Brilliantly written, very enjoyable read. I guess the 100-my-age rule resonates most with me with dropping books that aren't worth wasting time on. Thanks!
Thank you Grzesiek. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But now I'm wondering what happens if we live past 100? Does that mean we don't get to read anything after that??
Some wonderful thoughts here -- I especially like the notion of reading starting a fire in your mind. This is one of the reasons I often choose historical fiction. There's always so much to contrast and compare.
The queen of historical fiction is probably Hilary Mantel who won Booker Prizes for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. I also love C.J. Sansom who wrote a Tudor detective series, and Robert Harris, who is amazing. He's written about the Dreyfus Affair (An Officer and a Spy) , Cicero (Imperium) , and Restoration England (Act of Oblivion). Let me know what you think.
Awesome. Thank you! I have only heard of Cicero because I'm a big Stoicism fan but now I've got a few more writers to add to my ever-growing "need to read" list :)
Reading books by Nassim Nicholas Taleb to me is the best thing that has ever happened to my intellectual self. Such a smart guy that doesn't take himself too seriously.
I'm right there with you. I've read and reread his incerto multiple times and plan to continue doing so every couple of years for as long as I live. Which book is your favorite? I think mine in Antifragile but Fooled by Randomness is great too.
The Rational Optimist and Meditations are both great reads! I'm currently reading Building a Bridge to the 18th Century, Happy, The Parasitic Mind, How Proust Can Change Your Life, and Leisure The Basis of Culture.
If you like short stories. “Welcome to the Monkey House” I remember liking. It was so long ago and I read them like candy. It’s hard to remember them. Maybe I should reread some of them
I always have 3 books going at a time. I never reread books. Am I the only one? Maybe I should start rereading the ones I loved. But then there wouldn’t be enough time to read new ones.
You are not alone. I also haven't happened to read the same book a second time (unless I don't know about it and I've forgotten one so much, but to have to read consciously another time is a no-no - it's probably a waste of my time) ....
Haha I think any serious reader has had the experience of picking up a book and after reading a few chapters thinking to themselves, "this seems familiar..." and then realizing they've already read it.
I never thought I'd reread a book until I finished a few that I didn't want to end. Took that as a sign to revisit them at some point. What's in your lineup currently?
That’s a good reason to revisit. I just finished a long graphic novel “My Favorite Thing is Monster” by Emil Ferris. I’m in the midst of Maggie Smith’s memoir “You Could Make This Place Beautiful” Some random book on Philosophy. And “Community” by Peter Block. A fiction book too, but I can’t remember the name off the top of my head.
As a lifelong bookworm, I love how you've captured the magic of reading. Falling down a favorite author's rabbit hole? Absolutely! It's like finding a new best friend who understands you completely. And rereading great books? It's like revisiting a beloved place – you always discover something new. Thanks for reminding me why I love this 'product' so much!
Props to you for being a lifelong bookworm. I hated reading with a passion until I graduated from college. Probably because I could start reading books that interested me instead of being assigned what I "had" to read. Books are the product that truly keep on giving :)
Haha. I understand that completely. The nice thing about my masters and PhD is that yes, I had to read assigned books… but they were all on subject matter that I enjoyed!
I guess I should've been more intentional about the classes I signed up for. But unfortunately getting a business degree required me to read some incredibly dull stuff :)
‘Reading is about sparking a fire in your mind’, of igniting the original fire that resonates with oneself, that’s there all along. Not just about more information. Wow! This could also be extended to social media - hence we see strong polarization. People believing what they want to seen at the extremes.
I wish I would've come up with that idea myself. Naval is so wise. You're right. I think social media does the opposite of sparking fires in our minds. It reinforces the beliefs of others and fools us into thinking they are our own.
I saw they are starting to test that out. It's crazy to me that companies will pay to have fake reviews written but I guess the incentives for good reviews have been worth it. That's just another reason why the 2-4 star reviews are the hidden gems. I doubt anyone would pay to have those written lol!
Brilliantly written, very enjoyable read. I guess the 100-my-age rule resonates most with me with dropping books that aren't worth wasting time on. Thanks!
Thank you Grzesiek. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But now I'm wondering what happens if we live past 100? Does that mean we don't get to read anything after that??
Some wonderful thoughts here -- I especially like the notion of reading starting a fire in your mind. This is one of the reasons I often choose historical fiction. There's always so much to contrast and compare.
Thank you Martha. Historical fiction has always intrigued me but I haven't read much. What's one you would recommend a beginner start with?
The queen of historical fiction is probably Hilary Mantel who won Booker Prizes for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. I also love C.J. Sansom who wrote a Tudor detective series, and Robert Harris, who is amazing. He's written about the Dreyfus Affair (An Officer and a Spy) , Cicero (Imperium) , and Restoration England (Act of Oblivion). Let me know what you think.
