How To FINISH Every Book You Start - My Daily Reading Routine
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- A video on how to finish the books you start and some tips on how to start a daily reading habit.
The interview with Ted Gioia:
• The Genius Mind of Ted...
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Having multiple books going at the same time made a big impact on my reading. I will never go back :) I just pick the book I'm in the mood for at that moment, which leads to always having something to read. Great video, Robin.
My moods permit up to 9 books at a time lol. But yeah I’m the same as you with that 🙂
Same here :D
Yes, that works wonders for me too. My friend though says she’s a serial monogamist (with books, that is 😊)
I can have maybe 2 at a time. some would think that ADHD would permit more, but the actual outcome is just distraction and not remembering what I read before, so it's just chaos
@@Anzy.99 have you tried reading along with an audio book? I’m in the middle of getting diagnosed with ADHD and I find it helpful. Also reading out loud which apparently is what everyone used to historically
Thanks Robin for shedding light on "under-reading". I love this approach. It can be pretty satisfying to limit yourself to reading 12-15 pages a day and on really good days, get another ~10 -12 in!
I love this new way of recording your videos. Feels so much more candid!
I agree!
I like to have 2-3 15-20min sessions a day
It’s like the book accompanies you in your everyday life 😊
You start thinking about the book, story, arguments or whatever it is you're reading throughout the day when you do this. I've actually started a similar habit recently since my reading isn't where I want it to be. Very short but multiple bursts of reading a day to build consistency 😉
"Figuring out what is right for you" I guess this is the key for everything we do. Really appreciate your work, Robin. Thanks :)
I recently got a stack of Stephen King novels just to jump-start my daily reading. I'm retired, so nothing but time enough, and easy/fun literature is getting me into the habit of reading. So far, it's working well.
Super awesome. I just finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and it was absolutely incredible.
Are his novels as scary as described?:)
The good point that I take from this video is the focus on time. I have been facing this problem where I focus on page count and, in doing so, I would spent hours reading few pages.
From now on I will read for specific time period.
Great advice! Read Odyssey by Homer last year during October. Absolutely loved it. And Im glad I read it everyday consistently 15-20 pages a day in the morning. I also listened to the audiobook while reading it on the paper. That was a game changer in comprehension.
That is so, so true, you can't base reading (or any other activity, for that matter) on pure motivation alone. Routine and consistency are the keys, but also not being harsh on ourselves if things don't go to plan. Just try again and you'll get there ✨
I usually have about 6 books on the go at any given time.
In addiction to whatever my "main selection" of the moment, I'm reading...
2 pages of the Bible per day. It is referenced in too many other works to not have an understanding of it.
1 scene/sonnet of Shakespeare a day.
I read a chapter of the Iliad per day, at present (the Rieu translation, the Lattimore translation afterwards - will follow with the Odyssey, then the Aenid). Something Greek or Roman: philosophy, poetry, plays...
When the above selections are complete, I begin again.
In addition to the above, I read:
1 short story a day.
History on Thursday: Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, at present.
1 story/poem by Edgar Allen Poe on Friday.
An essay by David Foster Wallace on the weekend (I'm inching my way through his works before tackling Infinite Jest.
I read one of Jane Austen's novels in July, sometimes one of the Bronte sisters' as well.
I close out the year with Charles Dickens.
And being Canadian, I try to read a couple CanLit titles per year.
I expect more than a few people have their own strategies.
Wooow, that sounds amazing!:) I will get there one day as well. I was a true book lover when I was an adolescent. I basically read anything I could find. I wish to have this habit/ability as an adult as well.
I think I read certain books that were too early for me also😅
I really enjoy this type of videos! Its smoother to watch/listen to and more engaging than the cuts of clips. But regardless of video style, the content and discussions are always interesting and thought-provoking. Thank you so much!!
I read a few pages of poetry every morning, while still in bed, before everything. It makes every day a little more special. Then I read at breakfast, commuting, and before sleep ( in bed again). Usually I'm reading simultaneously poetry, non fiction and some narrative.
The title of this video is "How To FINISH Every Book You Start". Well, I would advise you all NOT to even attempt that. The world is full of books that don't DESERVE to be finished. And the second you realize you're reading one of them - that's it. You're done. In the immortal words of the late, great Dorothy Parker: "This is not a book to be lightly tossed aside. It should be thrown with great force."
