013, I studied for weeks for an undergrad test. Yet, I failed.

Research from different studies shows up to eighty percent of students never learn how to learn effectively. Even long after school and university, people waste time and energy with ineffective learning practices.

In the past five years, I’ve worked as a full-time teacher, completed a course on meta-learning, read 20 books on the science of learning. Each week I publish The Learn Letter — a newsletter that examines the best ideas around lifelong learning.

Again and again, I stumble upon beliefs around learning that are actually wrong.

Misunderstandings about learning waste your time. After reading this article, you’ll understand which common beliefs are learning myths so you can become a better learner.

1) Your brain capacity is limited

Some people fear lifelong learning can overload their brains. But, contrary to common belief, your brain is never full.

Learning is a virtuous circle. The more you learn, the more you can remember.

In this paper on the science of learning, scientists explain why storing information in your memory creates brain capacity. Rather than a library with limited shelves, your brain works like a growing tree.

The more knowledge you store, the more branches grow and connect. Instead of using brain space, learning creates additional opportunities for linkages and storage.

A research group around neuroscientist Henry Roediger and psychologist Mark McDaniel spent ten years bridging the gap between cognitive science and educational science. In their book, they explain:

“Learning depends on prior learning, the more we learn, the more possible connections we create for further learning.”

Remember Instead:

Your brain capacity is unlimited. The more you know, the easier you can hang up new information in your memory tree.

2) Rereading is an effective learning strategy

One of the most common learning myths is believing that reexposing yourself to something will burn the content into your memory.

Rereading feels productive because concepts sound familiar. But this feeling is an illusion of knowledge.

Roediger and McDaniel explain: “Rereading has three strikes against it. It is time-consuming. It doesn’t result in durable memory. And it often involves a kind of unwitting self-deception, as growing familiarity with the text comes to feel like mastery with the content.”

“Don’t assume you’re doing something wrong if learning feels hard.”

Remember Instead:

Rereading doesn’t lead to better retention. Effective methods include spaced repetition, interleaving, elaboration, self-testing, and free recall.

3) People learn better following their learning styles

Are you a visual or a verbal learner? While you might have preferences about the learning material, they don’t improve recall or retention.

No solid evidence from controlled experiments says that teaching in the preferred learning style improves learning.

“Tailoring instruction as suggested by the learning style approach can potentially have negative consequences for the learner,” psychologists explain in an evidence-based blog post.

Remember Instead:

The richer the learning material and the combination of styles, the better. The wider your mix of methods, the greater your learning success.

4) Rich environments enhance childrens’ brain

In ‘Understanding How We Learn,’ researchers looked for evidence for misunderstandings in learning. They examined 12 empirical papers with almost 15000 participants in 15 countries.

One of the biggest misconceptions about learning they found was the belief environments rich in stimuli improve the brains of pre-school children.

One reason why so many people wrongly believe this might be the following story of a misused teenager. Genie was locked by her father for 13-years. She was socially isolated. When she was found, she didn’t know how to talk.

True sensory deprivation can indeed lead to decreased learning. But under normal circumstances, the reality is enough for brain development. The researchers conclude:

“Even without decorated classrooms, children encounter sufficient information to enable their brains to develop normally.“

Remember Instead:

Children don’t need a stimuli-rich environment for healthy brain development.

5) 10,000 Hours of Practice Lead to Mastery

In 2008, Malcolm Gladwell introduced the ten-thousand-hour rule in his book ‘Outliers.’ He argued that it’d take 10,000 hours of practice to become a master in any field.

While this simple rule sounds appealing, it’s wrong in several ways.

Ericsson, one of the study’s authors that Gladwell used as the scientific foundation for his rule, debunks this learning myth. Ericsson lists several reasons why the rule is flawed:

  • There is nothing special or magical about ten thousand hours. A lot of world-class performers practiced less or more before they achieved mastery. Ten thousand hours was an average.
  • Gladwell didn’t distinguish how the hours were used (e.g., deliberate practice vs. ineffective practice).
  • Nothing in the study implied almost anyone could become an expert in a given field by practicing ten thousand hours.

Remember Instead:

10,000 hours of practice don’t guarantee world-class performance. The additional practice would lead to further improvement even if you crossed the 10,000-hour mark.

Final Words

Learning is a journey, not a destination. This meta-study on learning, memory, and metacognitive processes has shown that most learners hold outdated beliefs and commit errors that can even impair their learning effectiveness rather than enhance.

Reading more than 20 books on learning, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern: it’s less important what kind of brain you have — what matters is how you use it. To learn more effectively, here’s what to remember:

  • Learning is a virtuous circle, and your brain capacity is unlimited.
  • Spaced repetition and free recall are more effective than rereading.
  • Learning in your preferred style doesn’t lead to better cognition. Mix the methods instead.
  • Children don’t need a stimuli-rich environment for healthy brain development.
  • The 10,000 rule is a lie. How you practice is equally important to how much you practice.

This Learning Hack Helps You Remember More From Any Book You Read

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How writing book reviews fuels your learning.

Library in Vienna’s University of Economics and Business (Martino Pietropoli/Unsplash)

Reading gives you access to the smartest brains on earth. Learning from the greatest people is the fastest way to become healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Yet, reading per se doesn’t make you a better person. You can read 52 books a year without changing at all.

I’ve read about 20 books on learning in the past four years, and I’ve noticed a recurring pattern: it’s less important what kind of brain you have — what matters is how you use it.

I love my Zettelkasten and RoamResearch. But chatting with my newsletter subscribers, I understood that it’s tough to maintain these systems unless you’re a writer who can spend an hour a day reflecting on the books you read.

The best personal knowledge management systems are useless unless applied. Using the following learning hack can help you make the most of the books without wasting your time.

Why Writing Book Reviews Fuel Your Learning

We only recently started to understand how learning works. Learning science is a new field that combines the knowledge of neuroscience and social and cognitive psychology.

Books have been around for a long before learning science.

What we know now is that learning is a three-step process: acquisition, retention, and retrieval. In the acquisition phase, we link new information to existing knowledge; in the retention phase, we store it, and in the retrieval phase, we get information out of our memory.

Books were invented before these insights. It was Schopenhauer who already stated in the 1850s: “When we read, another person thinks for us: we merely repeat his mental process.”

You don’t read a page and shelf it in your mental library. Instead, your brain stores new information in terms of its meaning to existing memory.

To remember what you read, you not only need to know it but also to know how it relates to what you already know. You can add this layer of meaning by interpreting, connecting, interrelating, or elaborating.

Elaborating means you explain and describe an idea in your own words.

Learning researchers Roediger and McDaniel write: “Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know.”

Elaborative rehearsal encodes information into your long-term memory more effectively. The more details and the stronger you connect new knowledge to what you already know, the better because you’ll be generating more cues. And the more cues they have, the easier you can retrieve your knowledge.

„Elaboration is thought to be one of the best ways to increase learning and memory among many memory theorists,” scientists write in the evidence-based book ‘Understanding How We Learn.’

Book reviews are an elaboration practice for reading. Spending 5-minutes every time after you finish a book with writing them will help you store and retain more from what you read.

“A good book can teach you about the world and about yourself. You learn more than how to read better; you also learn more about life. You become wiser. Not just more knowledgeable — books that provide nothing but information can produce that result. But wiser, in the sense that you are more deeply aware of the great and enduring truths of human life.”

― Mortimer J. Adler in How to Read a Book

How to write book reviews for maximum learning

The more you elaborate or try to understand something, the more likely you‘ll keep this new information in your long-term memory.

When you use book reviews as a learning hack, you don’t focus on the quality of writing (eloquence, succinctness, conciseness) or the quality of the content (originality, editing, research, quoting).

Instead, you answer meta-questions that invite you to recall what you read from your memory and store it in relation to its meaning. Here are a few questions you might want to answer every time you finish a book.

  • How would you summarize the content in three sentences?
  • What do you find interesting about this book? Which parts surprised you? Which arguments altered your understanding?
  • How does the content relate to what you know? Does it contradict or confirm something you previously read?
  • When would you like to stumble upon the ideas in the book again?
  • Which concepts or ideas from the book do you want to apply in your life? When and where will you use these insights?

You don’t need to answer every single one. Keep the prompts that work for you, and screw the rest.

When you write a book summary, you have to filter relevant information, organize it, and articulate it using your own vocabulary. Don’t transcribe the author’s words but try to summarize, synthesize, and analyze. That way, you will remember much more from what you read.

Where to publish your book reviews

Many people I know don’t share their work in public because they’re scared other people judge them. I shared this fear. Around 200 articles later, I know the upsides far outweigh any risk.

Since I publish my work on Medium and in The Learn Letter, I learn faster, meet interesting people, and job proposals from projects that fascinate me.

So if you dare, publish your book reviews online. You can share them on Amazon, Goodreads, Medium, your blog, or a digital garden.

Once you write book reviews, you not only help other people but also yourself.

You will be able to explain complex ideas during dinner conversations, recall interesting concepts and ideas when you need them, and create your personal library.

Want to feel inspired and improve your learning?

Subscribe free to The Learn Letter. I read a book and 50 articles a week, and each Wednesday, you’ll receive the best in your inbox. This newsletter will make you find tools and resources that help you on your path to health, wealth, and wisdom.

Three Books That Prevent You from Forgetting Cruel History

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“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana

Photo by Frederick Wallace on Unsplash

Last week I visited Auschwitz, the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers.

Looking at the piles of hair, I felt anger, sadness, and shame. I think about most parts of my countries recent history in disgust. I lack the words to talk about the Nazi time.

As a German, ignoring the past hundred years seems easier than facing them. Yet, I feel a responsibility to call these atrocities to our minds. So, here are three books to not forget our past.

1) Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

At the age of 39, Viktor Frankl was sent to a concentration camp. During imprisonment, he lost his brother, mother, and wife.

His memoir depicts the daily camp life and how the cruelties affected the mental state of its inmates who endure dehumanizing conditions. With the odds of 1 in 20, Frankl survives Auschwitz.

The book is hard to bear as it contains descriptions with graphic detail. When reading, you witness what concentration camp inmates have gone through.

“Human kindness can be found in all groups (camp guard or prisoner), even those which as a whole wit would be easy to condemn. “ — Viktor Frankl

2) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

This book is about Bruno, a young son of a Nazi officer, who lives in a house near Auschwitz. On his daily strolls, he meets another young boy behind a fence who turns out to be a Jew, imprisoned in the concentration camp.

One day, the Jewish boy asks his German friend for help to find his father. Bruno puts on a “Striped Pyjama” to disguise himself as one of the prisoners and enters the campground. Both boys will die in the gas chambers.

When I read this book as a teenager, I cried for hours. It made me care about history more than any high school lesson. Yet, there are flaws and plot holes about this story that you might want to consider before you decide whether to read it.

A 9-year-old boy would not survive over a year in a Nazi camp. After arriving on a cattle train to Auschwitz-Birkenau, officers sent children to the gas chamber.

This Holocaust survivor wrote about the book: “I was once myself a boy in striped pajamas and am a survivor of six German concentration camps. This book is so ignorant of historical facts about concentration camps that it kicks the history of the Holocaust right in the teeth.”

“What exactly was the difference? He wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?” 
— John Boyne

3) The Choice by Dr. Edith Eger

At age 16, the Nazis came to Edith Eger’s Hungarian hometown. They deported the Jewish family to an internment center, then to Auschwitz. Upon arrival, Joseph Mengele sent her parents to the gas chamber.

Edith Eger and her sister Magda survived multiple death camps. In 1945, American Troops found them barely alive in a pile of corpses on the camp’s liberation.

The book consists of four sections: prison, escape, freedom and healing. It’s a mixture of the holocaust, a personal memoir, and psychology.

She works through her terrible experience in Auschwitz and takes us through a journey of her healing. By drawing on her patients’ personal cases, she derives wise and powerful life lessons.

Unlike the previous two stories, Dr. Edith Eger’s historical description is uplifting. While Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ carries profundity and a deep understanding of human psychology, Dr. Edith Eger, who has been 20 years younger than Frankl and one of his students, adds warmth and life experience.

‘The Choice’ is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read.

“We don’t know where we’re going, we don’t know what’s going to happen, but no one can take away from you what you put in your own mind.” — Dr. Edith Eger

Want to improve your learning?

Subscribe free to The Learn Letter. I read a book and 50 articles a week, and each Wednesday, you’ll receive the best in your inbox. This newsletter will make you find tools and resources that help you on your path to health, wealth, and wisdom.

3 Binge-Worthy Books for Life-Long Learners

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These resources can help you expand your brain.

Created by the author via Canva.

“Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life,” Mortimer J. Adler said. I disagree.

Books don’t magically make you live the good life. You can read a book a week without changing at all.

Reading doesn’t help you per se — it’s reading the right books that can make all the difference.

No life skill can earn you greater dividends than learning how to learn. After reading more than 30 books on learning, these three are my favorite picks on meta-learning.

Every single one will help you understand how your brain learns. By doing so, you’ll make better decisions and find yourself on your journey to wisdom.

1) Make it Stick

Did you know rereading and highlighting are the most popular yet the least productive learning strategies?

Revisiting concepts and ideas might feel like learning because you recognize some of them. But you’re not learning. You’re trapped in an illusion of knowledge.

Mastering a text is different from recalling or remembering what you read.

“People commonly believe that if you expose yourself to something enough times, you can burn it into memory,” the authors write.

They also why it’s not worth it: “Rereading has three strikes against it. It is time-consuming. It doesn’t result in durable memory. And it often involves a kind of unwitting self-deception, as growing familiarity with the text comes to feel like mastery with the content.”

I used to think learning should feel easy. Slow and difficult meant unproductive. Turns out I was wrong.

Effective learning must feel hard: “Learning is deeper and more durable when it’s effortful. Learning that’s easy is like writing in sand, here today and gone tomorrow.”

‘Make it Stick’ doesn’t stop after dismantling learning myths.

The research group around neuroscientist Henry Roediger and psychologist Mark McDaniel spent ten years exploring learning strategies. Their goal was to bridge the gap between cognitive science and educational science.

Here are some powerful concepts from the book explores:

  • Your brain’s capacity is unlimited. Contrary to common belief, our brains are never full. The more we learn, the more we can remember. Learning is a virtuous circle. The more cues we have, the easier it is to encode new information to these cues. As long as you connect further information to existing brain branches, you can store much more than you think.
  • To learn, you first need to forget. I always thought forgetting is a character’s flaw. But it isn’t. Forgetting is necessary for new learning. That’s why spaced repetition is among the most effective learning strategies. You allow forgetting to occur and thereby strengthen your memory.
  • The power of reflection. Reflecting leads to stronger learning. To reflect, you need to retrieve, connect, and visualize earlier memories. Often, you mentally practice what you’d do the next time differently. That’s why regular thinking breaks are so valuable.

Last but not least, ‘Make it Stick’ summarizes six evidence-based, application-ready strategies that help you learn better and store new knowledge in your long-term memory.

The six strategies include retrieval practice (recall something you’ve learned in the past from your memory), spaced repetition (repeat the same piece of information across increasing intervals), interleaving (alternating before each practice is complete), elaboration (rephrasing new knowledge and connecting it with existing insights), reflection (synthesize, abstract, and articulate key lessons taught by experience), self-testing & calibration (answer a question or solve a problem before looking at the answer and identify knowledge gaps).

“Mastery, especially of complex ideas, skills and processes, is a quest. Don’t assume you’re doing something wrong if learning feels hard.”

2) The New Science of Learning

This book should be mandatory for students, teachers, and anyone who wants to learn. It’s based on state-of-the-art science about how the human brain learns. It will help you make learning more effective and teaches how you can retain knowledge and skills for a lifetime.

Similar to the ‘Make it Stick,’ the authors reveal common ineffective learning methods. The authors agree on many levels: “New learning requires a considerable amount of practice and a meaningful connection to other information in order to become a more permanent part of memory.”

To learn effectively, you need to use new information to form meaningful connections to other information. That’s why a multi-dimensional learning experience that involves many senses is effective.

Listen, talk, read, write, and think about the new material at hand to make learning more effective. The more work your brain does, the more connections you establish. And as you know, more connections increase the chances that you remember what you learn.

But it’s not only the learning itself that can improve your memory:

  • Sleep. During sleep, your brain cells shrink, and fluid can wash the toxins out. Sleep is your brain’s way of keeping itself clean and healthy. While sleeping, you strengthen the learning of your day.
  • Movement. Various studies attest to the importance of exercise for learning ability. Move your body to learn better.
  • Environment. A distracted brain can’t study. Prepare your environment for maximum focus. Go to a study room, turn off your phone, and eliminate any other distraction.

“Learning and memory have two key components: the learned object itself and the retrieval cue to find the learned object.”

3) How to Take Smart Notes

Do you finish a book or an article and think you’ve found great insights but don’t know what to do with them?

I read a lot, but I struggled to manage the input and my ideas for creative output. While writing an article, I often remembered I read something related but couldn’t find the source.

As Ahrens writes: “Having read more does not automatically mean having more ideas.”

Taking smart notes is the fast track to improve your productivity and creativity. Yet, most note-taking systems are ineffective.

This is one of the books that has forever changed the way I learn. Before, I didn’t know the difference between note-taking, note-making, and note-hierarchies.

‘How to Take Smart Notes’ transformed the way I store and manage what I read. It helped me realize a learning workflow can turn into a virtuous circle.

The idea is not to hoard knowledge but to develop ideas, arguments, and discussions, and the method he describes is called the slipbox.

Niklas Luhmann, a social scientist, invented the slipbox. He wrote 73 books and almost 400 research articles on various topics during his life, including politics, art, ecology, media, law, and the economy.

When someone asked him how he published so much, Luhmann replied, “I’m not thinking everything on my own. Much of it happens in my Zettelkasten. My productivity is largely explained by the Zettelkasten method”.

The slipbox is a fantastic learning tool as it forces us to use all the strategies known for effective learning.

When you read the book, you’ll marvel at sentences like: “We learn something not only when we connect it to prior knowledge and try to understand its broader implications (elaboration), but also when we try to retrieve it at different times (spacing) in different contexts (variation), ideally with the help of chance (contextual interference) and with a deliberate effort (retrieval).”

I love how Sönke Ahrens describes Luhmann’s Zettelkasten method and embeds it into the science of learning. It’s like “Make it Stick” applied to note-taking. This book will forever change the way you take notes.

“To seek as many opportunities to learn as possible is the most reliable long-term growth strategy.”

Want to feel inspired and improve your learning?

Subscribe free to The Learn Letter. I read a book and 50 articles a week, and each Wednesday, you’ll receive the best in your inbox. This newsletter will make you find tools and resources that help you on your path to health, wealth, and wisdom.

If Knowledge Is Power, Knowing What You Don’t Know Is Wisdom

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Adam Grant’s principles can change the way you think.

Created by the author via Canva.

