What is the difference between two advices: Read a lot, grab beer and eat french fries?
Technically, there is no difference when there is no purpose at all, when one have no idea why he/she is doing that.
Although beer opens some mind and makes many people more talkative and let people into deep topics, books are much more healthier, instructive and mind expanding. However, there is still a problem with reading when you read like watching some empty wall meaninglessly. It sounds like travelling just to count the number of countries or having friends just to be popular.
What is left in the end? A few ‘beautiful sentences’, content from the cover and superficial approval of the writer which is not obviously what the writer intended. Nevertheless, the most important thing is to understand the writer’s insight, his point of view, the conditions when he/she was writing, the environment of the time period. Despite of different perspectives of everybody, I think, it is such a waste when there is no connection with the writer, when blindly agree with writer.
The real reading should be like being John Malkovich…
I made the same mistake many times. I read a books in different topics and subjects but I don’t think about it. I say, it is done but when I ask myself what happened in this book, it becomes hard to tell more than few words. Above all, I cannot tell anything about the writer. To overcome this problem, it is always important to share and talk about what you read, underline some points, think about that and approach critical.. If necessary, better to write something about it, generate contra-arguments although you agree with the idea… That can be the best writer of the world or completely in your mind but still it is important to find something you don’t approve.
Therefore, I think the idea of reading a new book shouldn’t be the amount but should be benefit from it. It is better to read again and again if necessary, better to focus on writer and also reading some essays about his/her life before the book, better to check the criticism about the writer, just like in book clubs.
In this sense, I really like the reading style of Bill Gates. He says that he takes notes always and sometimes he writes tens of pages, especially when he doesn’t agree with the writer.
As a conclusion, I recommend, while reading take, not only a cup of coffee and a blanket but also a notebook, piece of paper and pen. When reading process is done, before putting check the bucket list and take a photo of it; collect the notes you take, think about them and write few paragraphs about the book and writer. This is the best way to strengthen the knowledge, gain the maximum from reading and gain a new perspective which is the main idea of reading.
Originally published at https://bahadirhancicek.medium.com on March 5, 2018.
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