What works for me is thinking about how easy it is to pick up a book. Just think about it: all you have to do is put your legs up, pick up the book, open it, and read 25 pages. Thinking like this makes it so easy and simple that it’s impossible not to do.
Thanks for this. I work just too many hours and I struggle to find time to read. This is useful, helpful and inspiring to me.
Hmmm I already see you as someone 'more well read' and that shows itself in the references you give as you are speaking, by quoting from one author or another, by stating you apply so and so's principle which you read from a particular book. I tend to like this unfiltered approach and I don't mind you going into rabbit holes as it gives me better grasp of what you're talking about.
3:40 The more you know, the more you feel like you don't know anything. It's not limited to an English degree but applies to all the relevant fields. It's universal, my friend :)
Loved the honesty.
You said that you sometimes "only" read 7 pages, but surely even 7 pages is infinitely preferable to none. Be proud of what you did, rather than feel shame of what you did not do
You’re my fave content creator right now. Please keep making these kinds of videos. ❤🎉
We like the rabbit holes! Feels like listening to a friend
Will keep them coming!
Hi Robin, thanks for the video. I agree that consistency trumps everything when it comes to reading. The interview you referenced was on David Perell's excellent podcast „How I Write“. I also really enjoyed David's talk with Ted.
Hot take but over the years I’ve found that the books I don’t read in a frenzy are usually never worth me slugging through to finish them. So now my philosophy is that life is too short to read books I don’t actively want to finish with every page I read. Of course you’re right that no matter what you studied, there never comes a point where you can stop reading. But once you’re out of school and no longer dictated to by a curriculum, surely you can be free to choose the books you want to read and skip the ones that don’t interest you enough to continue organically
This is great, you touched on a lot of thoughts re: reading that I've had. I think there's a really concerning trend to consume as _many_ books as possible, as _fast_ as possible, just to show off s huge stack of books at the end of the month. I'm sure some people have their routine down pat and actually can read that much and retain it, but...the social media competitiveness of it, the need to read for others and not themself, is troubling to me. Even one page a day is enough, if it means you're really focusing, taking in what you're reading, rolling the words in your mouth and thinking on them. It makes such a positive difference to the whole experience of reading.
Also, reading multiple books simultaneously has been a game-changer. I always like having short novellas, poetry collections, essays, etc...just _short_ books kicking about, so that if I'm not in the mood (or unable to focus) on any of my current books, I can hit a temporary reset with a short, quick read. It's never failed to knock my brain back into track.
Definitely looking forward to the vid on audiobooks! 📚
I have two reasons to read and those are enjoyment and to learn English 😊
Would love to hear some ideas for reading more poetry… I am wondering now if they might be fundamentally different from prose reading habits. Thanks for a great video.
The Compoud effect by Darren Hardy is a good, short read on this subject. Also, The One Thing by Gary Keller.
I am a mood reader, I can’t pick up a book as part of a reading system. Sometimes a book may seem boring but I usually try to finish as I hate not finishing stuff.
I always enjoy your videos! interesting space make a house tour if you wish or share favorite books.
I have to admit that I struggle with more than one book on the go at once as I find it easier to focus on one book at a time.
People are different! Just find what works best for you.
Oh my god! What a fun coincidence! I'm also reading the Iliad at the moment
Do you have a video on what to start reading as a beginner reader? If you just want to get smarter and become a better reader?
Can you talk about how to finish writing something 😊
Another thing is that, people really get influenced by what others read - I know you've talked about this in a video which was posted really long ago, but people still neglect it - I am all in with trying new things, new genres etc. But if you find that it's not for you, just leave it. I've seen people torture themselves for the sake of validation, that yes, I've read this book. Suppose I like to read books which challenge me to really break down things, that does not mean that you have to suffer through it, there is nothing wrong with not liking something. And if someone really wants to do that, I'd help them but as long as they show immense interest in the same.
great video !
Deliberately under reading
Sounds like an interesting approach
Like making it as simple and easy in the beginning as possible but over time you get momentum to do more
Or like Kaizen
I have a terrible time with audiobooks, especially fiction. It took me a few years to figure out why. I finally realized that when you're listening, you're usually doing other things at the same time. That's part of the draw of it. But because of that, you're not fully immersed in the world like you are when reading. When you're reading, you cannot do anything else. Your eyes are not looking anywhere else. Maybe your ears are intaking music, but only as background. And while not everyone visualizes everything as they read (I don't always) there's at least a bit of that, a sensation of it. When you're doing other things, especially things that require more mental energy/concentration, you cannot be fully immersed in the book. Our brains just don't work like that.