“When was the last time you changed your mind about something?” I send to all new online dating matches. I want to test whether they foster a flexible, curious mind.

Changing your opinion when presented with evidence or arguments is one of the most valuable skills you can have in the 21st century. In fact, it’s so relevant, well-known psychologist Adam Grant dedicated an entire book about it.

Bill and Melinda Gates say ‘Think Again’ is a must-read. If you’re willing to expanding your mind, you can learn a lot from this book. The following insights can improve your ability to rethink and change your mind.

Embrace Your Second Thoughts

“You can’t change your opinion all the time,” my parents used to say whenever I liked something that I previously disliked. “It makes you weak.” So whenever I changed my mind, I felt guilty.

Society values character traits such as decisiveness and having a strong opinion. It gives a sense of control and stability. But this thinking is flawed.

If I could talk to my younger self, I’d say changing your mind isn’t a bad character trait. It means you’ve got a flexible mind and are open to learning.

When you don’t allow for rethinking your opinions and updating your beliefs, you stagnate. You’ll stop challenging your ideas and numb yourself through life.

“Decisiveness is overrated,” Adam Grant writes, “but I reserve the right to change my mind.”

“We laugh at people who still use Windows 95, yet we still cling to opinions that we formed in 1995.”

The Smarter You Are, The Harder You Might Fail

In our world of information overload, your intelligence isn’t all that matters. In fact, your heightened ability to learn and think can be counterproductive. Recent research suggests the smarter you are, the harder it is to update your beliefs.

Most smart people lack intellectual humility — they’re unaware of what they don’t know. Here’s an example.

When you just read a few books in your life, you’re likely aware of what you don’t know. But once you’ve read a good deal, you become ignorant. You might be too confident, too sure, and less aware of the things you don’t know.

That’s why I love antilibraries, a collection of unread books. Antilibraries represent unknowledge. They’re a great cure for overconfidence and ignorance.

“You will never read all those books,” friends say when they look at my want-to-read list. They’re right. The list grows by two books every day. Even though I read two books a week, I will only read very few of them.

But that’s the point. My antilibrary is a constant reminder of what I don’t know. It helps me stay curious and humble.

If you want to learn something new, you first need the humility to see what you don’t know.

“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”

The True Purpose of Learning

Grant tells the story of Spanx founder Sara Blakely. While she knew she could turn her idea en idea for footless pantyhose into reality, she doubted having the right tools for it.

Blakely relied on her beginner’s mindset and learned as much as possible about prototyping and patent law. What made her successful was her confidence in learning anything she would need.

It’s your mindset, your views on your intelligence, and your abilities that determine how much you learn.

Researcher Carol Dweck highlights the differences between the two types of thinking. Even though her model falls prey to the binary bias, her categorization can help us understand the distinct mindsets.

People with fixed mindsets believe intelligence is a fixed trait. In contrast, individuals with growth mindsets, such as Sara Blakely, see intelligence as something that grows by acquiring knowledge and skills.

“The purpose of learning isn’t to affirm our beliefs; it’s to evolve our beliefs.”

The Potential Power of Imposter Syndrom

Many people bought into the story that you can become successful despite your doubts. But what if your doubts drive success?

Basima Tewfik led a study to explore this idea. She invited med students who were about to start their clinical rotations two times. On their first visit, the students answered a survey on impostor syndrome. They were, for example, asked how often they think stuff like “I am not as qualified as others think I am.”

A week later, she invited these med students to inspect patients (who were played by actors). Similar to their professional reality, the students diagnosed diseases and suggested treatments.

Twefik tracked whether the students made the right diagnoses and how they handled their patients.

Guess what: the students with stronger imposter syndrome did significantly better — they scored higher on empathy, respect, professionalism, and communication.

This evidence is new and has not yet been replicated among other studies. But we might have been wrong about judging impost syndrome as a weakness.

“Feeling like an impostor can make us better learners. Having some doubts about our knowledge and skills takes us off a pedestal, encouraging us to seek out insights from others.”

Final Thoughts

Philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote almost a century ago, “the fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”

To not operate among the stupid, keep in mind to:

  • update your beliefs when presented with evidence and new arguments
  • remaining aware of what you don’t know
  • looking for ways to learn and evolve your beliefs
  • use your doubts to seek out insight from others

By valuing curiosity, learning, and mental flexibility, you will not only win my heart but also live a happier and wiser life.

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These 3 Practices by Bill Gates Will Change How You Read

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Reading gives you access to the smartest brains on earth. Learning from the greatest people is the fastest way to become healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Charlie Munger, self-made billionaire, and Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, once said that he hadn’t known any wise person who didn’t read all the time. None, zero.

Yet, reading per se doesn’t make you a better person. You can read 52 books a year without changing at all.

It’s about what and how you read that will improve your life’s quality and enhance your mind.

I read a book a week for more than two years now and continue to look for ways to improve my reading. Recently, I listened to Bill Gates sharing his free, yet priceless lessons on how he reads books.

Here are his top three reading practices and how to apply them:

1. Take side notes

In our distracting world, it’s tempting to shift focus at light speed. When phones are within a hand reach, it’s easy to switch tasks without even realizing it.

Taking side notes in the margins is a simple yet effective way to stay present. With a pen in your hand, it’s your default option to engage with the book in front of you. You’ll find it easier to focus on the thoughts at hand.

Moreover, scribbling on the pages will make it easier for you to remember what you’ve read. You ensure you link the new knowledge to what you already know. This helps you to think hard about what’s in the book.

Gates always aims to connect new knowledge to what he already knows. If he disagrees with the written word, he will take even more side notes:

“If I disagree with a book it sometimes takes a lot of time to read the book because I am writing so much in the margins. It’s actually kind of frustrating. Please say something I agree with so I can get through with this book.”

How to do it:

Take a pen in your hand before opening your next book. Cross out what you don’t like and write down what to do instead. Jot down a question if lines are unclear. Scribble your thoughts on the margins and connect what you learn with what you already know.

How can you link the words in front of you to your own experiences?

Which example can you add to the page that contradicts this claim?

Do you have any memory that proves the point at hand?

Soon you’ll realize that taking notes not only helps you to concentrate but also to remember what you read. The more you write in the margins, the more you’ll remember.

In learning theory, this way to remember things is called elaborative rehearsal. You make an association between the new information in the book and the information you already know. The more you elaborate, or try to understand something, the more likely you‘ll keep this new information in your long-term memory.

2. Finish every book you read

Gate’s second principle is simple: get to the end.

Read books cover to cover. He says:

“It’s my rule to get to the end.”

Huh? Seriously? It’s tempting to skip this principle since productivity coaches advise you not to complete bad books. We have to be careful here.

Bill doesn’t sayyou should complete a lousy book.

Instead, his rule indicates to decide what you read before you start. Consider whether a book is worth your time before you open it.

By doing so, you’ll become as intentional on reading as Bill Gates. Because it’s his rule always to finish what he starts, he’ll think twice before he starts a book.

Finishing every book you read doesn’t mean you should force yourself through a bad book. Instead, pick carefully and then commit to complete the book. Even if it turns out to be hard, contradicting, or daunting.

How to do it:

The internet allows us to access the libraries of smart minds. For example, Obama’s tweeted his favorite books from 2019, and Bill shares his recommendations once a year.

Start a want-to-read list with every book you intend to read. To do so, you can use listing apps like Google Keep, Wunderlist, or ToDoist, or create a profile on Goodreads.

I love using Goodreads for my want-to-reads as I see the covers and the overall rating. Before bulk-ordering, I’d browse through my list to pick the next books.

3. Read for at least one hour at a time

To get your mind around a book, Bill says, you should block an hour at a time every time you read. Here’s what he says:

“If you read books you want to sit down an hour at a time. Every night I’m reading, I’m reading a little bit over an hour so I can take my current book and make some progress.”

While Bill’s advice is applicable for retired billionaires, I’d recommend adapting his rule to: “Aim for one uninterrupted reading hour a day and also take every additional minute you get.”

How to do it:

Make it non-negotiable to read before you sleep. To do so, replace your smartphone with an alarm clock and go to bed an hour earlier.

Schedule a smartphone alarm every evening at 9 PM, which reminds you to switch off all your digital devices. Schedule a second alarm for 9:20 PM as a hard deadline and stick to it.

My bedtime ritual is reading. In bed, I can either sleep or read. That’s how I read one book per week for two years. The sooner you shut off your devices in the evening, the more you’ll learn.

Bottom Line

Following Bill’s principles isn’t complex, long, or exhausting.

On the contrary: These principles make reading fun and worthwhile.

  • Take side notes to engage with what you read.
  • Pick intentionally, and finish all the great books you read.
  • Make reading a bedtime ritual to have an undistracted reading hour.

Instead of feeling discouraged by all the ideas about what you could do to improve your reading, enjoy experimenting at your own pace. Keep the principles that work for you and screw the rest.

Choose one or two new reading habits until you find a pattern that helps you on your journey to health, wealth, and wisdom.

Adler’s Four Levels of How to Read a Book Will Improve Your Reading

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Get the most out of your books.

Library in Stuttgart, Germany. (Source: Juan Urdaneta on Flickr)

Books give you access to the smartest brains on our planet. And learning from the greatest minds is your fast track to health, wealth, and wisdom.

But reading per se doesn’t improve your life. You can read a book a week without changing at all.

It’s about what and how you read that will improve your life’s quality and enhance your mind. Mortimer Adler, a famous philosopher, and prolific reader, used to say:

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

I read a book a week for more than three years now, and I always look for ways to improve my reading. Recently, I reread Mortimer Adler’s classic ‘How to read a book,’ where he shares great advice. Here are the four levels of reading and how to apply them:

Level 1: Read like a first grader.

This level of reading because it’s what you learned as a kid in elementary school.

How to do it:

If you can read these words, you’ve probably mastered the level of basic reading. Congrats!

Level 2: Become an inspectional pre-reader.

Think of this level as a quick chat you have with the author. Instead of devoting ten hours to a book only to discover it had not much to say to you, you can use inspectional reading to avoid it.

The goal is to determine whether you should read the entire book, a few chapters, or nothing at all.

Before I learned about these levels, I was among the people who’d dive straight into a book. I wouldn’t bother to read the table of contents or the preface. I started to read from front to back, unknowingly wasting a lot of time.

You don’t owe the author anything. Dare to skip pages or even chapters. A non-fiction book’s sole purpose is to help you grow by answering your questions or introducing valuable ideas.

And here’s where becoming an inspectional pre-reader can help you. You do this step before you start reading. The goal here is to decide within around 10 to 30 minutes whether a book is worth your time.

How to do it:

Set yourself a time limit of 10–30 minutes and complete the following four steps for every time-intense non-fiction book you plan to read.

  1. Look at the cover and skim the preface. When doing so, you’ll get a feeling for the book’s category.
  2. Read the table of contents. Which chapter is most relevant to you? Read a few paragraphs from the chapter to grasp whether the book meets your expectations.
  3. Identify the main points. After steps one and two, you have an understanding of the book’s most important points. Look at the pivotal chapter to the argument and check the structure and connection. Does it resonate with you? Read a paragraph or a page, and figure out if you want to read the book.

Level 3: Know how to analyze any non-fiction book.

Yay! You’ve found a book worth reading. Thereby, you moved past the quick chat from the second level and started an intense conversation with the author.

Once you chose your next great book, the effortful part begins, also called active reading.

When I first learned about this level, I sighed. Why would I put even more time into reading? Analyzing a book seemed like slowing me down.

But the opposite is true. Effortless reading is like writing in the sand, here today and gone tomorrow.

While reading, most people think they understand the texts they read. But understanding doesn’t work like this. As scientists write in ‘The science of successful learning’: „Mastering the text is not the same as mastering the ideas behind them. “

“The more effort the better.”

— Mortimer Adler

To really master the ideas behind a text you need to think about what’s being said. You want to deploy your metacognition. What does the author want to say? How does it relate to what you already know? What context can you think of to apply the arguments?

Take notes along the way. Expand on your notes the deeper you dive into the arguments. Make reading a conscious effort because that’s how you will remember most of what you read.

How to do it:

Answer these three questions every time you read a book.

  1. What is the book about as a whole? Look at the cover at the table of contents and write down the answer in your own words.
  2. What is being said in detail, and how? This is where you want to use your metaknowledge and rephrase the critical argument.
  3. Is the book true, in whole or in part? Critical thinking and constructive criticism will help you put the book into perspective. You could answer this question only if you mastered the previous two.

Level 4: Unlock the power of syntopical reading.

This level is pretty hard. I’ve only done it once so far, and it only makes sense if you want to explore a specific topic or research question in depth. Level four is not about a single book but about how the books you read relate to each other.

The aim isn’t to understand one single book but to understand an entire subject. By deploying syntopical reading, you can compare their arguments, explore research questions and draw a knowledge map.

“With the help of the books read, the syntopical reader is able to construct an analysis of the subject that may not be in any of the books. It is obvious, therefore, that syntopical reading is the most active and effortful kind of reading.“

— Mortimer Adler

From a learning perspective, this level is terrific. To learn something, you need the information itself and its relation to what you already know. So-called memory cues help you access information when you need it.

How to do it:

Determine the subject and collect all the books you read related to it. Then, find the relevant passages of the books and rephrase them in your terms.

While summarizing the key ideas, focus on your questions instead of the author’s answers. Only pick the arguments relevant to your questions.

Once you’ve collected the key points from all the different books, order them in relation to one another.

Lastly, analyze the discussion. Even if you’re not a writer, an article can be the best tool to do this.

Research shows the more you create, the more creative you become. The best ideas and connections will arise once you flow into the writing process.

Final Thoughts

Following Mortimer Adler’s levels seems complex. But these principles make reading worthwhile and help you get more from your books.

  1. Read at the elementary level.
  2. Use inspectional pre-reading to pick the best book for you.
  3. Become an effortful reader by answering the three key questions.
  4. Deploy syntopical reading whenever you want to dive deep into a topic.

Instead of feeling discouraged by all the ideas about what you could do to improve your reading, enjoy experimenting at your own pace. Keep the ideas that work for you and screw the rest.

Choose one or two new ideas until you find a pattern that helps you on your journey to health, wealth, and wisdom.

“Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.”

— Mortimer Adler

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A Former Facebook VP Shares Lessons to Manage Your Team Better

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Ideas that can help every entrepreneur achieve more.

Photo by John Ray Ebora from Pexels

Most management books are self-help fluff by people who’ve never done what they’re preaching. So when a fellow founder recommended Julie Zhuo’s The Making of A Manager, I didn’t expect much.

Turns out I was wrong.

Zhuo’s book is a bible for entrepreneurs who want to help their team achieve better outcomes. I wish I’d read this book before founding my first company. Reading it would have helped me avoid many pitfalls.

What follows are the top four lessons from the book with actionable questions on how to use them.

Use these 3 pillars for stellar 1-on-1 meetings

These meetings are an essential lever to building healthy relationships with your team. Zhuo recommends doing a weekly 1-on-1 with every person that reports directly to you.

These 30-minutes should feel a bit awkward — because that’s how you realize you’re in the meaningful zone. Strong relationships don’t arise from superficial small talk. Instead, talk about mistakes, confront tensions, and share your fears and hope.

But meaningful conversations don’t arise naturally. You need to prepare, or as Zhuo writes:

“It’s rare that an amazing conversation springs forth when nobody has a plan for what to talk about. I tell my reports that I want our time together to be valuable, so we should focus on what’s most important for them.”

When you prepare, think about your report’s top priorities. How can you help? Moreover, list the feedback that will help your co-worker succeed. Lastly, sharpen your understanding of what ‘great’ looks like.

The main goal of these 1-on-1 meetings is to help your report. What would help them be more successful in what they’re doing? Don’t look for status updates but focus on topics that are hard to discuss in a larger group. Once you’re in the 1-on-1, three pillars will make them valuable.

Identify:

  • What’s top of mind for you right now?
  • What priorities do you think about this week?
  • What’s the best use of our time today?

Understand:

  • What does your ideal outcome look like?
  • What’s hard for you in getting to that outcome?
  • What do you really care about?
  • What do you think is the best course of action?
  • What’s the worst-case scenario you’re worried about?”

Support:

  • How can I help you?
  • What can I do to make you more successful?
  • What was the most useful part of our conversation today?”

Appreciation can work as fuel. Make sure also to reinforce good behavior. Kind words about your co-worker’s unique strengths will help both of you achieve your goals. You know you’ve held a great 1-on-1 if your team member found it highly useful.

Transform average meetings into great ones

Even as an entrepreneur, most meetings suck. They’re part of any work culture, no matter how small or large your company might be. Yet, most meetings are highly unproductive.

“Meetings are a blight of big companies and almost always get worse over time. [..] walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it’s obvious you aren’t adding value. It is not rude to leave; it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time”

— Elon Musk in an email to his staff

While most of us can’t simply walk out of meetings, we can be more respectful of each other’s time. Zhuo’s tips transform average meetings into great ones.

Great meetings should be simple and straightforward. They have a clear purpose and lead to clear outcomes. But having a meeting agenda is not enough. Besides, you need a picture of the desired outcome.

If you schedule a meeting to make a joint decision, make sure every attendee can give their opinion (either through speaking, commenting, or voting). Focus on making the time valuable for everyone involved but don’t get lost in details.

In my team’s last meeting, I put “decide on communication tool for teamwork” on the list. I estimated 10 minutes for this discussion. Yet, two co-workers held strong opinions about the different tools, and it became clear that we wouldn’t reach an agreement. At the same time, the other four team members involved were indifferent.

Instead of letting this discussion take up the entire meeting time, I asked the two for a brief get-together after the meeting. By removing anything from the agenda that didn’t concern all of the attendees, your co-workers will know you respect their time.

Another way to make your meetings more valuable is by being vulnerable. A way to foster opposing opinions is by acknowledging that you don’t know everything, Zhuo writes.

Acknowledging your shortcomings with your team will foster a growth mindset. Dare to say when you don’t know an answer and ask for your team’s ideas. Apologize when you made a mistake. Share your learning goals with your team.

Lastly, think about which meetings can be replaced by a call, an email, or a shared document? When Zhuo realized her weekly stand-ups were repetitive, she replaced the meeting with a weekly e-mail.

Use reflection to manage yourself better

The key to managing yourself is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. And a great way to do this is by reflecting — the active decision to think about your past. Or, as researchers put it:

“Reflection is the intentional attempt to synthesize, abstract, and articulate the key lessons taught by experience.”

We don’t have to be visibly active to learn. Progress starts with self-awareness. If we aren’t aware of a problem, we can’t improve.

