Ryan Holiday shares his strategies for effective reading, emphasizing quality over quantity and deep engagement with texts. He reads hundreds of books annually while managing multiple businesses, writing, and being a father, without using speed-reading or summaries (0:00-0:22).
Here are the key takeaways from his rules:
Always carry a book (1:16) to read instead of checking your phone (1:29).
Read with a pen (1:48) and mark up your books (2:11) as a sign of respect for the author (2:36). Books are meant to be read, not kept pristine (2:16).
Read while eating (2:51) to use time productively (3:36) and have a "meal with a great person from history" (3:18).
Stop watching the news (3:38); instead, read books on history, psychology, and human nature to understand the world (3:57).
Reread books (4:16) because you bring a new perspective each time, like stepping into a "new river" (4:18). Rereading also helps overcome reading slumps (5:15).
Don't be a reading snob (5:38); read bestsellers and popular books (6:20) to understand their appeal and improve your own writing and thinking (6:08).
Take extracts (6:38) and keep a commonplace book (6:44) with quotes and ideas (6:56).
Quit bad books (7:22). Life is too short to read books that don't engage you (7:38).
Good writing is easy to read (7:53); long books should justify their length (8:19).
Ask people what books changed their life (8:50) to build a good reading list (9:04).
Be skeptical of books with cool titles (9:11); often, the best books have terrible ones (9:20).
Look for wisdom, not just facts (9:44), to learn and grow as a person (9:59).
Find your next book in the current one (10:09) by reading footnotes, bibliographies, and acknowledgments (10:12).
When you find an author you love, read everything they've written (10:30).
Buy books you're interested in (10:50); they are an incredible investment (11:10).
Speed-reading is a scam (11:42); consistent reading is the only way to read a lot (11:45).
Have an ambitious nightstand (12:06) with books you are reading and want to read, as a reminder of how much there is to learn (12:27).
Read like a spy in the enemy's camp (12:49); read books and writers you disagree with to challenge your beliefs (13:02).
Visit bookstores (13:40); they are a great discovery engine for serendipitous finds (14:07).
Don't skip prefaces and forwards (14:29); they provide helpful context (14:32). Read reviews, Wikipedia pages, and summaries to understand the context (14:43).
Pay it forward (15:08): recommend good books to others (15:10). Holiday started his reading list newsletter (15:17) and bookstore, The Painted Porch (15:28), to champion books.
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