
How to read more: Simple three-step system - DeanYeong
https://deanyeong.com/read-more-books/
======
gms7777
For me, if I schedule something it immediately becomes a chore -- another to-
do on the list -- and it depletes willpower from other things that I have to
do. If I'm reading for work, that's fine. But if I'm reading for enjoyment,
well, that kind of kills the point of it. I want something that refreshes me
instead of exhausting me.

What I've found works is setting up my environment so that reading is easy and
natural. The absolute most effective thing for me has been banning my laptop
and tablet from my bedroom, and setting up my phone to charge on the opposite
side of the room. I keep a book or my e-reader on the side of my bed and
generally need some unwinding time before sleep so I end up reading before
bed.

The other massive for me is audiobooks. I know everyone has their own opinion
on whether this counts as reading, but as far as I'm strongly on the pro-side.
I spend a significant portion of my day -- when I'm walking, driving, chores,
exercise -- listening to either podcasts or audiobooks. I've read a lot more
books than I would have otherwise, and it definitely reinforces the
visual/normal/book reading habit as well. I particularly like whispersync when
its available, and I can switch back and forth between reading on my kindle
and listening on my phone.

~~~
exodust
How do you have patience for the slow speed of audiobooks?

Is it possible to multi-task while listening to audiobooks? I'm not sure if my
focus on coding would suffer, or keeping up with the book.

My fav multitasking activity right now is to watch those "average" TV shows
(such as most shows in existence) on a second monitor while I work. Sure I
miss some scenes and dialog due to focusing on my work, but generally I keep
up. Sometimes need to rewind if I missed something crucial.

~~~
rejschaap
It is possible to multi-task while listening to audio books. I find activities
such as working out or driving a good match. Coding while listening to an
audio book sounds like a bad idea. Coding while watching a TV show sounds even
worse to me though, so YMMV.

~~~
throwanem
You leave out a clause, I think: It is possible to multitask while listening
to audiobooks, _so long as you 're not doing anything else that requires
complex thought or processing_.

Walking, riding, driving, working out, washing dishes, doing laundry - these
are tasks not at all harmed by listening to something while you do them, and
indeed people have so alleviated their monotony since the commercialization of
radio.

A task like programming is something else entirely, in terms of cognitive
complexity, and attempting to partake simultaneously of something that
requires attention to follow means one or the other probably isn't going to
get done very well.

~~~
dangravell
I have to disagree that driving isn't a complex task. Sure, the muscle memory
but is easy but what about concentration, reading the road etc?

~~~
lostcolony
It's no different than cleaning. Yes, it requires attention, but your
attention can (and will) pass back and forth between active and passive.
Evaluate, execute, evaluate, execute, with large parts of the execute phase
being pure muscle memory (i.e., maintaining your speed and lane), during which
you can pay attention to an audio book.

In a more programmer related parlance, you can't perform the most rigorous
part of driving concurrently with paying attention to an audiobook, but you
-can- task switch pretty easily. The driving is pre-emptive.

~~~
rorykoehler
This is why I'm nearly knocked off my bike a couple of times every time i go
riding. I rarely give direct instruction especially online however i strongly
encourage you to change your attitude and approach to driving before you kill
someone.

~~~
throwanem
I should've said "highway driving", since that is what I meant. But I drive so
rarely at all any more, and more rarely still off highways, that I gave it
little thought - and have spent so many years driving those same highways
that, save the one time or so in five years that I drive them in a vehicle
other than the one with which I am intimately familiar, little thought is any
longer needed.

Walking is much more interesting.

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kobeya
Another trick is audiobooks. I commute about an hour each day. I used to spend
that time listening to the news, but that just made me needlessly stressed. I
started listening to audiobooks instead and can now get through one major
novel a month or a few shorter novels, just on commutes. It also gives another
method of branching out: I find there are some narrators I just really enjoy
listening to, and so I try some of the other things they've narrated too.
Sometimes I like what I find.

You can either subscribe to an audiobook streaming service, or use Hoopla for
free access through your local library.

~~~
DeanYeong
Thanks for your input. I haven't really tried to listen to a complete book
yet. Partly because I sometimes re-read a paragraph for multiple times and
it's hard for me to do this with audiobooks.