I do a yearly reflection every December and another every month, but Zhuo’s input inspired me to do it more regularly. Here’s a checklist of questions you can ask (and my answer to them):

  • How would the people who know and like you describe you in three words?
    inspiring, thoughtful, empathetic
  • Which three qualities are you really proud of?
    open-minded, generous, mindful
  • When you remember your last success, what were the traits that enabled you to succeed?
    getting-things-done mentality, reflection, vision
  • Which positive feedback have you received most commonly from your co-workers or chef?
    growth mindset, motivating, efficient
  • Whenever your worst inner critic sits on your shoulder, what does she yell at you for?
    wanting to make it right for everybody, holding back my opinion, not trying hard enough
  • If you could ask a fairy for three gifts you don’t have yet — what would you ask for?
    persuasiveness, patience, courage
  • What are the things that trigger you?
    people with overconfidence and inflated egos, not being accountable, the ideas other people don’t appreciate my work
  • What are the three most common pieces of advice from your team or boss on who you can improve?
    dare to disagree with popular opinions, share achievements with others, be less direct

If you’re unsure about your strengths and weaknesses, ask the people around you for feedback. Once you have your answers, you can work best with the resources you have.

In the words of American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey:

“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.”

Moving Forward

As with all business advice, pick the lessons that best help you in your situation. Focus on the principles that make a difference in your company.

  • Use the three pillars of identifying, understanding, and supporting to make every 1-on-1 meaningful.
  • Transform average meetings into great ones by removing the ones you don’t need and welcoming contradicting opinions.
  • Get better at managing yourself by using reflection as a learning tool.

Without application and action, the best advice is worthless. If you, however, apply one principle at a time, you’ll realize how these small decisions accumulate and lead to changes in your company.

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This is Exactly How Reading 197 Books Improved My Life

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Naval Ravikant: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

Picture by Author.

Do you ever open a book and worry whether reading can really change your life?

If you feel like reading is a time-waster, it’s likely because you haven’t reaped the rewards yet. As Naval Ravikant once said:

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

You don’t see the desired results within weeks. If you stop too early, you’ll never get where you want.

But once you read for years rather than weeks, you see it’s the shortcut to get where you want without trial and error. You simply borrow the brains of the greatest minds and apply their nuggets of wisdom.

Through the 197 books I read, I learned from some of the best thinkers. Here are three specific ways reading has improved my life.

1.) Automating Your Path to Financial Freedom

Financial literacy is inherited. If your parents aren’t smart about money, you don’t learn the essential investing principles unless you read.

Books taught me wealth isn’t about how much you make. It’s about how much you save. Don’t save what is left after spending but spend what is left after saving.

Your paycheck won’t make you rich. Your investments will. Ramit Sethi uses 50–60% for Fixed costs (rent, utilities, debt), 10% for Investments (401(k), Roth IRA, ETF saving plans), 5–10% for saving goals (vacations, gifts, emergency fund) and 20–35% for guilt-free spending money (dining, drinking, movies, clothes).

Reading made me set up my investment plan. Right now, I invest 25% of my income. From my paycheck, 15% go to ETFs, 7% to cryptocurrencies, and 3% in lower-risk assets like bonds. On top of this, I sometimes cherry-pick stocks. But stock-picking is gambling. Here’s why.

Risk and return are interrelated. If you want to invest successfully, you can’t eliminate risk. The money market rewards investors with interest in the risks they take.

Smart investing isn’t about avoiding risks. Instead, it’s about diversifying your risks. But with stock-picking, you’re betting on a single company.

Here’s another insight that altered my path to financial freedom: You’re never going to get rich by renting out your time.

Wealthy people built systems that make money independent from time. They sell products with no marginal cost of replication — things like books, media, movies, and code. You can multiply your returns without working more.

As Nicolas Cole says:

“The way that people build true wealth for themselves is they see money differently than everyone else. They don’t see it as something they ‘have.’ They see it as something they deploy, and use to build and grow from there.”

2.) Cutting Workdays from 11 Hours to Five Hours

I used to work long hours. I worked hard to get what I felt was a success in life, including building my own companies next to a purposeful 9–5 job, my Master’s degree, a handsome fiancé, a specific amount of workouts and books per week, a number on the scale.

I was on an eternal quest for the next achievement. I never paused.

But one book after another, my life changed. Eckhart Tolle made me redefine success. John Strelecky revealed my life priorities. Brené Brown transformed my inner voice. Cal Newport helped me build deep work habits.

My workdays averaged 11 hours. Now, they‘re down to 5. The time spent is less. But my focus is higher. The equation for knowledge work is as follows:

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

The more hours your work, the harder it is to focus. Working 11 hours a day with zero focus leads to zero high-quality work. That’s why there’s a diminishing return on input working hours. Putting in more hours can worsen your results. And your life’s quality.

I get up around six. After an hour of meditation, yoga, journaling, and whatever feels good, I write for about three hours. Then I read and add notes to my Roamkasten. At 11, I workout. Then, I take a long lunch break with my partner. Only after lunch, I turn on my phone.

My afternoons vary. I go for a walk with a friend. I take a bath. I have another deep work session for one of my clients, record an interview or volunteer for my NGO. But whatever I do, I make sure my phone and computer are switched off at 8 PM.

I still have workdays where I work too much. But whenever I do, I keep Glennon Doyle words in mind:

“Hard work is important. So are play and non-productivity. My worth is not tied to my productivity but to my existence.”

3.) Learning How to Learn Anything You Want

Learning is the only meta-skill you need to master because all other meta-skills depend on your ability to learn.

If you know how to learn, picking up philosophy or graphic design, or coding is so much easier. If you don’t, learning new skills is a daunting path.

In the first years of my reading journey, I ignored learning. Whenever a conversation revolved around a book I read, I could never remember much. I thought forgetting is my personal flow. But it isn’t.

Forgetting is essential for learning. Spaced repetition, one of the most effective learning strategies, allows some forgetting to occur between sessions. Thereby it strengthens the cues and routes for faster retrieval.

We learn something when we try to access it at different times (spacing) and in distinct contexts (variation). We learn when we connect existing knowledge to what’s in front of us (elaboration) and when we recall what we learned (retrieval).

Here’s how to remember anything you want from books:

  • Elaboration. Think while you read. Pause to make notes on how and when you could use this new insight. How does it relate to anything you already know? Write it down.
  • Retrieval. After you finish a book, think about what you want to remember. Recall from your mind what you want to stick with you. Write it down in your favorite tool — a journal, GoodReads, Notion, or RoamResearch.
  • Variation. Share what you learned with your friends. Talk about your insights in a mastermind group or use the Feynman technique and teach it to somebody else.
  • Spacing. Browse through your old book notes. Look at the title and test yourself on what you remember. This process feels slow and frustrating, but that’s how meaningful learning works.

When I first learned about the process, I fear it’s a time waste. But it isn’t. In Sönke Ahrens words:

“Not learning from what we read because we don’t take the time to elaborate on it is the real waste of time”

Final Remarks

I could go on indefinitely because reading has also improved my life on so many levels (10-day fasts, slow sex, nose-breathing, psychedelic experiences, etc.). But I’ll stop for now and leave you with one powerful thought.

Reading is liberating. Freedom means choosing from a set of options. The more options you have, the freer you are. But most people don’t know about all their options. And that’s where reading kicks in. It helps you explore options you never knew existed.

“One cannot apply what one knows in a practical manner if one does not know anything to apply.”

— Robert Sternberg

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Avoiding These 6 Things Will Help You Tell Stories People Want to Hear

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How to create a cinema for the mind.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Humans connect with emotions, not facts. So the best way to put your ideas in the world is by telling stories.

Yet, many people don’t know how to captivate an audience. They recite a list of events, get lost in abstractions, or take away the surprise before even starting.

As a result, the audience feels bored and doesn’t listen. Instead of wondering where a story will take them, all they care about is when it will finally end.

My dad is the best storyteller I know, but I didn’t inherit his skills. My stories sucked. And while I was convinced you can learn most things in life, I thought storytelling had more to do with innate talent than learnable traits.

Turns out I was wrong.

Storytelling is a skill you can learn. After completing a TED masterclass, studying Matthew Dicks, and practicing in public, I discovered a pattern most bad storytellers have in common.

1) They recite events in chronological order

When asked about their vacation, we all know people who give a list of locations and activities. “Well, our first stop was in a beautiful hotel in Paris, where we went to Louvre and blah, blah, blah.”

Listeners don’t want to hear meaningless lists. I’m sorry for all of my friends who had to listen to my backpack stops through South America and whether I liked the hostels.

The problem is: People can’t connect with things. Instead, they connect with emotions and moments of insight and transformation.

What to do:

Think about a blockbuster moment: A transformational insight that forever changed the way you think about a specific topic.

One single incident in a seemingly meaningless setting can mean so much more than the best holiday scenery. People connect with stories they can associate with, not with the stuff that has never happened to them.

Don’t talk about a Machupicchu marathon, but share the moment where you found trust in humanity because a stranger returned a lost wallet. Don’t share details about hotel facilities but about the moment you felt homesick because you realized relationships matter most.

To find these meaningful moments, ask yourself: When did you feel angry, loved, surprised, moved, or in awe? Then, recreate the build-up towards the emotion.

Great storytellers guide through the transformation from one feeling to another. The best stories reflect change over time.

2) They tell stories about their heroic self

Would you rather hear about how a failed exam and bad breakup led to chronic depression and my six-month escape to India or about the time I sent only one application and landed my dream job?

Me too. Perfectionism is boring. Nobody wants to hear about the time something ran down smoothly. Especially not if the story has a bragging undertone.

Ego-centeredness leads to bad stories. We don’t want to hear a flawless hero’s journey. We want to see other people struggle as we do. World-class storyteller Matthew Dicks wrote:

“Failure is more engaging than success.”

What to do:

Dare to be vulnerable because this is what moves listeners emotionally. We love to listen to people who truthfully share their struggles. Honesty is freaking attractive.

Share the times you’ve failed and your lessons learned. The times you desperately wanted to achieve something, but you didn’t.

Being honest with each other allows us to strengthen our social bonds and form deep, meaningful connections.

3) Bad storytellers don’t know when to be quiet

Dr. Brené Brown once wrote we should be as passionate about listening as we are about wanting to be heard.

Many of us feel the urge to say something, to at least share their opinion, but hardly anyone is ready to listen.

Bad storytellers don’t pay attention to the space they occupy. They don’t realize when they’ve said too much. They don’t sense when it’s time to be quiet.

Whenever I listen to a person who loves his own voice just a little bit too much, I think of this quote by Mark Twain:

“Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg crackles as if she has laid an astroid.”

What to do:

Ask questions but don’t listen to reply. Instead, listen to understand. You connect with others when they feel heard and valued.

Don’t bother about what other people think about you. Instead, use your energy to be the best listener in the room.

Whenever you’re in doubt whether you’re saying too much and listening too little, pause and be quiet.

4) They forget to create a cinema for the mind

An audience wants to connect visually, but bad storytellers don’t give any visual information. They get lost in abstractions and don’t act as a person who is physically moving through space.

The bigger the abstraction, the harder it is for an audience to connect. While sentences like ‘certainty is the enemy of growth’ and ‘how you do anything is how you do everything’ work on paper, they don’t work in stories.

People can’t identify with concepts. They’re not relatable, and in stories, they lead to boredom. Just like Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

What to do:

Matthew Dicks sums it up:

“The simplest stories about the smallest moments in our life are often the most compelling.”

Rather than focusing on the big concept and blurring the overall takeaway, aim for details and specificity.

And don’t get lost in the land of nothingness. Great stories are a cinema for the mind. They contain details that make a scene highly sensory—information about the setting, physical location, feelings, events.

A physical location in every scene helps your audience create a vivid picture in their mind.

5) They kill any surprises

Let me tell you about the time I felt outraged and almost left my startup. Wow. I killed any surprise. So do starter phrases like:

  • “You won’t believe it.”
  • “You can’t imagine what happened to me.”
  • “Yesterday, I met the most interesting person ever.”

Stories live by unexpected twists. That’s what makes them interesting in the first place. But if you predict the outcome and raise the expectation bar, your story can only disappoint.

What to do:

Don’t start with a summary. There’s no need to give a disclaimer or summary. Start with the story.

The best place to start your story is by starting at the end’s opposite. Want to tell a story about regaining trust in humanity? Start with a scene when you had the least trust. Thereby, you reinforce the change that happened in you.

And if you need a thesis statement, put it at the end. Because surprise is what creates emotions. Again, Matthew Dicks, who makes his audience laugh hard before he makes them cry:

“You need to build surprise into your stories. There must be moments of unexpectedness so that your audience can experience an emotional response to your story.”

6) They repeat what has been said before

Bad storytellers are often unoriginal. Margarete Stokowski gives a perfect example: It’s like shouting through a megaphone: “We all have to think for ourselves!” And a crowd of a thousand people repeats: “We all have to think for ourselves!”

It’s the tenth article about Elon Musk’s first-order thinking. It’s people who quote Kant’s “Have the courage to use your own reason,” and then happily continue giving more and more quotes.

Bad storytellers repeat what has been said a thousand times. They cling to stories and beliefs that aren’t contradictory or bear any controversy.

What to do:

Take a stance and a statement. Support a thesis. It’s easier to not have an opinion than it is to have one. Don’t be the one who doesn’t have one. Be the one who does.

Use other people’s ideas as a stepping stone. Copy thoughts, but then add a twist and make them about your view of the world. Use your experiences to create a unique story out of them.

If a friend went through a story you would love to share, tell your story’s angle. Don’t ever copy something just because you feel people will like it.

“Be quoatable. Your job is not to recycle but to create something new.”

— Matthew Dicks

All You Need to Know

Great storytellers aren’t born that way. They become great by following these rules:

  1. Don’t give time-stamp listicles of events and facts. Instead, build your story around one emotionally transforming moment.
  2. Don’t make any story about your best self. Show vulnerability and imperfection. Talk about the lessons you learned along the way.
  3. Don’t take too much space. Allow others to take the stage and listen carefully.
  4. Don’t get lost in abstractions. Be as specific as you can, include physical locations, and create a cinematic mind experience.
  5. Don’t take away the surprise. If you need a thesis statement, use it in the end, not in the beginning.
  6. Don’t repeat what has been said before. Dare to be original.

In the end, people don’t make decisions based on numbers or facts — it’s stories that make all the difference. No matter where you are in life, storytelling can help you achieve your goals.

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Philosophical Books that Can Still Improve Your Life Today

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Stop buying from bestseller lists.

Photo by BERK OZDEMIR from Pexels

If you look at humanity’s timeline —what are the chances that the truly great books have been written in the past 20 years? Approximately zero, right.

Still, many people buy the latest books instead of the greatest. Here’s what that leads to:

“A public that will leave unread writings of the noblest and rarest of minds (…), merely because these writings have been printed today and are still wet from the press.” — Schopenhauer

Common problems have been the same throughout all centuries: happiness, morality, power, justice, and love. That’s why the wisdom from great philosophers is still so applicable.

Here are eight books from great minds that you don’t find on current best-seller lists.

1. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Even though the title sounds complex, reading the Tao Te Ching is easy. The book helps us understand Taoism, which literally means ‘the way.’

Like Stoicism, Taoism also focuses on simplicity. But it also contains human values like patience and compassion. Stoicism is Jordan Peterson, Taoism is Brené Brown. I much more prefer the latter.

When you read through the 160-page short book written in 4th century BC, you feel trust and self-compassion rushing through you. Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.”― Lao Tzu

2. Zhuangzi by Zhuangzi

If Tao Te Ching explains Taoism’s theoretical concepts, this book is its workbook. It shows us how to put Toaism into practice.

Zhuangzi gives us applicable guidance, like “A path is made by walking on it” or, “Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.” In sum, the book is a how-to guide for living a simple and natural but full and flourishing life.

It’s an ancient and even wiser version of Naval Ravikant and a great read for anyone who wants to bring more happiness and wisdom to their life.

3. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

The main goal of Nicomachean Ethics is learning to achieve eudaimonia, a Greek term with deep meaning. Philosophers say there’s no accurate translation for eudaimonia. But if we had to find a word, it’s happiness.

To achieve this kind of happiness, a person must first reach a state of inner balance. And to achieve personal harmony, there are two things you should do:

  1. Investing in your education, reasoning, and thinking.
  2. Cultivating important character virtues.

In the book, Aristotle explains how to build a virtuous character. First, by learning the difference between virtuous and not virtuous actions. Second, by creating habits that allow you to form a good character.

That’s how Aristotle goes one step further than James Clear. Before he tells you how to form habits, Aristotle gives you a decision guide for future actions.

4. Five Dialogues of Plato

When I started studying philosophy last fall, reading Plato was one of the first reading assignments. Different characters debate topics like justice, death, and virtue. They mostly try to find a conclusion (even though they can’t always find one).

What I love about Plato is his philosophy in dialogue form. The dialogue makes reading interesting.

The asking protagonists are the reader’s voice. They ask questions you will have. And this book contains 5 of the most important Platonic dialogues.

“Are you not ashamed of your eagerness to possess as much wealth, reputation, and honors as possible, while you do not care for nor give thought to wisdom or truth, or the best possible state of your soul?” — Plato

5. What is Enlightenment? by Immanuel Kant

Now, this isn’t really a book but an essay. But Kant is hard to read. And better to read a hard-digestible essay than not to read Kant’s work. It still contains the quintessence of his writings.

Kant popularized the idea that we should trust no authority except our own reason. He would sigh when looking at all the coaches, self-help books, and online courses that suggest how to live your life.

He’d say: Use your own reasoning and, by all means, dare to be wise.

So, this essay is excellent for anyone struggling with trusting their own beliefs. For writers who feel scared to form opinions. And for insecure overachievers.

Kant’s words are a great reminder of whom to trust making any decision in life — you.

6. Penseés by Blaise Pascal

The Penseés is a collection of philosophical fragments, notes, and essays. Pascal explores the contradictions of human nature from a psychological, social, theological, and metaphysical perspective.

While this collection is slightly pessimistic and tries to convince atheists of God’s existence, it’s still worth the read. You will realize the fundamental human problems were the same in 1670 as in 2021.

“Man’s condition: Inconstancy, boredom, anxiety. But take away their distractions and you will see them wither from boredom.” — Blaise Pascal

7. The Complete Essays by Michel de Montaigne

Just like Bill Gates, Michel was one of the wealthiest men of his time. And just like Bill, Michel appreciated ‘thinking time.’

Yet, Michel’s thinking time far exceeded Bill’s think week. He isolated himself for 9 entire years to find what it means to be human.

Frankly, his essay’s topics seem random. They cover wide arrays and range from friendships to the imagination, to laughing, and more.

Reading his essays is not too difficult. But the sum (1344 pages) is daunting. If you decide to get this book, here is a selection of his most-discussed essays. Yet, when you choose, remember to use your own reason (see 5).

  • On Friendship
  • To philosophize is to learn how to die
  • Apology for Raymond Sebond
  • On Experience
  • On Solitude

8. The Letters of Abelard and Heloise by Betty Radice

What I dislike about most booklists is they don’t include female authors. Yet, I didn’t know that finding ancient female writing is a true research project.

