Rule #1: Do not listen to anyone.
Don't give too much weight to what people advise you to read. Recommendations from friends, bestseller lists, or suggestions from people on the internet can be valuable. But you should never read something just because someone advocates it.
Nothing should take precedence over your own unique curiosity.
The most important thing is that what you’re reading is enlightening and enjoyable. To you. Fun is the North Star, and everything else is secondary.
Rule #2: Value understanding, not numbers.
Posting online about how many books you’ve read sounds impressive. Flexing your Goodreads statistics at work strokes your ego. Both are meaningless.
What matters is understanding books enough to explain their ideas to others.
What matters is experiencing the joy of getting lost in a great story.
What matters is applying the lessons of books to your lifestyle to develop your intellect, wealth, and health.
Numbers that are meant to show off to people do not.
Rule #3: Reread, reread, reread.
A destroyed book is a loved book.
Just as sore muscles are a sign of taking care of your body, folded pages and highlighter everywhere are a sign you care for a book.
This happens through revisiting books. Rereading ingrains lessons much in the same way repeated practice ingrains a basketball move. Both become muscle memory.
That’s all. Trust your curiosity, avoid vanity metrics, and reread.
Profound changes to your mind are guaranteed.
Thank You For Reading
The purpose of this blog is to explore my curiosity and share what I learn with smart people on the internet.
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With gratitude,
Jeff
SOLID JEFF.VERY HELPFUL.ORALE! JAIMITO