Nonfiction is easier. It's requires less imaginative energy/focus. But that also depends on the type of nonfiction. If it's a book about or set in a beautiful natural environment, or among a different culture or something like that, you would want to mentally immerse yourself in that without real life distraction. Contrast that with a book on economics. Both are technically nonfiction, but very different types of material that require different kinds of concentration.
I do something similar - I reserve non-fiction for the morning reading session (however short it happens to be) and fiction books for the evening if I have some time after work. Even a page a day is better than nothing.
Robin looks like and speaks with the cadence an old father figure and it so cool
Ok, I've never been an early morning person. But your idea of reading something difficult in the morning intrigued me. I remember being on the train to work and suddenly realizing... I did not remember getting there. I'd have a moment of panic as I glanced down to make sure I was properly dressed and not still in my slippers! Yeah, I am seriously non-functional. But maybe trying this would actually wake up my brain. I may try it just as an experiment. Thanks!
You remind me of my dads friend back in the day cool 🎉
I know you haven’t done your audiobook video yet, but I want to hear what you think about Ulysses and audio. Normally I would think that it’s too dense to listen to, but so many people say that the way into it is to listen to it, or read it out loud (especially if you’re a Dubliner).
I think it demands a bit of both. When I was studying Ulysses at university my professor recommended the RTÉ performance of Ulysses and it was very atmospheric to listen to. But, having said that, it could potentially corrupt our reading of the text given that listening to the book is already getting a second hand interpretation, especially for more musical episodes such as Sirens and Oxen of the Sun.
Interested to hear your opinion on audiobooks.
Could it be.... first?
Damn, twelve behind. Really slacking, I am.
@@bigfootlil this is a first (pun intended) for me!
Where's Bloomsday part 2, Waldun?
Still putting it together. 🥲
Actually the hardest part for me is getting into it. Yes it is exciting starting a new book but I don’t know the characters, I keep confusing people for 10-20 pages. It is easier to go back into a book you know. But if I drag out the book, getting out of my habit it is difficult to finish. I feel like it is important, at least for me, to ride the wave in the middle, reading every single day.
Thanks for the tips! It's nice to know we pretty much share the same technique in being consistent with reading! Although I would sometimes alternate between reading for a set amount of pages and reading for a set amount of time, depending on the text. I'd go for the latter if I'm reading a heavy text, like 30 mins to an hour for any philosophical text, and the former if I'm reading something lighter.
Also, has anyone ever told you that you look like Felix Guattari? Nope? Just me?
Félix Guattari’s one of my main philosophical influences alongside Deleuze! Maybe reading too much of him slowly morphed how I look. 😂
I read consistently for 12 years after my humanities degree. I am taking a brief hiatus from my 60-100 pages a day to become better at programming and the sciences. I also recommend the "Great Books of the Western World" program. Also read Fagles for the Iliad, the only translation 😂
Fagles astonishes me every time I read Homer and I don’t even know where to begin in praise of his translation… I just bought his Odyssey and can’t wait to get into it after the Iliad. Recommendation noted!
@@RCWaldun I'm being deeply facetious. All three major translations have their merits. Pick up some Ancient Greek if you haven't already (and a copy of Middle Liddell) and you will love these books even more!
I have always struggled with asking good questions to a book or academic paper, can you talk about this in a video? 😊
Concentrated Reading, everyday and creating it a routine . The duration itself doesnt matter
“Divide it up into ridiculously small chunks”… That, my friend, is the fundament of calculus, which subsequently enables us to model and understand nature. Mathematics is like reading the Iliad 😂
This made my day. 😂 My highschool maths teacher would be proud.
Hello, hello, I came across this video and the first problem reminded me to a reaaaally short story by Jorge Luis Borges called "La biblioteca de Babel" (I believe in English is called "The Library of Babel") and despite I always recommend reading his work because I believe he is one of the most prolific and interesting authors in the world, not only in Argentina; it's a great portrait of what wanting to read can become or can feel as a Literature graduate. I hope the recommendation finds someone ❤
May I ask what are auto canonnical texts?
Your point around here 4:00 is something I relate to as a Liberal Arts student who has recently graduated. I have a huge mental backlog of books to read, but also I now know where to start and how to approach reading under a certain topic. When I go to a book store, I am no longer intimidated by the non-fiction books and understand what they mean to me.