Héloïse was a philosopher of love and friendship. Plus, she was important for the establishment of women in science. Her controversial thoughts about genre and marriage influenced the development of modern feminism.

Héloïse, a 12th-century woman raised in a convent, expressed her sexuality with such openness our generations can learn from.

“No one’s real worth is measured by his property or power: Fortune belongs to one category of things and virtue to another.” — Héloïse

In Summary

Learning from the greatest thinkers who have ever existed doesn’t need to feel like a burden. On the contrary — it can be fun and worthwhile.

Your life, your reading list. Use your own mind and pick the ones that resonate with you. Then, screw the rest. When in doubt, remember Schopenhauer’s suggestion:

“Only read for a limited and definite time exclusively the works of great minds, those who surpass other men of all times and countries, and whom the voice of fame points to as such. These alone really educate and instruct.”

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The Apeiron Blog — Big Questions, Made Simple.

We know that Philosophy can seem complicated at times. To make things simple, we compile together the best articles, news, reading lists — and other free resources to guide you on your journey. To continue with us, follow us on Medium and sign up to our free mailing list.

How You Can Make Reading an Ongoing Habit

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We make reading more serious than it needs to be.

Image by izoca from Pixabay

When you look at human history, the fundamental human problems are the same in all ages. No matter what problem we face, odds are someone has faced it before and written about it.

Carl Sagan states in ‘The Persistence of Memory’:

“Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”

Through books, we can learn from citizens of distant epochs. The solution to every problem lies in some a book. That’s why reading is the key to a successful and happy life.

Over the last years, I transformed from reading two books a year to reading at least one book a week. If I can do this, you can too. These tiny shifts can help make reading a habit for life.

1) Buy the books you really want to read.

When I started reading, I followed celebrities reading recommendations and best-seller lists. If Charlie Munger, Melinda Gates, or the New York Times recommend a book, it’s a must-read for me.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

These lists are not where you want to start your reading journey. As Arthur Schopenhauer wrote in his essay on reading and books: “People read always only the newest instead of the best of all times.”

We shouldn’t read the book everyone talks about. Because the best person to judge whether you should read a is neither a billionaire nor a newspaper — it’s you.

“Read what you love until you love to read.”

— Naval Ravikant

How to do it:

Start with what sparks your interest. A few hundred books in, you will anyway gravitate towards the good stuff.

Depending on where you are in life right now and whether you want to read for fun or learning, ask yourself:

  • What are you most curious about right now?
  • Which life area (health, wealth, relationships, work) do you want to advance?
  • What’s a problem in life you really want to see solved?

Find ten-books that potentially satisfy your needs. Search for keywords or experts within the niche. Go to a bookstore and ask for timeless recommendations.

Then, scan through the book’s table of content. Read a few pages and see whether the words resonate with you. Buy three books that attract you the most.

Oh, and if a book doesn’t promise to deliver on your questions, quit it. There are too many great books waiting for you. Choose wisely, then, read thoroughly.

2) Create your ultimate reading environment.

“If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us,“ Dr. Marshall Goldsmith wrote about triggers.

Desired behavior isn’t tied to our willpower. Instead, self-control and self-discipline depend much more on our environment, Nobel-prize winner Thaler discovered.

I bet if we compare a person who takes their phone to the bedroom with a person who doesn’t, the latter will almost always read more.

Resisting social media’s mechanisms is incredibly hard. You don’t want to be nudged to use your phone first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.

Instead, you want to design your environment to make it work for you. As James Clear put it:

“You don’t have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.”

How to do it:

Keeping your phone away from your bed is one of the hardest habits to break. But the work is worth it.

I replaced my phone with an alarm clock and stopped taking my phone to the bed two years ago. Best-decision ever. In bed, I can either sleep or read.

As soon as you charge your phone outside of your bedroom, you have more time during the evenings and the mornings. Instead of newsfeeds, your environment invites you to read.

The less time you spend on your phone, the more you’ll read.

What also helped me is making reading obvious. I put my book on the pillow when I make my bed in the morning. Thereby, reading in bed becomes the default option. Not having to use willpower will set you up for a reading habit for life.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

3) Don’t eat the same dish for breakfast and dinner.

You don’t want to eat the same dish for breakfast and breakfast. Why would you read the same book in the morning and the evening?

Many people try to force themselves through a specific book at a specific time. Reading becomes joyless. Ultimately, they stop reading altogether.

Don’t feel like reading before you go to sleep? Chances are high it’s the wrong book on your bed table.

By reading different books simultaneously, you can take a break from whatever title you don’t want to read at that time. Books are patient. They’ll wait for you until you feel like picking them up again.

“Everyone I know is stuck on some book. I’m sure you’re stuck on some book right now. It’s page 332, you can’t go on any further but you know you should finish the book, so what do you do? You give up reading books for a while.”

— Naval Ravikant

Plus, reading different books at the same time can reveal unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated titles. As James Clear says: “The most useful insights are often found at the intersection of ideas.“

How to do it:

Start a new book before you finished the one you’re reading. Place your books in locations that remind you to read them at the right time.

Right now, I’m reading 12 books. In the morning, before journaling, I often read a page of ‘Meditations.’ The physical book is right next to my journal. I’ll dive into ‘How to Take Smart Notes’ right after writing to level up my reading practice. That’s why my Kindle is on my desk. ‘Leaders Eat Last’ lingers on my shelf since last May, but I’ll give it a second chance before I quit it. Before sleep, I want to dive into a new world, and I do this with a historical novel.

Don’t force yourself through a content-dense book before you start a new one. This slows down your reading practice and takes away any joy. Having different books for different situations will change the way you look at books.

4) Apply new knowledge to improve your life.

Reading lets, you borrow smart people’s brains. Yet, reading per se doesn’t make you a better person. You can read a book a week without changing at all.

If you only read but never act upon your new knowledge, reading can feel like a time-waster. Ratna Kusner said:

“Knowledge trapped in books neatly stacked is meaningless and powerless until applied for betterment of life.”

It’s about what and how you read that will improve your life’s quality and enhance your mind.

Social climber Dale Carnegie used to say knowledge isn’t power until it’s applied. And to apply what you read, you must take your reading game to the next level.

How to do it:

If you stumble upon useful advice in a book, act immediately. Put an item on your to-do list or place an action item on a specific spot.

By forming action items from your books, you’ll make the most out of any book. You’ll be able to apply knowledge from books to your life.

Don’t intend to read a specific number of books per year. Instead, take your time with the books that can transform your life. Reread them and act upon new knowledge.

When you witness how reading improves the way you go through life, you’ll gladly make reading a habit for life.

Final Thoughts

No matter who you are or what you do, reading can help you achieve your goals. But most of the time, we make reading more serious than it needs to be. Sometimes, tiny shifts can change the way we read.

  • Read the books you can’t stop thinking about.
  • In the bedroom, replace your phone with a book.
  • Be okay with reading different books at the same time.
  • Apply what you read to your life.

While each of these points can change how you read in one way or the other, they only serve as inspiration, and you certainly don’t need to implement every single one.

Choose one or two you like, but screw the rest. Only one person should define your reading journey — you.

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Arthur Schopenhauer’s 3 Ideas Will Improve the Way You Read

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Timeless advice on how to make the most of your books.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Books carry the wisdom of the smartest people who ever existed. Through reading, you find yourself on the surefire way to become happy, healthy, and wise.

Yet, books per se don’t make you a better person.

You can read every day without changing at all. It’s what and how you read that will improve your life’s quality and enhance your mind.

I’ve read a book a week for more than three years and always look for ways to improve my reading practice. Recently, I stumbled upon Arthur Schopenhauer’s essay on reading and books.

Schopenhauer was a philosopher whose writing on morality and psychology has influenced Einstein, Nietzsche, and Freud, among others. Here are his powerful reading insights and how to apply them:

1) Stop Reading Passively

In 1851, Schopenhauer got something right most people still ignore. Books are the arena of someone else’s thoughts, not our own. He writes:

“When we read, another person thinks for us: we merely repeat his mental process.”

Human brains don’t work like recording devices. You don’t absorb information and knowledge by reading. Relying on highlighting, rereading, or, worst of all, passive reading is highly ineffective.

For my first 80 books or so, I was a passive reader. Whenever a conversation revolved around something I read, I could never remember much. I thought forgetting is a personal character flaw.

But it isn’t. Instead, it’s the way we read that’s flawed.

To get the most from books, we need to think for ourselves while reading. Active reading is the way we acquire and retain knowledge.

How to apply it:

Before opening your next book, take a pen to your hand. Scribble your thoughts on the margins and connect what you learn with what you already know.

While reading, think about questions like:

  • How can you link the words to your own experiences?
  • How can you use the author’s thesis to explain something else?
  • Do you have any memory that proves or contradicts what you read?

You store new information in terms of its meaning to our existing memory. To remember new information, you not only need to know it but also to know how it relates to what you already know.

And by scribbling down your own thoughts, you’re doing what cognitive scientists call elaborative rehearsal. You associate new information with what you already know.

Soon you’ll realize that taking notes not only helps you to concentrate but also to remember what you read. That’s how you transform yourself into an active reader.

2) Not Every Book is Worth Your Time

Books aren’t created equal. When looking at current best-seller lists, what Schopenhauer wrote some hundred years ago feels right on point:

“Nine-tenths of the whole of our present literature aims solely at taking a few shillings out of the public’s pocket, and to accomplish this, author, publisher, and reviewer have joined forces.”

A book’s sales numbers don’t say much about its quality. Best-selling authors are primarily great marketers.

When you look at human history, the fundamental human problems are the same in all ages: Justice, happiness, power, love, and change.

And through books, you can connect with people who mastered these areas centuries before. So why bother with the short-cycle of current books?

Again, Schopenhauer:

“A public that will leave unread writings of the noblest and rarest of minds, of all times and all countries, for the sake of reading the writings of commonplace persons which appear daily, and breed every year in countless numbers like flies; merely because these writings have been printed today and are still wet from the press.”

How to apply it:

Knowing what you want to read is essential, but so is its inversion — knowing what you don’t want to read.

Statistically, the chances are small that the best books are written in the current decade. So, look beyond best-seller lists to choose the books you read.

If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking. Instead, follow A.B. Schlegel’s advice, who had also been a guiding star for Schopenhauer:

“Read the old ones, the real old ones. What the new ones say about them doesn’t mean much.”

I love to find ‘the real old ones’ through Mortimer J. Adler’s book recommendations, starting page 175.

3) Develop Your System of Thought

Schopenhauer’s last advice concerns the way we systemize reading:

“Every one has aims, but very few have anything approaching a system of thought. This is why such people do not take an objective interest in anything, and why they learn nothing from what they read: they remember nothing about it.”

Knowledge isn’t power unless it’s applied. And to apply what we read, we must first remember what we learned.

Schopenhauer got right what Harvard scientists confirmed some hundred years later:

“It is only by reflection that one can assimilate what one has read if one reads straight ahead without pondering over it later, what has been read does not take root, but is for the most part lost.”

When we don’t pause to think and to contemplate, we keep circling in a limited sphere at a higher velocity. We can read a book a week to 10x our productivity and still lose the most important life lessons.

Like Mortimer J. Adler said: “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

How to apply it:

Don’t focus on the number of books you read, but on your reading depth.

Use your margin notes to create a summary. Keep it brief and use your own words. Depending on your preference, here’s what you can do with it:

  • Keep your summaries analog in your journal.
  • Post them publically on GoodReads, Bookshlf, or your blog.
  • Create your personal knowledge database in Notion or Roam.

Summarizing, synthesizing, analyzing a book might feel like slowing you down. But the opposite is true. Learning works best when it feels slow and difficult.

The One Thing Schopenhauer Was Wrong About

While most of his advice is timeless, he holds one flawed assumption. In his words:

“One can overload and choke the mind by giving it too much nourishment.”

You can never over nourish your brain. The opposite is true. The more you learn, the easier it’ll be to remember. As cognitive scientists write in this paper:

“Our capacity for storing to-be-learned information or procedures is essentially unlimited. In fact, storing information in human memory appears to create capacity — that is, opportunities for additional linkages and storage — rather than use it up.”

Retrieval, the process of accessing your memory, is cue dependent. This means the more mental links you’re generating during stage one, the acquisition phase, the easier you can access and use your knowledge.

The more connected information we already have, the easier we learn.

Conclusion

Acting on Schopenhauer’s insights isn’t complex, long, or exhausting.

On the contrary: These principles make reading fun and worthwhile and help you get the most from books.

  • Become an active reader by taking notes while you read.
  • Know what not to read. Don’t waste your time on mediocre books.
  • Systemize your thinking by creating a personal knowledge base.

Instead of feeling discouraged by all the ideas about what you could do to improve your reading, enjoy experimenting at your own pace. Keep the ideas that work for you and screw the rest.

Choose one or two new principles until you find a pattern that helps you on your journey to health, wealth, and wisdom.

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How to Remember What You Read From Non-Fiction Books

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A guide for applying evidence-based learning strategies to reading any non-fiction book, and retaining what you read.

A woman sits at a desk while reading a book.
Christina Morillo / Pexels

At age 18, I felt most school lessons were time-wasters. To save future pupil generations from what I had suffered through, I decided to change the education system. And if that wasn’t naïve enough, I assumed studying business education would get me there.

Where, if not in an education program at university, should you learn how to learn?

I was wrong. There were no classes on learning or cognitive science. Being assigned dry, academic, self-promoted professor books, I hadn’t figured how the right books could teach you anything. Instead, I asked the best-performing fellow students about their learning techniques and copied their bulk-learning and memorizing. But after graduation, I felt dumb. I forgot almost everything from my classes.

A Bachelor’s degree taught me how to learn to ace exams. But it didn’t teach me how to learn to remember.

Different studies reveal most students never learn how to learn. Kornell & Bjork and Hartwig & Dunlosky, for example, show that 65% to 80% of students answered “no” to the question “Do you study the way you do because somebody taught you to study that way?”

From the ones who answered “yes,” some likely watched the most-popular Coursera course of all time: Dr. Barabara Oakley’s free course on “Learning how to Learn.” So did I. And while this course taught me about chunking, recalling, and interleaving, I learned something more useful: the existence of non-fiction literature that can teach you anything.

So I read—a lot. Since 2017 I have read about 150 non-fiction books about how our minds work, how children learn, and how education might solve global health problems, to name a few. I was fascinated by education and learning; I skipped the corporate career and became a Teach for All fellow to learn more about learning.

Yet, about 80 books into my reading journey, something felt odd. Whenever a conversation revolved around a serious non-fiction book I read, such as ‘Sapiens’ or ‘Thinking Fast and Slow,’ I could never remember much. Turns out, I hadn’t absorbed as much information as I’d believed. Since I couldn’t remember much, I felt as though reading wasn’t an investment in knowledge but mere entertainment.

I know many others feel the same. When I opened up about my struggles, many others confessed they also can’t remember most of what they read, as if forgetting is a character flaw. But it isn’t.

Forgetting most of what we read isn’t a character flaw. It’s the way we work with books that’s flawed.

Once I understood how we learn — through online courses, books, and Teach for All — I realized there’s a better way to read. Most people rely on techniques like highlighting, rereading, or, worst of all, completely passive reading, which are highly ineffective. It’s only logical most people forget almost anything they read.

Since I started applying evidence-based learning strategies to reading non-fiction books, many things have changed. I can explain complex ideas during dinner conversations. I can recall interesting concepts and link them in my writing or podcasts. As a result, people come to me for all kinds of advice. Plus, I was invited to speak at panel discussions, got paid for content curation, and have received high-level job opportunities. I finally feel like reading is a true investment in knowledge.

And if I, a former naïve clueless mouflon monster can do it, you can do it, too. But before you learn how this system works, let’s explore why it works. To become a truly effective learner, we need to understand the key aspects of human learning and memory.

What’s the Architecture of Human Learning and Memory?

Human brains don’t work like recording devices. We don’t absorb information and knowledge by reading sentences.

Instead, we store new information in terms of its meaning to our existing memory. And we give new information meaning by actively participating in the learning process — we interpret, connect, interrelate, or elaborate. To remember new information, we not only need to know it but also to know how it relates to what we already know.

That’s why memory and the process of learning are closely connected. Radvansky, a researcher for human memory and cognition, explains the connection in his book:

“Memory is a site of storage and enables the retrieval and encoding of information, which is essential for the process of learning. Learning is dependent on memory processes because previously-stored knowledge functions as a framework in which newly learned information can be linked.”

Three stages of human memory processing

Human memory works in three stages: acquisition, retention, and retrieval. In the acquisition phase, we link new information to existing knowledge; in the retention phase, we store it, and in the retrieval phase, we get information out of our memory.

The three stages of human memory processing: acquisition, retention, and retrieval.
Adapted by Dunlosky et al. (2007) based on Nelson & Narens’s (1990) framework for metamemory.

We use our memory to encode information, retain it, and then access and use our memory to make decisions, interact with others, or solve problems.

Here, we need to understand that the three phases interrelate. Retrieval, the third stage, is cue dependent. This means the more mental links you’re generating during stage one, the acquisition phase, the easier you can access and use your knowledge.

In the words of a research group around Bjork, a renowned human learning and memory researcher:

“To be a sophisticated learner requires understanding that creating durable and flexible access to to-be-learned information is partly a matter of achieving a meaningful encoding of that information and partly a matter of exercising the retrieval process.”

Now, the question is: how can we achieve meaningful encoding and effectively exercise the retrieval process?

Evidence-Based Learning Strategies, Why They Work, And How You Can Apply Them

We’ve established a basic understanding of how our human memory works (acquisition, retention, retrieval). Next, we’ll look at the learning strategies that work best for our brains (elaboration, retrieval, spaced repetition, interleaving, self-testing) and see how we can apply those insights to reading non-fiction books.

The strategies that follow are rooted in research from professors of Psychological & Brain Science around Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel. Both scientists spent ten years bridging the gap between cognitive psychology and education fields. Harvard University Press published their findings in the book ‘Make It Stick.’

I applied their evidence-based learning techniques for reading. Since I use these techniques, I feel reading indeed is a true investment in knowledge. I can access what I want to remember and use it for writing, podcasting, conversation, or self-improvement.

The strategies presented follow in chronological order and apply to both physical books and e-readers. There are extra supportive capabilities for Kindles that I will explain afterward.

#1 Elaboration

Elaborating means you explain and describe an idea in your own words. Thereby you consciously associate material you want to learn with what you’ve previously learned. In the words of Roediger & McDaniel: “Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know.”

Why elaboration works: Elaborative rehearsal encodes information into your long-term memory more effectively. The more details and the stronger you connect new knowledge to what you already know, the better because you’ll be generating more cues. And the more cues they have, the easier you can retrieve your knowledge.

How I apply elaboration: Whenever I read an interesting section, I pause and ask myself about the real-life connection and potential application. The process is invisible, and my inner monologues sound like: “This idea reminds me of…, This insight conflicts with…, I don’t really understand how…, ” etc.