But I do listen to book summaries such as Philosopher's Notes and Blinkist.

~~~
kobeya
There's a little button that rewinds 30s for when you've absent mindlessly not
been paying attention. The trouble is you go back too far and then your mind
wanders again while you are waiting to catch up :P

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gnicholas
I'm curious if you read books in paper or on a device. Many bookworms have a
strong preference for (1) paper, (2) e-ink screens, or (3) devices that offer
easy markup. What do you favor?

You mention that you don't use speed-reading techniques. Is this because you
find them ineffective, taxing, or unenjoyable? My understanding (based on
working in literacy tech) is that many speed-reading techniques — esp those
taught in study skills classes — are more akin to skimming than what educators
call "close reading". On the other hand, there are tools like Spritz [1],
Spreeder [2], and BeeLine Reader [3] (of which I am the creator) that are
aimed at increasing reading speed, but which are very different from classical
speed-reading techniques.

Since you're interested in reading, I'd be interested in your take on why you
aren't using classical speed-reading techniques, and if you find the tech
tools to be objectionable/not worthwhile for the same reasons.

1: [https://www.spritzinc.com](https://www.spritzinc.com)

2: [https://www.spreeder.com](https://www.spreeder.com)

3: [https://www.BeeLineReader.com](https://www.BeeLineReader.com)

~~~
shirian
If I understand you correctly, you are the creator of BeeLine Reader. Just
wanted to let you know that it seems like the TLS certificate is invalid or
misconfigured, because I get an error when connecting to the site with
Firefox. Thanks for the links, anyhow.

~~~
louhike
Yes, I have the error "ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID". I think it's because the
certificate is aimed for *.herokuapp.com domains.

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WA
I'd argue against reading so many books for two reasons:

1\. So many popular non-fiction books these days resolve around a single idea,
which would fit in a blog post. But then, they're expanded with a lot of
fluff. Personal stories, other stories, anecdotes, the author's motivation to
do whatever. I tend to search for "$BOOKNAME summary" before even buying most
books.

For example, recently I "read" 'On Intelligence'. It has many good ratings,
but man, it is unnecessarily repetitive. You can easily only read chapter 6
and nothing else. Or only read the popular highlights from the Kindle edition
and be done with it.

2\. Reading all that stuff is still mostly entertainment. It might feel like
learning something new, but 99% of it is forgotten anyways. Reading with the
purpose of improving oneself requires action – to actually implement the given
advice or knowledge. Obviously, you can't implement the advice from 50 books
in a year. So why bother at all with all those books?

I read less, but try to be more serious about the content.

~~~
michaelmcmillan
I think that's a problem with publishers. They simply haven't found a business
model that works well for short books - which results in authors padding their
ideas with babble.

~~~
wastedhours
One person's babble is another person's "context" though. I think most non-
fiction books should have some kind of split between learnings and case
studies, anecdotes, data, examples etc...

That being said, an option to buy the TL;DR version and the expanded one
should actually open up many more options for most publishers (a la most
online ebooks and courses with multiple tiers).

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Kluny
My reading slowed down when I joined the workforce too, but I've been able to
keep up a rate of 10-15 books a year by making sure I have designated reading
time and always a book ready to go. For me, that's while I'm eating breakfast
and lunch, when I'm on a long car trip and not driving. I alternate fiction
and non-fiction, fluff and educational books, and have no hesitation about
putting down a book that's boring or feels repetitive. The biggest factor in
making in fun, for me, is eliminating guilt from the equation. So I don't
schedule it or set goals, I just leave room and opportunity for it.

------
angelofthe0dd
I've been an avid reader almost my whole life. Since 2010, I've had a
90-minute commute to/from work each day. I can't afford satellite radio, and
regular radio gets old very quickly. I initially started saving podcasts to my
iPod and playing those, then I started ripping audiobooks from the library and
listening to those. I also have an Audible subscription. That's three hours a
day of "reading", per se, and I typically listen to 2-4 books a month that
way.

~~~
mark_l_watson
I agree with the value of audio books! I have always been an avid reader
(probably 20+ books a year) and I am the author of 24 books - but, when I
started using Audible and listening to other audio books from the public
library my 'reading' time increased a lot.

