Is more better? Or is better better?
The Google algorithm decided that I needed to see an ad today that informed me that “Elon Musk used to read 2 books a day and this app will help you do the same!” Oh great. That sounds…useless. Assuming I could speed read, or have this app speed read to me, what are we guessing I will retain from those two books? Fifty percent of the information? Twenty percent? It cannot be much, but I guess I could join the ranks of Elon and others who “read two books per day.” I guess that would make me seem pretty smart.
Elon is a smart guy, no doubt, but I don’t know if every decision he makes is a good one (Have you seen the unveil of the Tesla truck and its unbreakable windows? Have you heard of Amber Heard?) (that one was for Jamie, who loves puns). I am not sure that anyone who reads 2 books a day is being smart about their time, nor am I convinced that they are retaining any of the information in those books. However, I feel like saying “I read two books a day” is about making other people *think* you’re smarter or working harder than them. And I guess if that is what you’re after, then the speed reader app might be for you.
I love books. I love reading. My roommate constantly gives me a hard time because of how much space my books take up in my room. But the accumulation of books or the checking off of a list of “I’ve read x” is not what I am after. I want to know what is inside. I want to understand. I want to learn. And I don’t believe that charging through two per day is how to accomplish that. In fact, some of the best advice about reading I have seen is from Rob Wilson, one of the founders of Art of Breath. Rob was asked by someone at a seminar what book he would recommend they read next. Rob said, “Go back to the last book you read. Re-read it and actually take the time to understand it and apply it in your life.” Rob might not be the genius that Elon is (debatable) but on this issue I think he has it absolutely correct. When we are seeking to learn, more is not better. Better is better. Reading is not knowledge. Reading is information. Taking the time to apply that information is the way to truly learn it. So, if you’re looking for a good book to read, rather than just check another book off the list, I urge you to go back to the last good book you read and actually take the time to apply it to your life.