For example, when I learned about A/B testing in ‘The Lean Startup,’ I thought about applying this method to my startup. I added a note on the site stating we should try it in user testing next Wednesday. Thereby the book had an immediate application benefit to my life, and I will always remember how the methodology works.

How you can apply elaboration: Elaborate while you read by asking yourself meta-learning questions like “How does this relate to my life? In which situation will I make use of this knowledge? How does it relate to other insights I have on the topic?”

While pausing and asking yourself these questions, you’re generating important memory cues. If you take some notes, don’t transcribe the author’s words but try to summarize, synthesize, and analyze.

Elaboration applied by making notes in a book.
Elaboration applied: Remarks in ‘The Lean Startup’ (Source: Author)

#2 Retrieval

With retrieval, you try to recall something you’ve learned in the past from your memory. While retrieval practice can take many forms — take a test, write an essay, do a multiple-choice test, practice with flashcards — some forms are better than others, as the authors of ‘Make It Stick’ state: “While any kind of retrieval practice generally benefits learning, the implication seems to be that where more cognitive effort is required for retrieval, greater retention results.”

Why retrieval works: The more time has gone since your information consumption, the more difficult time you’ll have to retrieve it. Naturally, a few days after we learn something, forgetting sets in. And that’s why retrieval is so powerful. Retrieval strengthens your memory and interrupts forgetting and, as other researchers replicate, as a learning event, the act of retrieving information is considerably more potent than is an additional study opportunity, particularly in terms of facilitating long-term recall.

How I apply retrieval: I retrieve a book’s content from my memory by writing a book summary for every book I want to remember. I ask myself questions like: “How would you summarize the book in three sentences? Which concepts do you want to keep in mind or apply? How does the book relate to what you already know?”

I then publish my summaries on Goodreads or write an article about my favorite insights, like here with Ben Horowitz, Elizabeth Gilbert, or Brené Brown.

How you can apply retrieval: You can come up with your own questions or use mine. If you don’t want to publish your summaries in public, you can write a summary into your journal, start a book club, create a private blog, or initiate a WhatsApp group for sharing book summaries.

Whatever you settle for, be careful not to copy/paste the words from the author. If you don’t do the brain work yourself, you’ll skip the learning benefits of retrieval. You want to use your own memory, even if it feels hard. By thinking about the concepts and giving new information your meaning, you’re creating an effective learning experience.

Retrieval applied through a chapter-by-chapter summary.
Retrieval applied: Chapter-by-chapter Goodreads Summary (Source: Screenshot Author)

#3 Spaced Repetition

With spaced repetition, you repeat the same piece of information across increasing intervals. The harder it feels to recall the information, the stronger the learning effect. “Spaced practice, which allows some forgetting to occur between sessions, strengthens both the learning and the cues and routes for fast retrieval,” Roediger & McDaniel write.

Why it works: It might sound counterintuitive, but forgetting is essential for learning. Spacing out practice might feel less productive than rereading a text because you’ll realize what you forgot. Your brain has to work harder to retrieve your knowledge, which is a good indicator of effective learning.

So, spaced repetition prevents your brain from forgetting. Research shows repeating the same information ten times over different days is a better way to remember things than repeating the same information twenty times on a single day.

How I apply spaced repetition: After some weeks, I revisit a book and look at the summary questions (see #2). I try to come up with my answer before I look up my actual summary. I can often only remember a fraction of what I wrote and have to look at the rest. I’ll also evaluate whether I’ve applied the knowledge nuggets to my life and, if not, why I didn’t.

The process is quite time-intense, but whenever I feel it’s a timewaster, I remember Ratna Kusnur’s quote on the importance of applying theoretical non-fiction concepts: “Knowledge trapped in books neatly stacked is meaningless and powerless until applied for the betterment of life.”

How you can apply spaced repetition: You can revisit your book summary medium of choice and test yourself on what you remember. What were your action points from the book? Have you applied them? If not, what hindered you?

By testing yourself in varying intervals on your book summaries, you’ll strengthen both learning and cues for fast retrieval. If you read on your Kindle, there’s software to assist you with spaced repetition—more on that after the next two techniques.

Spaced repetition applied through self-testing on a book summary.
Spaced Repetition applied: Self-Testing one of my book summaries (Source: Author)

#4 Interleaving

In interleaving, you switch practices before completion. So, interleaving means mixing learning with different kinds of approaches, concepts, or viewpoints. By practicing jumping back and forth between different problems, you solidify your understanding of the concepts and promote creativity and flexibility.

Why interleaving works: Alternate working on different problems feels more difficult as it, again, facilitates forgetting. While our intuition tells us completing one topic should be more effective, researchers pointed towards interleaving benefits. Plus, the authors of ‘Make It Stick’ conclude: “If learners spread out their study of a topic, returning to it periodically over time, they remember it better.”

How I apply interleaving: I read different books at the same time. Between my reading start and finish of Harari’s content-dense world history, I read four other books. Mixing my reading with Brown’s vulnerability classic and the memoir of a Holocaust Survivor brought insightful connections between various concepts, similar to what James Clear once meant when he said: “The most useful insights are often found at the intersection of ideas.”

How you can apply interleaving: Your brain can handle reading different books simultaneously, and it’s effective to do so. You can start a new book before you finish the one you’re reading. Starting again into a topic you partly forgot feels difficult first, but as you know by now, that’s the effect you want to achieve.

The books that the author is currently reading while applying interleaving.
Interleaving applied: The various books I’m currently reading (Source: Author)

#5 Self-Testing

While reading often falsely tricks us into perceived mastery, testing shows us whether we truly mastered the subject at hand. Self-testing helps you identify knowledge gaps and brings weak areas to the light. In their book, the scientists conclude: “It’s better to solve a problem than to memorize a solution.”

Why it works: Self-testing helps you overcome the illusion of knowledge. “One of the best habits a learner can instill in herself is regular self-quizzing to recalibrate her understanding of what she does and does not know.” Objective instruments, like testing, or self-testing, help you adjust your sense of what you know and don’t know.

How I apply self-testing: I explain the key lessons from non-fiction books I want to remember to others. Thereby, I test whether I really got the concept. Often, I didn’t. After reading a great book on personal finance, I recorded a podcast episode where I explained how Exchange Traded Funds work.

I reworked my preparation four times until I felt it included everything the listener needs. But instead of feeling frustrated, cognitive science made me realize that identifying knowledge gaps are a desirable and necessary effect for long-term remembering. I keep Mortimer Adler’s words in mind, who wrote: “The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.”

How you can apply self-testing: Teaching your lessons learned from a non-fiction book is a great way to test yourself. Before you explain a topic to somebody, you have to combine several mental tasks: filter relevant information, organize this information, and articulate it using your own vocabulary.

When you explain the content from what you’ve read to another person, you’ll identify potential knowledge gaps, can reread the passages you want to double-check, and strengthen your understanding.

Self-testing applied through teaching via a podcast.
Self-Testing applied: Teaching what I learned in a podcast episode (Source: Author)

Additional Tweaks for Kindle Readers

Most people are e-reading enemies until they truly read their first e-book. I remained an enemy fifteen books in. You can’t dog-ear your favorite pages, scribble your questions in the margins, or elaborate on a concept you just learned. You can’t apply much of what I’d described above.

And while these arguments hold, technology-assisted learning makes most of them irrelevant. Now that I discovered how to use my Kindle as a learning device, I wouldn’t trade it for a paper book anymore. Here are the four steps it takes to enrich your e-reading experience.

1) Highlight everything you want to remember

Based on your new insights into human memory, it won’t surprise you that researchers proved highlighting to be ineffective. It’s passive and doesn’t create memory cues.

And while I join the cannon against highlighting as an ineffective learning tool, we need it to create your learning experience. Use your fingers to highlight any piece of content you find worth remembering. You’ll next understand why.

2) Cut down your highlights in your browser

After you finished reading the book, you want to reduce your highlights to the essential part. Visit your Kindle Notes page to find a list of all your highlights. Using your desktop browser is faster and more convenient than editing your highlights on your e-reading device.

Now, browse through your highlights, delete what you no longer need, and add notes to the ones you really like. By adding notes to the highlights, you’ll connect the new information to your existing knowledge. You might recognize this tactic as an effective learning strategy you learned earlier: elaborative rehearsal (see #1 elaboration).

3) Use software to practice spaced repetition

This part is the main reason for e-books beating printed books. While you can do all of the above with a little extra time on your physical books, there’s no way to systemize your repetition praxis. As you know, spaced repetition (see #3) helps you prevent your brain from forgetting and will strengthen your memory.

Readwise is the best software to combine spaced repetition with your e-books. It’s an online service that connects to your Kindle account and imports all your Kindle highlights. Then, it creates flashcards of your highlights and allows you to export your highlights to your favorite note-taking app.

Common Learning Myths Debunked

While reading and studying evidence-based learning techniques I also came across some things I wrongly believed to be true.

#1 Our brain’s capacity is limited

This is simply untrue. As the researchers write in this paper: “We need to understand, too, that our capacity for storing to-be-learned information or procedures is essentially unlimited. In fact, storing information in human memory appears to create capacity — that is, opportunities for additional linkages and storage — rather than use it up.” You increase your brain’s capacity for learning.

#2 Effective learning should feel easy

We think learning works best when it feels productive. That’s why we continue to use ineffective techniques like rereading or highlighting. But learning works best when it feels hard, or as the authors of ‘Make It Stick’ write: “Learning that’s easy is like writing in sand, here today and gone tomorrow.”

While techniques like retrieval, spacing, and interleaving can feel hard and appear as if the learning rate would be very slow, the opposite is true. As the researchers write in this paper: “Because they often enhance long-term retention and transfer of to-be-learned information and procedures, they have been labeled desirable difficulties, but they nonetheless can create a sense of difficulty and slow progress for the learner.”

In Conclusion

While these techniques stem from evidence-based learning strategies, their application is my preference. I developed and adjusted these strategies over two years, and they’re still a work in progress.

Try all of them but don’t force yourself through anything that doesn’t feel right for you. I encourage you to do your own research, add further techniques, and skip what doesn’t serve you. Instead of feeling discouraged by all the ideas about how you can improve your learning experience, enjoy experimenting at your own pace. Keep the steps that work for you and screw the rest.

If you’re unsure where to begin, or you’re overwhelmed by all the application strategies, I suggest you start with book summaries first. Writing down what you want to remember makes you think about and rephrase what you just learned.

You can then use it for future spaced repetition (#3) or as a reference guide if you want to teach your insights to somebody (#4). And to write the summary, you will soon realize it’s helpful to elaborate (#1) while reading. Doing it with several books simultaneously (#2) can be a level up once you feel comfortable with the implemented routines.

No matter which strategies you use, applying evidence-based learning strategies will pay off. It’s not a quick win and takes time and patience, but you’ll ultimately reap the benefits.

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

— Mortimer J. Adler

Five Principles By Naval Ravikant That Will Teach You True Wealth

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“Seek wealth, not money or status.”

Source: Needpix

When was the last time you came across a person that excited you so much you had to consume all their content?

Until this Sunday in my bathtub, I hadn’t read anything from Naval Ravikant. But after the first pages of the ‘Almanack of Naval Ravikant,’ I realized I just book-met one of the most interesting people alive.

The e-book kept me awake late that night. Monday, I spent half the day reading a 45-page interview and contemplating on his tweetstorms. Here are his key principles that will help you become wealthy.

“You’re never going to get rich renting out your time.”

What do you have in common with Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, and all the other billionaires on the planet?

Right, you live your life within the same time scale. No matter how wealthy you are, you can’t make a single day have 26 hours.

That’s why the most successful people on this planet say no to almost everything. Plus, truly rich people didn’t build their wealth by renting out their time.

Rich people got wealthy by establishing systems that make money independent from time.

Many people could live better lives if they made their time work for them, but continue to sell their limited hours. What they receive in return are limited rewards.

So, the questions are: How can you decouple money and time to create limitless wealth? How can you earn with your mind, not your time?

Build and sell products with no marginal cost of replication—things like books, media, movies, and code. You can multiply your returns without working more.

Owning your share of a scalable product is the ultimate goal.

Or, as Naval put it:

“You must own equity — a piece of a business — to gain your financial freedom.”

“Making money isn’t a thing you do — it’s a skill you learn.”

Most people aren’t smart about their finances and will never understand the fundamentals of money management.

It’s not because these people are too dumb to become smart investors. They’re just too lazy to learn.

Maybe you’ve built an emergency fund.

Maybe you know and track your net worth.

Maybe you automated your ETF savings plan.

And maybe you’ve done none of the above.

The thing is, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is whether you decide to learn about your financials. Because money management is a skill, anybody can learn. And once you get the fundamentals right, not much can go wrong.

Yes, financial literacy is inherited. If your parents aren’t smart about money, the chances are high that you don’t know essential investing principles.

My parents don’t know much about investing. But I took masterclasses, asked smart people how they manage their money, and read finance books. I know from experience that money management is a skill anybody can learn.

No matter how far you’ve come on your financial journey, you can take your money management from good to great by reading applicable finance books, like ‘I will teach you to be rich’ by Ramit Sethi, or ‘The total money makeover’ by Dave Ramsey.

Like most things in life — when you commit to learning, you can master almost anything. Like Naval says,

“Getting rich is about knowing what to do, who to do it with, and when to do it. It is much more about understanding than purely hard work.”

“Seek wealth, not money or status.”

Money is just a means to transfer wealth, and status just a label in our social hierarchy. You want neither of them.

I used to join the money and status game. Here’s what happened.

I bought the newest iPhone. But an expensive phone comes with the fear of a broken screen. So I also bought a fancy case and overpriced insurance. And yet, I worried about theft while traveling.

By focusing on money and status, we purchase things that add burdens to our lives. Ryan Holiday put it best; writing, “Mental and spiritual independence matters little if the things we own in the physical world end up owning us.”

You don’t want money or status. What you want is wealth because wealth is the ultimate freedom.

Here’s how Naval summarized it in one of his tweets:

“The purpose of wealth is freedom; it’s nothing more than that. It’s not to buy fur coats, or to drive Ferraris, or to sail yachts, or to jet around the world in a Gulf Stream. That stuff gets really boring and stupid, really fast. It’s about being your own sovereign individual.”

“The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner. You have to know how to learn anything you want to learn.”

No life skill can pay you greater dividends than learning how to learn. Yet, most people don’t know how to do it.

When researchers asked, “Do you study the way you do because somebody taught you to study that way?” 73% of students answered “No.”

The majority uses ineffective learning strategies and ignores that humans don’t absorb information and knowledge by reading sentences.

But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Learning how to learn is a skill you can easily learn.

In the last years, I read books on learning and taught as a Teach for All fellow. Here are the best resources for learning how to learn:

  • The book ‘Make it stick.’ (336 pages; 7 hours to read)
  • The free Coursera course ‘Learning How to Learn.’ (15 hours to complete)
  • The learning section on ‘FS blog.’ (10 minutes per article)
  • The book ‘Mindsets.’ (320 pages, 6.5 hours to read)

And whatever you learn, keep Naval’s words in mind:

“Even today, what to study and how to study it are more important than where to study it and for how long. The best teachers are on the Internet. The best books are on the Internet. The best peers are on the Internet. The means of learning are abundant — it’s the desire to learn that is scarce.”

“Reading is faster than listening. Doing is faster than watching.”

In 2017, I read my first life-changing book. Since then, I have read at least one book a week.

Yet, when I stumbled upon this quote by Ratna Kusnur some time ago, I started to question the power of books: “Knowledge trapped in books neatly stacked is meaningless and powerless until applied for the betterment of life.”

Before building my first business, I had read dozens of books for each stage in the business lifecycle. But when it came to really starting, the biggest impact was just doing it.

Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk found the right words: “But how many books from these ‘experts’ do you need to read before you can actually do something? You can only read so much, and at some point, you just have to do. Stop being a student, and start being an entrepreneur.”

Yes, reading is faster than listening. But doing and trying trumps theoretical lessons.

You’ll get farther bumping along on your own without any books than you ever will, reading a lot but not doing anything.

And yet, the combination of reading and doing trumps mere doing. Again, Naval:

“Read a lot — just read.”

On page 207, you’ll find a list of the books he recommends with short statements, why he recommends them. But before you dive into every single one, remember Naval who said reading is not about following the book advice of famous people:

“It’s really more about identifying the great books for you because different books speak to different people.”

If you blindly copy Naval’s principles, you missed the most important point.

You’re the only person that best knows how to live your life.

Try everything, but test it for yourself. Stay skeptical and discard what doesn’t serve you. Ultimately, only keep the principles that work for you.

Do you want to start 2021 on a high-note? Get Your Free Annual Review Here

These 5 Life-Changing Books Are Worth Every Minute of Your Time

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Every single one can get through to you.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

These days, a lot of people focus on reading a specific number of books a year.

Yet, there’s a big fallacy in the quantification of reading. Mortimer J. Adler, an American philosopher, recognized this thinking error as early as 1940 when he wrote:

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

Not all books are created equal, and most of the books on our want-to-read lists are not worth our time. I know because in the +170 books I read since 2017, most were mediocre.

What follows is a collection of five cherry-picked, timeless masterpieces that are worth every minute of your time. Every single one holds the potential to get through to you.

Viktor Frankl — Man’s Search for Meaning

This one is tough to handle. But if you manage to get through the lines of cruel reality in German concentration camps, you’ll pick up incredible life lessons.

Yes, you’ll also learn about Frankl’s psychological theory, logotherapy, which contends that humans are motivated by the search for meaning, not pleasure (Freud) or power (Adler).

But this masterpiece goes far beyond understanding holocaust or psychological theory. It’s one of the rare books that will change your perspective on life.

‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ will teach you how you can choose your response even in unbearable circumstances.

Plus, as Viktor Frankl was 100% confident he would anonymously publish this book, his lines are self-detached and ego-free, making reading it even more relatable.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Paulo Coelho — The Alchemist

Coelho’s books were sold more than two million times in over 80 languages, and ‘The Alchemist’ is officially the most translated book of all time.

The key concept behind this book is to follow your dreams and let your heart guide you. This teaching sounds simple. Yet, the implicit hints towards the importance of your pasts give the book an additional depth.

Here’s a personal story to demonstrate the power of your past:

When I was a child, I wrote tiny stories on the pages of my Diddle diary every day. On my 13th birthday, I stopped this habit thinking it’s a childish thing to do. Fast forward to today, and I’m back on writing every day.

Reconnecting with your roots is a full circle of transformation. Because too often, we silence our deepest desires to follow society’s rules.

Yet, if your heart keeps on nudging you into another direction, you’ll only find happiness if you follow this pull. By reading Coelho’s classic, you’ll dare to listen to your inner voice and allow it to guide you through life.