The true power of the liberal arts! I realized that the point wasn’t to read and memorize great books but to learn how to read, and the degree really did liberate me to read anything under the sun!
You should just point people to “The Honest Broker” substack since this is exactly what he advocates.
Found Ted through David’s podcast and now I’m completely hooked!
Do you have a Goodreads, Robin?
Which translation of the Iliad are you reading?
Fagles. 👌🏻
@@RCWaldun Excellent choice! That's my favorite, and the one that I would have recommended! 🙂
I'm interested to hear your thoughts on audiobooks. The amount I retain definitely varies between audiobooks but I find that audiobooks can actually make information-dense topics more accessible, especially with concepts that are new to me. I might retain fewer specific details but grasp things conceptually much more.
As an aside, I read the Iliad as an audiobook earlier this year. Knowing myself as a reader, I would have struggled to finish if I were to physically read it, but the audiobook absolutely entranced me. Listening rather than reading felt like it really honoured the history of oral storytelling behind it.
You’re in luck! The next video’s going to be on Audiobooks.
By reading it.
This is the very problem I have! Yes, I call that my "study reading" period, working on a hard book. But consistency...arrrgh! That's the problem.
11:37 sorry, what is it? I wasnt paying attention.
If you want to finish every cool you start, keep reading them.
Great voice. You should be using that.
"there's nothing like an english degree that'll make you feel like you're the dumbest person on planet earth" lol true
i just wanna read the books on my bookshelf
Take one off the shelf. Read the first page. Next day, read the second page. Keep going until you get to the end. When it comes down to it, that's really all we can do! We're all looking for magical shortcuts or tips or whatever. But it always comes down to the same thing. Nobody can do it for you. It's just you, doing it.
I try to read when I can. This not only distracts, but also helps to maintain common sense and not to go crazy.
I bought books that I plan to read in the future: "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann, "King Lear" and "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, I also bought several books by Ukrainian authors.
It may seem silly, because right now I hear explosions, but on the other hand, by buying books and planning to read them, I am thus confirming my faith in the future...
The fact is that I live in Ukraine and our city has been shelled by Russian troops almost every day for more than two months, they are killing the civilian population. For example, last Saturday, starting in the morning, three Russian drones hit a hospital, and another hit a residential building. As a result, 9 civilians were killed, 21 people were injured, and houses were destroyed.
Last night, the Russian army, using ammunition prohibited by the Geneva Convention, set fire to the forest around our city - it is impossible to breathe. So they try to kill peaceful people.
Therefore, in order not to lose my mind, I try to read.
Thanks for the video and great tips!
Take care. God bless Ukraine ❤
@@4061earthabcdesong Thank you! We hold on, we do not give up, because justice and truth are on our side!
How to Read a Book: Inspectional Reading
I used to wake up, go to the bathroom, come back, grab my phone and get swallowed by Instagram, TH-cam, all political content, I would beginn my day filled with anger, before I even drank my coffe I allready hated the day.
Then, for a couple of days, I began my day with a coffee and a book, my phone I would only touch after 12:00, and those days, were way better, I was calmer, felt less the need to go out and buy stuff I did not need, etc. et.
What if I don't wanna finish the book
.
Unpopular opinion....not every book needs or even deserves to be finished. Keep that book down girl, its okay.
you're so cute 🥰
I find If there's a book you really enjoy and can get lost in, you don't pay track of time, if anything you press snooze to get more resding done. That's kind of reading I think should aim for.
The problem is that few books, especially those that are more challenging for whatever reasons, are like that at all. Or are like that throughout the entire thing. I finally read Moby Dick in August. That darned book had defeated me over and over through the years. But I was determined to conquer it. It became a bit of an obsession. Fitting, given the themes of this book!
To my amazement, I ended up loving it! But was it a "fun" time all the way through? No. There were portions that were difficult. There were parts I didn't quite understand. There were portions that felt unnecessary. (To me.) But I kept going. And when I got to the end, I was so glad I did not give up. I think even if I had hated the story, I would have felt a sense of accomplishment for FINALLY finishing it. The plus was that I really did love it! But I never would have had that experience if I had waited until I "felt" like reading it or "felt" like reading every single page.
@@Yesica1993 I had same experience with Monte Cristo. You don't have to continue when you read difficult chapters but the immersive ones read!!, and continue reading till it becomes less so. Before you know it you're 30 min reading would of become 2 hours.
do you have a job?