Awesome. Thank you! I have only heard of Cicero because I'm a big Stoicism fan but now I've got a few more writers to add to my ever-growing "need to read" list :)
Love all of these, especially number 9. Thanks. 🧡
Glad you liked them Phoebe. #9 is probably my favorite too :)
Reading books by Nassim Nicholas Taleb to me is the best thing that has ever happened to my intellectual self. Such a smart guy that doesn't take himself too seriously.
I'm right there with you. I've read and reread his incerto multiple times and plan to continue doing so every couple of years for as long as I live. Which book is your favorite? I think mine in Antifragile but Fooled by Randomness is great too.
Same, Fooled by Randomness is one of the best. I read it not for info but for fun...
I still can't quite wrap my head around his ability to take what seem like incredibly dull topics and make them fascinating.
Mix and match you say....
So you won't judge me for my current 5-book rotation?
If I were to judge then I'd be a hypocrite because I'm doing the exact same thing! What's in your rotation?
I'm rocking The Rational Optimist, Flowers for Algernon, Let My People Go Surfing, Holotropic Breathwork and dabbling in Meditations. You?
The Rational Optimist and Meditations are both great reads! I'm currently reading Building a Bridge to the 18th Century, Happy, The Parasitic Mind, How Proust Can Change Your Life, and Leisure The Basis of Culture.
I enjoyed this piece, Arman. Lots of good ideas here.
Thank you Jeff glad you liked it. Which one resonated the most?
1,6, and 9.
Do you have a title yet for your own first book?
"Please don't read this book"
I also fell into the Kurt Vonnegut rabbit hole in college. He has so many books to read. I’d buy one every couple weeks
I've heard great things about him. Which one would you recommend starting with?
If you like short stories. “Welcome to the Monkey House” I remember liking. It was so long ago and I read them like candy. It’s hard to remember them. Maybe I should reread some of them
Thank you! I've been meaning to check him out for a while now.
I always have 3 books going at a time. I never reread books. Am I the only one? Maybe I should start rereading the ones I loved. But then there wouldn’t be enough time to read new ones.
You are not alone. I also haven't happened to read the same book a second time (unless I don't know about it and I've forgotten one so much, but to have to read consciously another time is a no-no - it's probably a waste of my time) ....
Haha I think any serious reader has had the experience of picking up a book and after reading a few chapters thinking to themselves, "this seems familiar..." and then realizing they've already read it.
I never thought I'd reread a book until I finished a few that I didn't want to end. Took that as a sign to revisit them at some point. What's in your lineup currently?
That’s a good reason to revisit. I just finished a long graphic novel “My Favorite Thing is Monster” by Emil Ferris. I’m in the midst of Maggie Smith’s memoir “You Could Make This Place Beautiful” Some random book on Philosophy. And “Community” by Peter Block. A fiction book too, but I can’t remember the name off the top of my head.
Nice to know I'm not alone by having a random mishmash in my reading lineup
As a lifelong bookworm, I love how you've captured the magic of reading. Falling down a favorite author's rabbit hole? Absolutely! It's like finding a new best friend who understands you completely. And rereading great books? It's like revisiting a beloved place – you always discover something new. Thanks for reminding me why I love this 'product' so much!
Props to you for being a lifelong bookworm. I hated reading with a passion until I graduated from college. Probably because I could start reading books that interested me instead of being assigned what I "had" to read. Books are the product that truly keep on giving :)
Haha. I understand that completely. The nice thing about my masters and PhD is that yes, I had to read assigned books… but they were all on subject matter that I enjoyed!
I guess I should've been more intentional about the classes I signed up for. But unfortunately getting a business degree required me to read some incredibly dull stuff :)
Ooof. Yeah. I can only imagine. I did take an accounting class once. That was….. well. Not a thrilling experience.
My grandpa was an accountant for decades and I wonder how anyone could enjoy being a glorified bean counter haha.
‘Reading is about sparking a fire in your mind’, of igniting the original fire that resonates with oneself, that’s there all along. Not just about more information. Wow! This could also be extended to social media - hence we see strong polarization. People believing what they want to seen at the extremes.
I wish I would've come up with that idea myself. Naval is so wise. You're right. I think social media does the opposite of sparking fires in our minds. It reinforces the beliefs of others and fools us into thinking they are our own.
I think Amazon is trying to modify its review system to eliminate the stars and superficial critiques like the ones you quoted.
I saw they are starting to test that out. It's crazy to me that companies will pay to have fake reviews written but I guess the incentives for good reviews have been worth it. That's just another reason why the 2-4 star reviews are the hidden gems. I doubt anyone would pay to have those written lol!