“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”

Hermann Hesse — Narcissus and Goldmund

Literature Nobel Prize winner Hesse is best known for his books Siddhartha and Steppenwolf. And while all of his books revolve around an individual’s search for authenticity and self-knowledge, I loved this one the best.

‘Narcissus and Goldmund’ is a story of a young man, Goldmund, who quit a Catholic monastery school and wanders through Medieval Germany in search of life’s meaning.

The novel is both a journey and an awakening that will take you over the course of many decades and through brutally honest human emotions.

Even though this book has many layers — philosophy, existentialism, religion — it reads way easier than Hesse’s other books. And since the words are so relatable, this book will linger with you after it’s closing page and make you glad you’re a reader.

“I call that man awake who, with conscious knowledge and understanding, can perceive the deep unreasoning powers in his soul, his whole innermost strength, desire and weakness, and knows how to reckon with himself.”

John Strelecky — Big 5 for Life

It feels wrong to put a literary assassination attempt on the same list with Nobel Prize winners. But as the metaphor in ‘Big 5 for Life’ is so powerful, it will get through to you; I ask you to overlook its poor writing style.

So here’s the metaphor:

Imagine, somebody would catalog every one of your days, and on the day before you die, display the entire catalog in the museum of your life.

While this concept sounds romantic, the museum of life would look depressingly sad for an average person. From our 15 hours and 39 minutes awake time, most knowledge workers spend two thirds in front of screens.

So, after reading this book, you’ll reconsider how you spend every single minute of your time. You’ll understand the only shortcut to live the life of your dreams is to fill your days with activities worth portraying.

“Imagine what it would be like to walk through that museum toward the end of your life. To view the videos, listen to the audio, look at the pictures. How would you feel knowing that for the rest of eternity, that museum would be how you were remembered?”

Elizabeth Gilbert — City of Girls

If you didn’t like her previous novels ‘The Signature of All Things’ and ‘Eat Pray Love’ you still might love this one. It’s a wise women’s ode to female self-determination and sexual liberation.

City of Girls is set in the 40s in New York City and joyfully tells the story of an emerging adult born into a rich family. Surprisingly, the main character doesn’t follow social expectations but bluntly follows her free will.

This masterpiece is as close to multi-orgasmic as a book can get: once you start reading, you don’t want to stop anymore.

Gilbert’s writing is alive, intoxicating, vibrant, and lush. And by reading this page-turner, you’ll not only laugh out loud but also become motivated to live your best, authentic life.

“But I had never been an ardent fan of society, so I didn’t object to seeing it challenged. In fact, I delighted in all the mutiny and rebellion and creative expression.”

— Vivian in Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls

In Conclusion

I won’t tell you knowledge is useless unless applied. I’ll also skip quoting Ratna Kusnur, who said, ‘Knowledge trapped in books trapped in books neatly stacked is meaningless and powerless until applied for the betterment of life.’

These masterpieces don’t require you to filter out action items to apply them to your life. These books are no self-help fluff.

Instead, these five books unfold their power because you read them. Their wisdom will stay with you long after finishing them.

So, what are you waiting for?

Pick the book that resonated the most with you, order it, start reading, and witness how the pages will get through to you.

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5 Things Prolific Readers Don’t Do

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Give up these bad habits to get the most out of your books.

Photo by Mark Cruzat from Pexels

While most people agree that reading leads to happiness and wisdom, only a few become prolific readers.

The majority feels discouraged when they learn Warren Buffett reads 500 pages a day, or Bill Gates retreats to entire reading weeks. They think they can’t make enough time to read.

Yet, these people commit a common thinking error. They confuse reading time with reading quality. Becoming a productive reader has little to do with the total hours you spend reading.

Over the last years, I became a book fanatic, and since 2017, I’ve read 173 books. And until this summer, I did so while working a full-time job and running a startup at +65 hours a week.

If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that prolific readers don’t focus on doing more of something, but rather avoiding common pitfalls. Here’s the complete list:

They Don’t Force Themselves Through Mediocre Books

We only have a limited number of books we can read before we die. While our life is ticking away, new books are published at light speed.

How many books will you read before you die?

This article uses a life expectancy calculator and data on US reading habits to calculate the numbers. A 25-year old voracious reader who finishes 50 books per year has only around 2950 books left to read in their remaining life.

The number alone might seem like a lot. But if you put it in perspective, you’ll realize it’s almost nothing. Because 2950 out of 129,864,880 books are around 0.000023.

And that’s why prolific readers don’t force themselves through mediocre books. They know not all books are created equal, and most of the books aren’t worth their time.

Patrick Collison, the self-made billionaire founder of Stripe, explains in a podcast interview:

At every moment, you should be reading the best book you know of in the world [for you]. But as soon as you discover something that seems more interesting or more important, you should absolutely discard your current book … because any other algorithm necessarily results in your reading ‘worse’ stuff over time.

Time is a limited resource, and if you waste your time with a mediocre book, you won’t have enough left for the great ones.

How to do it:

Stop reading mediocre books. Get comfortable with putting an unfinished book aside when you find a better one. Look out for and read the great books, the ones that hold the power to change your entire life.

Prolific Readers Don’t Forget What They Read

Ever wondered why the smartest people you know seem to remember everything they read? It’s because people who know a lot are also likely to remember more.

Scientists agree that we learn by relating new information to what we already know. And minds filled with previous knowledge have an easier time remembering new content.

Elon Musk once answered in an ‘ask-me-anything’ Reddit thread:

“Knowledge [is]… a semantic tree — make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to”

So the question is, how do you start building your knowledge trunk?

The learning theory answer is called elaborative rehearsal. You make an association between the new information in the book and the information you already know. The more you elaborate, or try to understand something, the more likely you‘ll keep this new information in your long-term memory.

How to do it:

The best way to do so is to connect the new knowledge to what you already know, and in the best case, apply it in real life. Take notes while reading. Instead of keeping your books look new, use them to the fullest. The more you write in the margins, the more you’ll remember.

Great Readers Don’t Focus On One Book at A Time

In March 2018, I didn’t finish a single book. It’s not that I stopped reading. Instead, I only managed to read five pages of Harari’s Sapiens before falling asleep every night.

That’s why prolific readers don’t read just one book at a time. You don’t want to eat the same dish for breakfast, lunch, and breakfast. Why would you read the same book at different times of the day?

Our brains can handle reading different books. In fact, spaced repetition, meaning revisiting some concepts with some days in between, is one of the most effective learning methods.

So, reading several books simultaneously can improve the way you remember what you read. Plus, you’ll likely find useful intersections between various concepts. It was James Clear who said:

“The most useful insights are often found at the intersection of ideas.”

How to do it:

Read a few books at the same time. Start a new book before you finish the one you’re reading. Pick a content-dense book, like Sapiens, for learning mode and a lighter fiction book for a nighttime session.

They Don’t Get Distracted By Technology

Our world is distracting, and we’re tempted to shift focus at light speed. When phones are within a hand reach, it’s easy to switch tasks without even realizing it.

Some 2000 years ago, Stoic philosopher Seneca summarized how bad even the most intelligent people are when it comes to protecting their time:

“No person hands out their money to passersby, but to how many do each of us hand out our lives! We’re tightfisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.”

The average person spends over four hours a day on their device. If you spent half the time reading, with a reading speed of 250 words per minute and an average book length of 90,000 words, you’d finish more than two books a week. The equation is simple:

The less time you spend on your device, the more you’ll read.

In truth, we knew long before the documentary The Social Dilemma about social media’s harming effects. Yet, we fail to act upon our knowledge.

I struggled to change my phone habits for an entire year. But the journey was worth it. Once I abandoned my phone from my sleeping room and left it shut until 10 AM, I didn’t need to skip any activities to read 52 books a year.

How to do it:

You don’t need to try the digital detox apps like Forest, and Freedom. Instead, read Deep Work and Digital Minimalism and conclude that your best option is to switch off your phone whenever you want to focus completely.

Smart Readers Don’t Aim For A Number of Books

Most people confuse reading with progressing. They think reading a specific number will make them happier, healthier, and wealthier.

But no idea could be further from the truth. Reading is no fast-lane to wealth and wisdom. Instead, reading can even limit your achievements.

I know because I made this mistake.

Before building my first business, I had read dozens of books for each stage in the business lifecycle. But when it came to really starting, the biggest gamechanger was just doing it.

At some point, reading distracts you from acting. You’ll achieve more if you bump along without any books than you ever will reading and not doing anything.

So, prolific readers don’t have the goal to read a specific number of books for the sake of reading.

There’s a subtle difference between book hoarders, focusing on the total number of books they read, and prolific readers. Whereas book hoarders judge themselves by the number of books they own, smart readers judge themselves by what they got out of them and applied in real life.

Mortimer J. Adler put it best when he wrote:

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

How to do it:

Don’t confuse reading with acting. When you finish the book, ask yourself what to do with what you’ve just read. Apply the knowledge and put what you’ve learned into action items.

All You Need to Know

Letting go of these things isn’t difficult or exhausting.

On the contrary: Avoiding these common mistakes makes reading fun and worthwhile.

  • Don’t force yourself through mediocre books.
  • Take notes to remember what you read.
  • Read several books simultaneously.
  • Leave your phone shut whenever you want to read.
  • Apply what you read to your life.

Instead of feeling discouraged by all the ideas about becoming a prolific reader, enjoy experimenting at your own pace. Keep the habits that work for you and screw the rest.

Choose one or two new reading habits until you find a pattern that helps you on your journey to health, wealth, and wisdom.

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This Is Why Fiction Should Move Up On Your Reading List

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Here’s what research says

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

Do you feel reading fiction is a waste of your time?

You’re in good company: The most prosperous leaders suggest we should focus on non-fiction. Of the 102 books Bill Gates recommended over eight years, 90 were non-fiction. And from the 19 books Warren Buffett recommended in 2019, a mere 100% were non-fiction.

So, when it comes to reading, we are bought into the idea that reading for knowledge is the best reason to do so. Scientists, however, suggest that reading fiction outscores non-fiction on various levels.

Increased Emotional Intelligence

There are better ways to increase your EQ than reading Goleman’s non-fiction classic. In a Harvard study, researchers asked participants to either read fiction, non-fiction, or nothing. Across five experiments, those who read fiction performed better on identifying emotions encoded in facial expressions than the other groups.

“If we engage with characters who are nuanced, unpredictable, and difficult to understand, then I think we’re more likely to approach people in the real world with interest and humility necessary for dealing with complex individuals,” this studies’ lead author David Kidd, said in an interview.

Even if we don’t like to think about it, many of our social interactions follow given norms that are based on stereotypes. Meeting a teacher puts her in your brain’s default option for how teachers are like. This compartmentalization goes beyond professions, age groups, gender, and cultural background.

When reading fiction, however, we often experience a disruption of our expectations. The book forces us to bend our minds to understand the feelings or thoughts of a novel’s character, mainly if the character’s actions go against our pre-built stereotypes.

A 2014 study supports this mind-bending effect of fictional literature. Here, they found reading fiction leads to increased levels of empathy for individuals outside of your cultural community: “Reading narrative fiction appears to ameliorate biased categorical and emotional perception of mixed-race individuals.”

As a regular reader, you’ll likely remember a book that opened up your mind towards other cultures. After reading Tara Westover’s memoir, you’ll exactly understand how it feels to grow up in a Mormon family in off-grit Idaho. And on the opposite end, Elizbeth Gilbert’s latest novel allows you to experience life from a rich kid growing up in the 1940s, fighting her way to break free from social expectations, and finding her way to sexual liberation.

Better Decision Making

Again, we might think digesting the latest non-fiction books on decision-making will help us make smarter choices. Yet also, recent findings on the link between cognitive-closure and non-fiction reading prove us wrong.

By following logical, step-by-step guidance, we “reach a (too) quick conclusion in decision-making and an aversion to ambiguity and confusion,” researchers from the University of Toronto write in this study.

Individuals with a strong need for cognitive closure rely heavily on so-called early information cues. They are fixed on their opinion and struggle to change their minds upon newly presented information. People with closed minds also stop thinking about alternative explanations, making them more confident in their own initial and potentially flawed beliefs.

Fiction can reverse this effect: “When one reads fictional literature,” the scientists state, “one is encouraged to simulate other minds and is thereby released from concerns for urgency and permanence.” Surprisingly, the attributed benefit doesn’t depend on the quality of a text, but rather on the overall genre of literary non-fiction.

Professionals whose trainings depend on non-fiction, like lawyers and doctors, benefit the most from this effect. A physician, with an entire medical encyclopedia in her head, might (too) quickly identify a specific malady when additional symptoms point towards another one. Here, reading fictional books can help.

In the words of the researchers, “Given the suboptimal information processing strategies that result from the premature need for closure, exposure to literature may offer a pedagogical tool to encourage individuals to become more likely to open their minds.” In short, fiction can help us overcome cognitive closure and thereby, improve how we make decisions.

Why You Shouldn’t be Reading This

Finding scientific evidence for doing the things we enjoy is yet another form of internalized capitalism.

What if we allowed ourselves to prioritize joy over productivity?

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7 Quotes By Ryan Holiday That Will Change How You Live Your Life

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If applied, they can improve your entire existence.

Photo by Arthur Yeti on Unsplash

Most people introduce Ryan Holiday as the Marketing Director at American Apparel at age 21. Some would add that Benjamin Hardy, PhD, and Tim Ferriss hired him to improve their books.

I’d suggest we forget about his achievements in business. Instead, let’s think of Ryan Holiday as the philosophical translator of our time.

Thoreau once said, Philosophy is about solving the problems of life, not theoretically, but practically. That’s precisely what Ryan does. He makes ancient philosophy applicable to our lives.

Probably it’s because he read the same book 100 times over 10 years that he understands stoic thinkers — Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca — like no other 1987-born person does.

In 2019, his wise lines on time management inspired me to change my life for the better. That’s why I bought and devoured his recent books: The Obstacle is the Way (2014), Ego is the Enemy (2016), and Stillness is the Key (2019).

And as I believe the insights from this book can change any life for the better, here are my favorite quotes, including why they are relevant and how you can apply them.

“Many Relationships and Moments of Inner Peace Were Sacrificed on the Altar of Achievement.”

Social networks allow us to connect with the world. Yet, they also allow us to compare ourselves with more than 3.6 billion people on this planet.

There will always be people in your network who achieve more than you do. So-called high achievers posting impressive job updates on LinkedIn. Or hustlers sharing intimidating morning routines on their Instagram stories.

Let’s take the hard truth: By comparing ourselves against the achievements of others, we will never feel real satisfaction. Because we’ll always be reminded of more: do more, earn more, own more, achieve more.

We add unachievable items to our ever-growing to-do lists.

We prioritize work over a walk with a friend.

We postpone family catchups.

And while we’re so focused on more, we often neglect our relationships and inner peace. At the end of the day, we feel burned out and empty.

How to apply this quote:

We can stop our hamster race by replacing the altar of achievement with an altar of compassion. When we go through the world with an open heart, there’s no room for ceaseless striving.

Let’s get comfortable with the concept of good enough. Doing something good enough trumps doing something perfectly.

Start a gratitude journal and focus on the abundance in your life. By jotting down the things you’re grateful for — physical and mental health, a caring partner, warm summer sun — there’s no space for unhealthy wanting.

“People Who Don’t Read Have No Advantage over Those Who Cannot read.”

I wish I could spend five minutes with my younger self. What I’d tell the young Eva is to read every damn day. I’d tell her books to carry the wisdom of humanity, and that life is better when you turn into an avid reader.

Wanting to live a happy life without reading books is the same as you wanting to learn a new language without looking at the vocabulary.

In any language, we need a vocabulary to form proper, meaningful sentences. And to live a meaningful life, we need insights and wisdom from ancient philosophers and the great thinkers of our time.

By reading books, we learn the vocabulary of life.

Books allow us to access the minds of the world’s greatest philosophers, humble startup founders, and war survivors. It’s in books where we find the greatest wisdom, the best advice for any life situation.

Yet, unless we read, we close ourselves from the benefits of any book. If we don’t read, we have no advantage over illiterate people.

How to apply this quote:

Make reading a habit. Seriously. Abandon your phone from your sleeping room and, instead, take a book to your hands. That’s how I read 52 books a year for two years.

In case you need extra motivation, go to a bookstore, or browse through Goodreads. Create a want-to-read list. Start a book club. Get inspired by avid readers, like Bill Gates.

“When Your Life Is Solely and Exclusively About Yourself It’s Worse than Not Fun — It’s Empty and Awful.”

With all the self-help fluff out there, it’s tempting to think the universe revolves around you. Many people treat self-improvement like a religion.

What they forget is that we don’t rise by lifting ourselves.

Instead, we rise by lifting others.

In 2013, I forgot about this essential principle. I thought I’d be better than any other person on this planet. I only consumed higher, further, faster content without reflecting on it.

And that’s why I love this quote so much. My own experience showed me it’s true. When you inflate your ego and make life all about yourself, you’ll feel empty and awful in the end.

How to apply this quote:

No matter where you’re in life, remember to be humble. Connect your presence to the lives of others. Center your activities around the needs of others.

Look out for tiny acts of care. Carrying a bag, offering help, doing things that need to be done, but that nobody else wants to do.

And no matter what you’re doing: Remember that you are no better or worse than any other being on earth.

“Give More. Give What You Didn’t Get. Love More. Despite Any Old Story. Try It, If You Can”

Huh? How the hell can you give what you didn’t get?

Too often, we’re slaves to our storylines. We feel we were deprived of something in our childhood — praise, love, encouragement. We secretly wish to reengineer how we grew up.

Yet, fantasizing about what should have happened only makes you feel worse. Regretting your past keeps you from enjoying the present. If you want the best, the world has to offer, offer the world your best.

How to apply this quote:

Stop pitying yourself. Ditch old stories that no longer serve you. Let go of any anger towards your caregivers. Lewis Smedes once said:

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

Free yourself from negative storylines and, instead, give what you didn’t get. Step by step, day by day, create the story of your present life.

“Mental and Spiritual Independence Matter Little If the Things We Own in the Physical World End up Owning us.”

This one is essential. When I prepared this article, most quotes resonated with me in terms of internal mindsets, this quote, however, goes beyond our mindsets.

Most of us own too much stuff. We spend money on things we don’t need to buy things that end up owning us.

Every material thing we own ties us down. Expensive phones come with insurance, big gardens with gardeners we need to pay, an urban jungle plant with a special treatment that’s required.

Everything you own blocks mental and physical space.

How to apply this quote:

Get rid of everything you don’t need: Clothes, decoration, food, clutter. Take an afternoon and a big box. Here’s an excellent visualization for every part of your house or apartment you can declutter.

“Leisure Is Not the Absence of Activity, It Is Activity. What Is Absent Is Any External Justification.”

Too often, we transfer the achievement mindset to our free time.

Do a fancy panty yoga session to tell your co-workers about it?

Or should you go to the gym to burn some calories?

