Some jottings…

Discovery & Selection

Leverage your local library. If you remember one thing, this is it.

Every few weeks I’ll check out a handful of books that either I want to read or others have recommended. Over the following days I’ll read the first 10-20 pages of each book. If I can’t put a book down, I order it online and add notes in it once it arrives.

This serves three purposes:

• Ensures that I’m never satiated by anticipation without any follow through (very important)
• Eliminates book rec drudgery and offers an equitable approach to discovery
• Helps me optimize for works that I find interesting and exciting!

Read what you like

Ignore the advice that books should be a mirror, not a door. Start reading what you like – even if it’s lacking substance – and you’ll naturally gravitate towards deeper works that can teach you something about yourself. They’re not mutually exclusive, either: the best works are doors with mirrors latched onto them.

Focus on branches of discernment that arouse your curiosity and follow their roots. Don’t be deep just to be deep.