I enjoy reading blogs on the web and social media on HN and Reddit, but I find
I generally get more from books on computer science, philosophy, spirituality,
science fiction, cooking, etc.

EDIT: I would like to add that I also feel fine starting a book and not
finishing it. This is especially true with technical books when I realize that
only some of the covered topics are interesting/useful to me. This allows me
to be exposed to more ideas.

~~~
GrinningFool
How do you do find non-fiction to be on audio? The couple of times I tried it
I found that all the unnecessary words give me too much time to be distracted.
Works great for me for fiction, and I'm hoping I just had bad luck I'm my
initial non-fiction selections ...

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vbsteven
I learned to read 1 to 2 books a week simply by replacing my social
media/phone addiction with reading books.

Whenever I would normally scroll endlessly through Facebook/Twitter/insta/HN I
pick up one of my current books for reading. This includes time on the toilet,
time waiting in queues or on public transport, solo meals, winding down in
bed, relaxing in the sun after a hard day at work.

~~~
swah
But Facebook is so much easier to consume in short intervals. With books I
haven't read for a few days, I have to go back a few paragraphs.

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jgaa
Why not use reading as a reward? "I finished my project on schedule. This
weekend I'll allow myself to read all day long, except for a walk with the
dogs" :) Modern life already have way too many systems, obligations and filled
time-slots. I think it's healthy to just relax some times, and don't do
anything just because it's supposed to be done right now.

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partycoder
There are bookmarks with timers in them. Like this:

[https://www.amazon.com/Mark-My-Time-Digital-Bookmark-Neon-
Bl...](https://www.amazon.com/Mark-My-Time-Digital-Bookmark-Neon-
Blue/dp/0976142503)

It seems silly but it does help. It is true that you could use your phone,
your Echo, or whatever, but this one has something to it.

~~~
matt4077
Oh, wow. That really is a bookmark with a timer.

Remember when you wondered "has self-optimization gone to far?".

Yeah, this is the answer.

~~~
partycoder
I mean, you could use your phone to set a timer. But once you pull your phone,
you've got email, someone tagged you in a photo and then you are done reading.

Low technology ftw.

~~~
aorth
Same reason I won't buy a Kindle! Oh, what Android is this? Can I root it? I
wonder if I could upgrade it. Etc etc. So I'm all for low-tech paper books.

------
mrlyc
I have very limited time for reading but lots of time for listening while I'm
washing the dishes or travelling. When I find a book that looks interesting, I
download an interview with or presentation by its author from YouTube, convert
it to an MP3 then listen to it.

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kyoob
I have a terrible trick for reading more books: I read while I walk. I walk
through Manhattan every weekday as part of my commute, through bustling
populated sidewalks and squares. I am in the way. I am part of the problem.
But I do get to read!

------
Samathy
Its so easy to find time to read if you just consider picking up a book rather
checking your phone.

It surprised me how much reading I got done if I carried a book and read when
I'd otherwise be scrolling through Facebook.

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watwut
I don't think it would work for me. When my willpower is at its peak, I prefer
to work or learn stuff for work. Pleasure reading seems like a waste for peak
willpower.

~~~
DeanYeong
Read stuff about your work?

~~~
watwut
During peak performance? Plus it would not count as reading the way article
talks about it.

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havella
Interesting that the author mostly reads self help books.

~~~
ry_ry
Would make their self-help guide to Reading More a very well researched piece
then ;)

Some people just like books about improving themselves in some way -
Personally I read mostly Sci-fi books, but I wouldn't say it's particularly
indicative of anything beyond enjoying That Sort of Thing.

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atemerev
Reading, like meditation, is a treat, not a chore.

~~~
Chris2048
I find reading to be physically tiring - the actual interpretation of the
words. Thinking is a treat, but I like my books clear but terse.

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PikelEmi
People who like to read - they read. No reason to make "systems" for reading -
you do it if you want to.

~~~
hanoz
What about people who want to read but don't like to read?

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5partan
Good tip to limit reading time to 20 pages a day, i read way too much, often 5
books simultaneously.