Instead of allowing time for leisure, we put additional weight on our shoulders. We feel bad if we can’t keep up with the sports portfolio of our fittest friends.

Leisure doesn’t mean we should watch Netflix from the comfort of our homes. What it means is to enjoy activities in the absence of any external justification.

How to apply this quote:

Find a hobby you genuinely enjoy. An activity you don’t do to achieve something or to impress someone. Find something that you love doing.

“Always Think About What You’re Really Being Asked to Give. Because the Answer Is Often a Piece of Your Life, Usually in Exchange for Something, You Don’t Even Want. Remember That That’s What Time Is. It’s Your Life, It’s Your Flesh and Blood, That You Can Never Get back.”

We live in the misconception that we have plenty of time left. With a life expectancy of around 80 years, 20 minutes here and there seem infinitesimal.

Yet, when accumulated, those minutes turn to hours, into days, and ultimately your life. Seneca once wrote how stupid many of us are when it comes to time:

“No person hands out their money to passersby, but to how many do each of us hand out our lives! We’re tightfisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.”

I don’t like admitting it, but I used to fall into this group. I’d say yes to please the person asking. I’d give away hours of my lifetime to feedback a startup pitch, proofread documents, catch up with so-called friends.

Ryan Holiday reminds us to treat our time with intention. Because every time we say yes to something, we give away parts of our life. Time we give away will never be given back to us.

How to apply this quote:

Before saying yes to anything, think about whether you’d treat your life for it. If your answer is yes, go for it. If your answer is no, say no.

Remind yourself that saying no equals a yes to yourself. And when saying no, we can borrow the phrases from Ryan Holiday, who’s no, sounds like this:

“No, sorry, sounds great but I’d rather not.”

“No, I’m not available.”

“No, I don’t like that idea.”

“No, I don’t want that. I’d rather make the most of what I already have.”

Closing Thoughts

A glimmer of inspiration won’t matter if you don’t take action. And that’s what makes quotes so powerful: If applied, they can improve your life for the better.

  • Remember good enough is better than perfect
  • Make reading a daily habit
  • Center your life around the lives of others
  • Let go of unhelpful storylines and give what you didn’t get
  • Get rid of anything that blocks your mental or physical space
  • Engage in leisure activities you genuinely enjoy
  • Say no to things you don’t want to treat your life for

Always remember it’s not your actions that determine your self-worth. You are enough. You are always loved, no matter what you’re doing today.

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How to Apply What You Read to Your Life

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The best knowledge is useless unless applied.

Photo by Parth Shah on Pexels

In 2017, I read my first life-changing book. Since then, reading has become my favorite habit.

Yet, when I stumbled upon this quote by Ratna Kusnur some time ago, I started to question the power of books:

“Knowledge trapped in books neatly stacked is meaningless and powerless until applied for betterment of life.”

Admittedly, Ratna caught me right on the spot. Before building my first business, I had read dozens of books for each stage in the business lifecycle. But when it came to starting, the most significant impact was doing it.

Yes, reading can be the fast-track to a happier, healthier, wiser life. But unless you apply the lessons from the greatest thinkers to our lives, reading is mere entertainment.

Here’s a self-tested way to apply what you read to your life and thereby, lead a better life:

This advice doesn't apply to fictional books. It applies to reading non-fiction books for knowledge and practicality.

Choose the Right Book for Your Life Situation

“Knowledge isn’t power until it’s applied.”

— Dale Carnegie

You can’t apply irrelevant knowledge. By reading a book that has no connex to your current circumstances, there’s no way you can integrate new knowledge in your days.

I fell into this trap many times. I’d buy the books my mentors recommended reading. Back in 2016, I spent hours working my way through Ray Dalio’s Principles to realize that this book had no connection to my student life.

When you try hard to find applicable lessons, but you can’t find any useful advice, it’s not your fault. Instead, it’s either the wrong book or the wrong time for the book.

Bill Gates finishes every book he starts. Not because he forces himself through a bad book. Instead, he chooses with intent.

The clearer you know why you’re reading the book at hand, the more natural you find ways to integrate the learnings into your life.

How to do it:

Before starting any book, ask yourself:

Which big questions do you face in life, right now?

Which skills do you want to build?

If a book doesn’t promise to deliver on your topics, skip it. You won’t be able to use the lessons. Do your research before reading a book. Choose wisely, then, read thoroughly.

By picking the right content with the right timing, you’ll enjoy the words in front of you.

Create Action Items

“It’s not knowing what to do, it’s doing what you know.”

— Tony Robbins

Most persons on this planet read a book, have some “aha” moments and then, after finishing the book, forget everything they just learned.

Unless you think and act while reading, you’ll never integrate book lessons to your life. You will never revisit a specific concept later.

Yes, it does feel comforting to postpone action for later. But let’s be honest: By procrastinating your actions, you’re wasting your time.

Unfortunately, I write from experience. I’d say to myself: “Oh, what a great insight. I should do this. I’ll do it once I’m done with the book”. And then, the application part never happened.

Ouch.

Re-reading the same concepts again and again won’t improve your life. It’s the application of these concepts that will change your life forever.

If you don’t apply the knowledge you read at the same moment you read it, it will get lost. Unless you follow the advice from books and do something, even the smartest information is a waste of your time.

Once you started reading the right book, beware of procrastination. Instead, apply a book’s wisdom while you read. Stop at the page and integrate useful lessons into your life.

In High-Performance Habits, for example, we learn about the power of morning affirmations. I stopped during the chapter and recorded my own affirmations.

In Stillness is Key, Ryan Holiday explores the benefits of journaling. When he convinced me, I placed an empty notebook with a pen on my nightstand and started journaling the same evening.

How to do it:

If you stumble upon useful advice, create an environment that invites you to do what you’ve just learned.

Put an item on your to-do list or place an action item on a specific spot. If you read the 5 Languages of Love, try one out the same day. If you read Cal Newport’s Deep Work, start changing your work schedule tomorrow morning.

By forming action items from your books, you’ll make the most out of any book. You’ll be able to apply knowledge from books to your life.

Reread Life-Changing Books

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

— Mortimer J. Adler

Many people treat the number of books you read as the level of your wisdom. This logic is flawed. It’s not the number of different pages you can get through that will make you happier, wiser, and healthier.

When you focus on the number of finished books, you tend to rush through the content. With a goal of completion in mind, it’s easy to overlook meaningful passages.

By rereading a book, you can check which parts you applied and which sections you’ve forgotten. You can then focus your effort on the parts that need more application.

Ryan Holiday is an impressive example of the power of rereading. He read the same book 100 times over 10 years. Undoubtedly, this habit led to Ryan’s unparalleled understanding and three bestselling books.

How to do it:

Focus on the process of reading, not on the total number of books you’ve read. Revisit the books that have influenced you the most.

Books change as we do. You’ll be amazed at how many new things you can discover that you may have missed before.

Final Thoughts

Reading is the fastest way to expand your world view and improve your life.

Yet, don’t set your goal of reading a specific number of books per year. Instead, make sure you choose the right book for your life situation, create action items, and revisit life-changing books.

Mere reading expands your knowledge, but the application will change your life. Reading a few great books a year, with time for implementation, will make you happier, healthier, and wiser.

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These 7 Books Will Improve The Way You Work

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About productivity, mindsets, decision-making, and so much more.
Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

Most people spend most of their life working.

Yet, only a few try to improve how they work.

By working only one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. This is what James Clear calls the accumulative advantage:

“What begins as a small advantage gets bigger over time. One plant only needs a slight edge in the beginning to crowd out the competition and take over the entire forest.”

Reading the right books is the simplest and fastest way to get one percent better each day.

And by learning and applying strategies from the smartest minds, you can improve how you work step by step.

I regret I didn’t make reading a habit earlier. Yet, since I realized the books’ potential, I read every day. Since 2016, I’ve read 161 books.

Here is the list of seven books that will change the way you work, including why they‘re relevant and when you might want to read them.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker

This one is a fantastic meta-analysis of the latest scientific findings related to the Western idea of “success.”

Barker combines storytelling with science and shares how you can apply his findings to your work life.

If you question whether you’re on your right career path and look for bulletproof advice, this one is for you.

Most of Barker’s lessons are so simple yet effective that you will be astonished.

“Great mentors and great teachers help you learn faster. Not only should you care about your mentors; the mentors who really make you succeed need to care about you. When you relate to someone you look up to, you get motivated. And when that person makes you feel you can do that too, bang-that produces real results.”

Deep Work by Cal Newport

This book will improve how you work on various levels. After reading Deep Work, I stopped procrastinating and quit Instagram and Snapchat.

Deep work is a must-read for anyone doing any kind of work as it teaches you how to produce your best output. It’s also an excellent read for anyone who struggles to concentrate and achieve great results when life is distracting.

Cal Newport provides concrete, actionable advice on how to focus and engage in, what he calls, deep work. By putting deliberate thought into what you do, you’ll be less inclined to procrastinate.

“Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love — is the sum of what you focus on.”

Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

I love Ryan Holiday. Especially his articles about managing your time management and developing better habits.

In Ego is the Enemy, he helps us to get a deeper understanding of who we are. After reading, you’ll understand the anatomy of our success and failure.

The book is not only packed with inspiration that will empower you to produce your best work, but also includes actionable advice on how to live your best life.

It’s an ideal read for anyone who is either early in her career or achieved success and wonders what to do next.

“There’s no one to perform for. There is just work to be done and lessons to be learned, in all that’s around us.”

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

This one is quite different from the rest of the list, but there are a lot of life lessons to learn from this page-turner.

Bad Blood portraits the breathtaking rise and the surprising collapse of a unicorn startup in a way every reader can relate and form her own opinion.

I gasped out loud while reading this thriller-like business book as it shows what happens when a CEO and prioritizes ego above all else.

Bad Blood is worthwhile for anyone struggling with ethical questions or interested in the importance of honest work.

“The way Theranos is operating is like trying to build a bus while you’re driving the bus. Someone is going to get killed.”

The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhou

A consultant shared that she’d read and discussed this book at her Boston Consulting Group book club.

To be honest, I didn’t expect much. I thought it would go along the lines of other mediocre self-help fluff.

Turns out I was wrong.

Julie Zhou might turn into the Peter Drucker of our time. She shares everything from leading teams to managing oneself and nurturing culture.

Throughout the book, she asks powerful self-reflection questions and shares simple, yet applicable principles to excel at work.

This book is a growth bible for anyone who wants to step up from employee to a manager or recently got promoted to managing people.

“What opportunities do you see for me to do more of what I do well? What do you think are the biggest things holding me back from having greater impact?”

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

The title sounds like clickbait, I know. But this book delivers on its promises as you access the brains of world-class performers.

I’ve read all books of Tim Ferriss but found this by far the most inspiring piece. Tools of Titans is an encyclopedia for personal growth and productivity.

The world-class performers in this book share all their strategies on how to become healthy, wealthy, and wise. This sounds like too much to cover in a single book, but the titans deliver the value.

“Losers have goals. Winners have systems.”

Mindset by Carol Dweck

If you’re only going to read one book on the list, you may want to choose this one. Why? It covers how to program your mind to excel at anything.

Dweck demonstrates how success in work, sports, and almost every area of human endeavor is influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

This book is a must-read for every person looking for personal growth. After reading this book, you’ll be able to integrate a growth mindset into your life, and you’ll see mistakes as valuable learning opportunities.

“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”

Once you get enough of an answer to act on, stop reading, and start doing.

Applied knowledge is power.

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How to Choose Your Next Great Book

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Stop wasting your time with mediocrity.

Photo by Jeroen den Otter on Unsplash

Bill Gates finishes every book he reads. No, that doesn’t mean he forces himself through a bad book. Instead, he only starts reading the great ones.

How you might ask, can you know whether a book exceeds your expectation before you even start to read?

Unfortunately, there’s no bulletproof formula. Yet, there are a few simple steps that, if applied, will increase the chances of you reading only the greatest books.

My reading time changed once I followed these strategies. I no longer needed to be 100 pages in to realize I wasted my time. I no longer struggled to put a lousy book aside. I finally loved most of the >50 books I read in a year.

Not all books are created equal, and most of the books aren’t worth your time. Yet, some books have the power to change your life and make you healthier, wealthier, and wiser.

By avoiding mediocre books and choosing the greatest books, you’ll find yourself learning from the greatest thinkers that ever existed.

Here is exactly how you choose the right book for you in chronological order.

1) Search beyond bestseller lists

Yes, there’s Goodreads, and Gatesnotes, and so many other great lists indicating if you only read a few books in 2020, you should read these.

And while these lists have their raison d’être, they are only a snapshot of our time. Most of these lists contain the books from authors with the best marketing strategy, or the widest social media reach.

When you look for a great book, you should go beyond mediocre listicles. Search, for example, search through the appendix of Mortimer J. Adler’s classic How to Read a book.

If you look at human history, the chances are small that the greatest books were created in the past decade. The fundamental human problems seem to be the same in all ages: Justice, love, virtue, stability, and change itself.

Another excellent source for book recommendations are people you look up to, not necessarily living in our time. I love browsing through Ryan Holiday’s reading list.

“We may succeed in accelerating the motions of life, but we cannot seem to change the routes that are available to its ends.”

— Mortimer J. Adler

Questions to tick:

Have you looked for inspiration beyond the standard recommendations?

Do you trust or admire the recommendation source?

Which 5 books trigger your interest?

2) Do a two-minute author background check

As said, not all books are created equal. There are so many of them written by people who have never done what they’re writing. Mortimer J. Adler once said:

“The great books are the most instructive, the most enlightening.”

An author’s first-hand experience always trumps if-then scenarios.

Nobody can give you instructive, enlightening examples of things he or she has never experienced before.

Instead of judging a book by its cover, judge a book by the author’s background check.

Questions to tick:

Has the author life experience that undermine the book’s topic?

Is the author living by what s/he is writing?

Do other thoughtleaders support what s/he’s saying?

3) Check the table of content

Most people have never heard about this powerful strategy. To be honest, I didn’t know about it either. Since I know, I browsed through the table of content every time before I buy a new book.

A book’s title triggers your interest, captivates your attention. The table of content is more profound. It gives you a sneak-peak on what’s to come.

Once you’ve narrowed down your search to five or fewer potentially great books, inspect the table of content.

Not looking through the table of content is like buying a jacket without looking at the inside’s material. You won’t know what you get without taking a closer look.

Reviewing the table of content is the fastest, easiest way to judge whether a book delivers on its title. Knowing what a book is about before starting to read it will increase the likelihood of greatness.

Questions to tick:

Did you read through the table of contents?

Does the content (not the title) spark your curiosity?

Are you interested in learning what’s behind the majority of the chapters?

4) Read a 5-star and 1-star review

Some years ago, I’d read every book that had more than a 4-star rating on Goodreads. I even forced myself through a lousy book only because I thought I didn’t get the message.

For example, a super-smart friend recommended me The Truth. Goodreads suggested a solid 4.17 rating from more than 5k people. I finished the book even though it didn’t resonate with me at all. I felt I was listening to an emotionally immature adult.

There will always be books that you don’t like, but most people love.

By reading through the reviews, you can find out which type of people like a specific book. Sometimes, a strong opinion in a 1-star review makes me want to read a book while the arguments in a 5-star review make me abandon the book.

Questions to tick:

Do you sympathise with the characters writing 5* reviews?

Do you find yourself contradicting the opinions of 1* reviewers?

Can you find credible arguments to read this book?

5) Trust your gut

If you only force yourself through books, you don’t like you’ll end up thinking you don’t like reading altogether.

Ultimately, you’ll stop reading. And, by not reading a book, you don’t have an advantage over an illiterate person.

“The great books are the most readable.”

— Mortimer J. Adler

Pick the books you like.

Even if the above criteria match but you don’t like the book, don’t read it.

Mark Twain once said the great books were those everybody recommends and nobody reads, or those everyone says he intends to read and never does. I’d say he’s wrong.

The great books are the ones you genuinely enjoy reading. The ones that are the most readable for you.

“The great books are not faded glories. They are not dusty remains for scholars to investigate. They are not a record of dead civilizations. They are rather the most potent civilizing forces in the world today.”

— Mortimer J. Adler

Questions to tick:

Do you like the tone of voice?

Do you like the language and the content density?

Do you like the narrative?

Bottom Line

New books are written and published every minute. Yet, our lifetime decreases with every minute. We only have a limited number left of books we can read in our lives.

To stop reading mediocre books:

  • Search for recommendations beyond bestseller lists
  • Research the author’s background
  • Read through the table of content.
  • Skim through 5-star and 1-star reviews
  • Trust your gut

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7 Lessons from Silicon Valley Legend Ben Horowitz Every Entrepreneur Should Know

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On management, culture, responsibility and so much more.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

I sighed when a fellow founder recommended I read Ben Horowitz’s The Hard Thing About Hard Things. I thought it’d be another book full of theoretical self-help fluff from a person who has never done what he is preaching.

Turns out I was wrong.

Horowitz’s book is a management bible for growing any company. I wish I’d read this book before founding my first business. His advice would have saved me from making costly mistakes.

Here are the top seven lessons from his book with instructive examples on how to apply them.

Don’t Protect Others by Whitewashing Facts.

It’s in our human nature to protect people who depend on us. This behavior is helpful when raising a child. Yet, it might be counterproductive for startup management.

I fell into the protection trap early in my entrepreneurial career. Back then, I conducted the user tests for our new app. We didn’t follow the Lean Startup approach. The product was ready. But our potential customers weren’t.

I listened to harsh criticism. Testers did neither understand the app’s navigation nor find the functionalities they were looking for.

Yet, I felt the urge to protect our CTO. I used positive framing to sugarcoat the negative feedback. I thought he couldn’t handle the hard truth.

By keeping the hardest feedback to myself, I prevented the product team from building a better application.

When you don’t share the hardest obstacles, your people can’t build a better business.

Horowitz advises us to be brutally honest with our employees. Honest conversations lead to trust. Besides, the more people are aware of hard obstacles, the more brains can start building solutions.

“In any human interaction, the required amount of communication is inversely proportional to the level of trust.”

How to apply this lesson:

Share everything you know about a challenging situation. Be both brutally honest and transparent. Don’t whitewash facts.

When you share uncomfortable facts, tell your team you have the company’s goals in mind. Growth is about tackling the hardest parts.

Always Put Your People First.

With investors in the neck, it’s tempting to prioritize profits over people — particularly when things don’t go well. When your ship might sink, you might go over lives to protect it from going down.

Yet, we should never lose sight of our moral compass. When Horowitz’s company was fighting for life and death, he still focused on what mattered. He put people first.

He was between sign and close of company saving acquisition talks. John Nelli, former CFO, would not have transferred to the new company. Meanwhile, he was diagnosed with cancer.

From a profit perspective, Ben should’ve stuck to the initial plan and let John go. He didn’t owe his CFO anything. Yet, he accepted the healthcare costs and thereby prevented John’s family from bankruptcy.

This lesson teaches us to always focus on what matters in life. You should always put people first. Thereby, you’ll not only stick to your moral compass and do good in the world but also create loyal employees as they know they can trust you.

“Take care of the people, the products, and the profits — in that order.”

How to apply this lesson:

Listen to your people with open ears and open hearts. Be generous with your words and actions. Care for your employees’ families and show understanding when anyone is facing tough family circumstances. In this way, you create a company culture of loyalty and trust.

Look for Things You’re Not Doing.

You defined and communicated your vision to your team. Your people know their KPIs and focus on execution. The entire team is on track, and you’re working hard.

Your business might be so focused that you overlook one important thing, and you no longer see the wood for the trees.

To avoid this common issue, Horowitz suggests asking one powerful question. This question invites out-of-the-box thinking and keeps different perspectives involved.

In every meeting, he’d ask: What are we not doing?

“Ordinarily in a staff meeting, you spend lots of time reviewing, evaluating, and improving all of the things that you do: build products, sell products, support customers, hire employees and the like. Sometimes, however, the things you’re not doing are the things you should actually be focused on.”

How to apply this lesson:

Make it a habit to ask in every meeting, “What are we not doing?”. You’ll shed light on the necessary tasks.

By asking this question, you’ll give your team a creative thinking space. To involve all meeting members, ask them to write down their ideas. Then, do a quick round of sharing all thoughts.

When you find different people giving similar answers, you know what should move on your list.

Create a Culture That Enables Free Information Flow.

According to Horowitz, free information flow is critical for the health of your business. It’ll allow you to learn about negative news before it’s too late.

Yet, many company cultures discourage the spread of bad news, so the knowledge lay dormant until it was too late to act. By being judgy or nurturing fixed mindsets where mistakes are viewed as failures, employees won’t share bad news.

Create a culture that encourages openness and sharing struggles and challenges. Your feedback system shouldn’t punish employees for getting obstacles into the open.

“A healthy company culture encourages people to share bad news.”

How to apply this lesson:

Thank your colleagues for sharing difficult things. Avoid choleric reactions. Be okay with people revealing a problem without offering a solution.

Show gratitude when an employee tells you something you don’t want to hear. Remember, it’s better to know about critical turning points too early than too late.

Don’t Put It All on Your Shoulders.

As a founder or CEO, you feel like you must know it all. You think you should have a solution to any problem. Yet, this thinking is flawed and will harm your business.

By taking too much responsibility on your shoulders, you restrain your people from problem-solving.

Instead of keeping the hard things for yourself, allow your team to join you in brainstorming for solutions. Give the challenge to people who can not only fix the issue but who are also intrinsically motivated to do so.

“You won’t be able to share every burden, but share every burden that you can. Get the maximum number of brains on the problems even if the problems represent existential threats.”

How to apply this lesson:

Call an all-hands and tell your employees what’s the block in front of you. Share the problem with all details and then get the team mastering to build a solution that can help your business.

That’s why you hired your team first — making your company win. By not putting it all on your shoulders, you empower your team.

Take Action on Negative Indicators.

When I learned our new users grew by 38 percent beyond the average growth rate, I strategized about the next growth steps.

Who would we hire next? Should we increase our budget for marketing campaigns? I jumped into taking action.

Entrepreneurs have a bias for taking action on positive news. We love to act on promising information such as unexpected customer growth.

On the other hand, when things don’t go as planned, we tend to blame it on the rain. We find alternative explanations for the bad results and wait it out instead of taking action.

“Almost every CEO takes action on the positive indicators but only looks for alternative explanations on the negative leading indicator.”

How to apply this lesson:

When one of your teams didn’t reach their KPIs, don’t sit it out. Instead, focus on figuring out what happened and how you can improve it for the time to come.

Which numbers or people can give you a detailed explanation about what happened? What should your team be doing differently to overcome this obstacle the next month? Take action on negative indicators.

Set Up Employee Training Structures.

When I suggested my co-founder, we set up a training program; she replied, “There are so many decisions to make, customers to win, products to improve that we can’t prioritize training right now.”

Many founders argue that putting a training program in place will take too much time.

Yet, no investment will yield to higher interest rates than investing in your people. Training will improve productivity in your company.

Moreover, when your best people share their most developed skills, your company culture will improve more than with any team-building event.

“Being too busy to train is the moral equivalent of being too hungry to eat.”

How to apply this lesson:

Teach a course yourself, for example, on management expectations. Select the best people on your team to teach other courses. Make training mandatory.

Horowitz suggests teaching can also become a badge of honor for employees who achieve an elite level of competence.

Moving Forward

As with all business advice, pick the lessons that apply to your situation. Focus on the principles that make a difference in your company.

  • Be brutally honest about hard things.
  • Always put your people first.
  • Regularly ask, “What are we not doing?”
  • Embrace the free information flow.
  • Share your burdens with your team.
  • Take action on negative indicators.

Without application and action, the best business lessons are worthless.

If you, however, apply one principle at a time, you’ll realize how these small decisions accumulate and lead to changes in your company.

Now the only question is: Are you ready to do the work?

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7 Things I Learned Reading 52 Books a Year For Two Years

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#1: Read the books that make you want to read more.

Photo by Monica Sauro on Unsplash

I started to get serious about reading in early 2018. I committed to wake up every day at 5:30 AM and read until 7 AM. Sometimes I’d read after work, and by replacing my smartphone with an alarm clock, I’d always make time to read before going to bed.

One of my main motivations for reading more was a quote by Charlie Munger, self-made billionaire and Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, who said:

“In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time — none. Zero.”

Since March 2018, I’ve read 174 books. Here are some of the lessons I learned:

#1. Read the Books that Make You Want to Read More

Reading shouldn’t feel hard. If you don’t like the book you hold in your hands, skip it. Better to waste 11.95$ than 4 hours of your lifetime.

Books aren’t created equal — millions aren’t worth your time.

Only because your mentor liked a book, it doesn’t mean you must enjoy it. Maybe you don’t like the topic from a book on the bestseller list. Maybe you find a book too fluffy. Or maybe, the book is a classic, but you dislike the writing style.

I abandoned George Orwell’s 1984 a few pages in, and most people will blame me for not finishing this classic. But to be honest, I just couldn’t stand the negative utopia.

Lifetime is too precious to endure books you don’t like. Read the genres you cherish, the content you enjoy, from the authors you admire.

How to apply this advice

Every time you start a book, ask yourself a few questions. Do you like the tone of voice? Do you understand the content, or do you get sleepy every time you hole the book in your hands? How do you feel when you close the book: Do you want to continue reading, or are you happy you put the book aside? And overall, do you get what the author is trying to say?

Never force yourself through a book you don’t enjoy reading.

The best person to judge whether you should read a book is neither Goodreads nor your smart friend — it’s you.

#2. Communicate With Your Books

It was during my work in India when I first saw a person scribble into a new book. When I asked him why he’d destroy the book, he answered:

“Books are there for you. What’s the point of reading, if you can’t highlight your favorite sentences, ask questions?”

Since then, I never left a book unmarked. Using text markers, stickers, and pens make reading more fun, more memorable. In #7, you’ll learn how to systemize what you’ve read.

Here’s how my advice-dense books look like:

Pictured by Author

How to apply this advice

Cross out what you don’t like. Put stickers on pages where you experienced “aha” moments. Highlight what you want to remember. Jot down a question if lines are unclear. Scribble notes on the pages, to reuse what you’ve read.

#3. Replace Your Phone with Your Book

Did you know the average person spends over four hours a day on their device? If you spent half the time reading, with a reading speed of 250 words per minute and an average book length of 90,000 words, you’d finish more than two books a week.

The less time you spend on your phone, the more you’ll read.

Changing my phone habits was probably the hardest part but also the most effective one. I didn’t need to skip any activities to read 52 books a year. Decreasing my screen time enabled me to read (and write).

I tried different digital detox apps like Forest, Phocus, Freedom, and Moment but eventually, I deleted all of them. Ironically, the books Deep Work and Digital Minimalism helped me most to reclaim my time.

How to apply this advice

Disable all notifications. Use airplane mode whenever possible. When you start reading, put your phone into a different room. Replace your smartphone’s alarm function with a classic alarm clock. The only thing you can do in bed, besides sleeping, should be reading. Carry books with you while commuting. Instead of grabbing your phone, grab your book.

For a more radical guide, read Ryan Holiday’s advice for spending less time on your phone.

#4. Be Clear About Why You Read

Do you want to find facts, seek entertainment, or expand your understanding? Different books require different mindsets.

Thanks to How to Read a Book, the classic guide to intelligent reading, I learned not to read non-fiction chronologically. While I still read most books cover to cover, knowing I can skip irrelevant passages makes reading more relevant.

Your life is too short for passages that don’t serve your needs.

How to apply this advice

Ask yourself what you’re looking for before you open a book. Evaluate the first impression against your reading intention. Check whether the author has the credentials to give you advice. Many writers produce theoretical self-help fluff and have never done what they’re preaching.

If the book in your hands doesn’t fulfill what you’re looking for, put it aside. If you’re looking for specific information, identify relevant chapters, and only read those.

#5. Read Different Books Simultaneously

You don’t feel like reading before you go to sleep? Chances are high it’s the wrong book on your bed table.

I love reading non-fiction with technical investing advice, but this doesn’t mean I want to be sitting in bed at night with my mind buzzing with all the new things I learn. Instead, I quiet my mind with lighter fiction. Between my reading start and finish of Harari’s content-dense Sapiens, I read four other books.

You don’t want to eat the same dish for breakfast, lunch, and breakfast. Why would you read the same book at different times of the day?

“The most useful insights are often found at the intersection of ideas.“

— James Clear

How to apply this advice

Be okay with reading a few books at the same time. You can start a new book before you finished the one you’re reading. Start with one content-dense book for learning mode and a lighter fiction for nighttime lecture or weekend mornings.

If you’re interested in a book, but you’re not in the right frame of mind to read it just yet, put it on your reading list.

#6. Keep a “Want-To-Read” List

Reading is like every other part of life: Unless you choose what you want to read, others, like the airport’s bookshelves, will choose for you.

Moreover, the best motivator to continue reading your book is a long list of books you want to read after finishing.

The “want-to-read” piles on my bookshelf motivate me to read. One pile is for self-help advice, one for non-fiction, one for education and one for fiction.

Pictured by Author

How to apply this advice

Have a “reading list” in place and feed the list regularly. If you already have a list tracking in place, us it. If not, try Google Keep, Wunderlist, Amazon Wishlist, Bullet Journal, ToDoist, or Goodreads and settle on your favorite book tracker.

The filter function is a clear upside for Goodreads. In your “Want to Reads,” you can search for “date added” and “avg rating.” For ideas for your reading list, you can also use Goodreads to browse your friend’s lists.

Pictured by Author

#7. Apply Your Knowledge

Before building my first business, I had read dozens of books for each stage in the business lifecycle. But when it came to really starting, the biggest impact was just doing it.

At some point, “reading” distracts you from doing. You’ll get farther bumping along on your own without any books than you ever will reading and not doing anything.

Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk wrote why reading wouldn’t help you become a better entrepreneur, saying:

“But how many books from these ‘experts’ do you need to read before you can actually do something? You can only read so much and at some point, you just have to do. Stop being a student, and start being an entrepreneur.”

Be careful about whether you’re procrastinating with reading and whether it holds you back from taking action.

How to apply this advice

When you finish the book, ask yourself what to do with what you’ve just read. Go back to the pages you highlighted or put stickers on. Put what you’ve learned into action items.

For example, when you read High-Performance Habits and learn about Affirmations, commit to recording your affirmation.

Unless you follow the advice from books and do something, even the smartest advice is a waste of your time.

The Bottom Line

In any case, don’t set your goal of reading a specific number of books per year and keep Mortimer J. Adler’s words in mind:

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

And whenever you find yourself wondering whether spending money on books is worth it, remind yourself of Benjamin Franklin who said an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

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8 Books Written by Thought Leaders Every Educator Should Read

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“The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.” — Tara Westover

Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash

In early 2018, I started asking every educator I met for book recommendations. It’s one of the habits that has changed my mind. Since March 2018, I’ve read 116 books.

This list portraits my eight favorite education books. For each book, I included my favorite quote, a one-sentence summary, three key lessons, and reasons why you might be interested in reading each book.

Table of Contents
Inspiring Stories
1. Educated by Tara Westover
2. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Rethinking Education
3. Prepared: What Kids need for a fulfilled Life by Diane Tavenner
4. Creative Schools by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica
5. Mindset by Carol Dweck
6. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
For Educators 
7. Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov
8. Mathematical Mindsets by Joe Boaler

1. Educated by Tara Westover

“The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.”

— Tara Westover

The Book in One Sentence

An unforgettable memoir about a woman who was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom and, despite her extremely difficult family circumstances, managed to earn a Ph.D. from an elite university.

Key Takeaways

  1. Education can be a way out of the most difficult situations
  2. Whatever learning challenge you face, you can do it
  3. Life is a quest for learning; one is never done with it.

Why should you read it?

This book is not only beautifully written, but it’s also one of the most powerful success stories about higher education. You’ll peek inside a Mormon family and off-grit Idaho life. Tara’s story will motivate and stick with you long after reading.

2. I am Mala by Malala Yousafzai

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
― Malala Yousafzai

The Book in One Sentence

I Am Malala celebrates the importance of girl’s education and portraits of brave parents who fight for their daughter’s rights in a society that favors men.

Key Takeaways

  1. The more you learn, the more you recognize the value of learning
  2. Education empowers people to have confidence in themselves
  3. All of us should stand up for the importance of education

Why should you read it?

This is one of the books that might end up changing the way you think and feel. Malala will put your life into perspective and will make you feel grateful for the rights you already have. Moreover, you’ll feel the importance of global (women) education from the first to the last scene.

3. Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life by Diane Tavenner

“Mastery is when you become good at something, autonomy is when you have some measure of control, and purpose is when you’re doing something for a reason that is authentic to you.”

— Diane Tavenner

The Book in One Sentence

This book is Diane’s story about designing innovative charter schools, so-called Summit schools, that focus on the ambitious goal to teach kids what they need to live a good life.

Key Takeaways

  1. Summit schools build on the three key elements: Self-directed learning, project-based learning and mentoring
  2. Summit schools make use of technology to enable personalized-learning experiences
  3. Besides reading, writing, and maths, the school teaches skills like self-confidence, the ability to learn, ability to manage their time, and a sense of direction

Why should you read it?

Diane dares to rethink our current education model by asking questions like “What is best for our kids?” and “What should I be doing now for my kids?”. Exploring these questions, she draws on stories of her troubled childhood. With hands-on advice, this story has the power to inspire teachers, parents, and decision-makers.

4. Creative Schools by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

“Education thrives on partnership and collaboration — within schools, between schools, and with other groups and organizations.”

— Ken Robinson

The Book in One Sentence

A guide for transforming education so that kids receive state-of-the-art training and develop the skills they need to excel in our transforming world.

Key Takeaways

  1. Several elements of our education system are based in the industrial period, like batching children by age group, fixed teaching periods, sharp subject divisions, and linear assessment methods
  2. Creative schools cultivate curiosity, creativity, criticism, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship.
  3. In a new environment, expert teachers fulfill four roles: engage, enable, expect, and empower.

Why should you read it?

This book highlights not only current flaws in our education systems but also provides concrete solutions, like child-centered learning and real-world curricula. After reading, you’ll know what parents, teachers, administrators, and policy-makers can do to change our outdated system.

Pictured by Author

5. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”
― Carol S. Dweck

The Book in One Sentence

By distinguishing between a fixed and a growth mindset, the author demonstrates how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor is influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

Key Takeaways

  1. Mindsets shape whether we believe we can or can’t learn, change and grow
  2. People with a fixed mindset seek approval while those with a growth mindset seek development
  3. Role models from our childhood strongly influence our attitudes and ideas, yet we can change our mindset even in adulthood

Why should you read it?

This book is a must-read for every person looking for growth. After reading this book, you’ll be able to integrate a growth mindset into your life. For example, you’ll see mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. Studying this book can empower any educator to make positive changes in the classroom environment.

6. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

““What matters, instead (of cognitive intelligence), is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, and self-confidence. Economists refer to these as noncognitive skills, psychologists call them personality traits, and the rest of us sometimes think of them as character.”
― Paul Tough

The Book in One Sentence

Based on scientific studies and data from existing schools, this book explores factors that affect the success of children and proposes a new way of thinking about how children learn.

Key Takeaways

  1. “Executive Function” is a set of cognitive processes that drive and develop persistence, self-control, curiosity, motivation, determination, and confidence
  2. Executive Function Matters More To Academic Achievement as it begets character and character begets success
  3. Stress, in the form of a traumatic childhood experience, has a bigger impact on education than poverty

Why should you read it?

How children succeed has been described as “essential reading for anyone who cares about childhood in America.” It’s not only great for educators, but also parents as it explores traits like perseverance, conscientiousness, and self-discipline as ways to succeed in life. After reading this book, you’ll critically question the “intelligence theory” and understand why some people struggle in school and later in life while others thrive and prosper.

7. Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov

“Teach students how to do things right, don’t just establish consequences for doing them wrong.”
― Doug Lemov

The Book in One Sentence

A hands-on description of actual techniques and tools teachers can use for classroom management and attention encouragement.

Key Takeaways

  1. Effective educators have a large variety of techniques at their disposal
  2. Structure and deliver lessons with hooks, check for understandings, exit tickets, and reflection
  3. Create strong classroom cultures with entry routines, do now’s and non-verbal signaling

Why should you read it?

While this book is rather classic in terms of endorsing teaching to the test, the techniques work. In my first year of teaching, many tools helped me creating a constructive learning environment and designing engaging lessons. Doug Lemov gives countless useful, concrete tips for beginning teachers in elementary and middle-school classes. If you want to get a glimpse of the content, take a look at this well-structured summary.

8. Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Student’s Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler

““Mathematics is at the center of thinking about how to spend the day, how many events and jobs can fit into the day, what size of space can be used to fit equipment or turn a car around, how likely events are to happen, knowing how tweets are amplified and how many people they reach.”
― Jo Boaler

The Book in One Sentence

Mathematical Mindsets puts Dweck’s mindset research into practice by offering strategies and activities that show every child can enjoy and succeed in math.

Key Takeaways

  1. Quality questions, described as low floor — heigh ceiling activities, are a simple and effective tool for self-differentiation
  2. Encourage students to make and learn from mistakes, as errors are a necessary precondition for learning.
  3. Focus on progress instead of performance, place effort before talent.

Why should you read it?

This book is great for pre-service teachers, as well as experienced educators who want to encourage their student’s growth mindsets. I read many book books on teaching maths, but this actionable advice has affected my teaching in the most profound way. Jo Boaler offers more practical information than Dweck’s “mindest” and is explicitly focused on teaching and learning.

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