The Joy of Reading

Update on June 19, 2024: I woke up this morning after publishing this late yesterday and realized I still had a bit to say. Go figure, right? There’s a new section at the bottom named, “Just One More Thing.”

I try to be tolerant and open-minded, but when someone tells me they don’t read, I judge, silently. It’s one of those things I find difficult to comprehend, and I always think about this quote from Mark Twain:

The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.

I also realize that when someone tells me they don’t read that they’re not telling the full truth, either. They are reading because they have to. You can’t be a professional in this day and age and not read to keep up to date in your field. I’m a software developer and I’m constantly reading documentation, blog posts, tutorials, and of course, code.

They just don’t read for pleasure.

Or they are telling the truth and they really don’t read.

Either way, inconceivable.

My Love of Reading

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.

Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

I am grateful for my mom for instilling in me the love of reading. I have fond memories of sitting on the couch when I was young, her on one end, me on the other, both with books in our hands. Visits to our local bookstore were frequent, and I don’t remember her ever saying no to a book purchase, something I continued with my own kids. Although my mom has switched to a Kindle, she still reads a lot, and the habit has never really faded for me, either.

I am surrounded by books. My desk is stacked with them and I have book shelves both in front of me and behind me. In our old house, we had book shelves in every room. Our new house is smaller, so they are consolidated. A quick scan of my shelves shows books of all genres: history, philosophy, literature, biography, psychology, sociology, religion, technical, leadership, self-help, fiction, graphic novels of all sorts, and even poetry.

For my birthday and Christmas, I always ask for books and my family is great about adding more books to my stacks. For Father’s Day a few days ago my daughter bought me two books! She gets it.

I can’t imagine being without books any more than I can imagine not listening to music each day. I always have several books in progress, mainly because I like the variety. There are some books I read daily that take me an entire year to get through, and when the new year starts, I start back at the beginning. If a book catches my attention, I won’t stop reading until it’s done.

I love to let one book lead me to the next, whether it’s through a direct reference, or just an idea. Sometimes I’ll binge an author or topic for weeks.

I have put books down before because sometimes a book just doesn’t click with me, but thankfully those are few, and far between.

My wife reads a lot, too. Her tastes are a lot different from mine, but that’s ok. My daughter’s room is wall-to-wall books, and her tastes are also different from mine, but that’s ok. I wish my son had the same love of reading that I do. I’d like to think that some day the love of reading will come to him.

Why Reading Is Important

It increases or enhances your knowledge. What better way to learn about new ideas than through a book? I love learning new things. I love to dig into topics I may not agree with, because I’d rather be educated about a topic than just talk shit about it. I want to be able to hold my own in a conversation, too.

It can improve your brain function! If I can improve my brain or even reduce the risk of neurodegenernative disease by reading, why the hell would I NOT? It frustrates me that my dad has never been a reader and that we’re seeing first hand what a neurodegenerative disease looks like. I wonder where he’d be if my mom’s love of reading had filtered over to him as well.

It’s been proven that reading fiction can increase empathy. I mean, where else can you experience the best and worst of humanity, along with varying perspectives so easily?

Diving into a good book is an excellent way to reduce stress. It’s also a great way to entertain yourself. I love being immersed in worlds built by some of the most creative minds there are.

Reading has a direct impact on your writing skills.

As Stephen King says:

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.

We are losing our ability to focus, and reading can help with that in all sorts of ways.

Nothing inspires continuous learning than reading one interesting book that leads to another interesting book that leads to…

Want to read more? Try these things

I prioritize reading, much as I prioritize sleep. Years ago I realized that I operated a lot better when I got enough sleep. I’m in bed early almost every day, and I get 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep every night. I prioritize reading in much the same way.

Schedule Time and Take Small Bites

I read before bed almost every night. It doesn’t have to be a lot, sometimes only a few pages. The books I read before bed are anything that’s not technical or leader-y.

I read a few pages while my wife is in the shower in the morning. This is most likely the same book I put down before turning the lights off the night before.

I read a few pages while I’m drinking my tea in the morning. If it’s nice out, I’m catching the early morning sun on the deck with a book in hand, or I’m sitting on the front porch with tea in one hand and a book in the other. If it’s not, I’m inside in a nice comfy chair doing it. Depending on how caught up I am in the book I read earlier, I may continue, BUT more likely than not, I’m reading a business-y, leader-y book. For example, this morning I read a few pages out of Crucial Conversations.

I read a page here and there while I’m between meetings. If it’s during the work day, it probably has some bearing on the work I do, so technical or business or leadership.

Most days I read at lunch. This gets back to whatever non-business book I’m reading.

Note: None of these are huge blocks of time; thirty minutes, sometimes an hour, and many times only five or ten minutes. It all depends on how much time I have!

It’s not unusual for me to have five or six books in progress. Thankfully, I don’t have a problem switching between them, but if you do, stick to one book at a time! Do whatever works for you!

Be Accountable to Someone

Book clubs are popular at my employer. I find them valuable especially if it’s not a book I’d normally read. It helps keep me on track because I know I have to discuss the reading with others, and if I show up without reading the material, it’s apparent.

Join a Challenge

For years I joined the Goodreads yearly reading challenge. It’s a cool way to keep track of your reading. Don’t make it a competition with others, but with yourself year to year. Only read five books this year? Try for six next year.

Go Audio (if it’s easier)

I have friends who swear by audio books. If jumping on the treadmill with an audio book in your ears works for you, do it. If you have a long commute and are tired of the same old podcasts or lame morning DJs, try audio books.

I don’t do audio books, at least not as a norm, although I loved listening to Wil Wheaton’s reading of “Ready Player One” and “Ready Player Two” - seriously, if you haven’t listened to them, do it! I also really enjoyed the audio version of “The Martian.”

When I was commuting to Detroit a few years ago, I had lots of time in the car, so I listened to several audio books. I had to do it in small bites though, otherwise it was too easy to zone out and miss key events (or not pay enough attention to the road).

Find a Genre or Author You Love

I have friends who only read technical books. Cool. If that’s what’s going to keep you reading, do it. One of the best books I’ve ever read, and one that kept me on the edge of my seat, was a semi-technical book about the development of Windows NT. It’s long out-of-print though.

If I have one genre I read more than any other, it’s history. I love American history with The Civil War years and World War II being at the top.

As much as I love history, I’m on Stephen King kick lately. It’s not history, but he’s grabbed my attention and I can’t get enough. I’m also waiting for the new Jack Carr book to show up on Friday!

My daughter loves manga.

My wife likes historical fiction.

A Final Thought

If you haven’t built the reading muscle, getting started can be tough. Don’t jump in with Moby Dick or Les Miserable as the first book you’ve read since high school or college. Try something smaller, fluffier. If it doesn’t grab your attention, find something else.

Reading shouldn’t be a chore. It should be enjoyable, so find books that bring you joy, and let one book lead you to the next.

Just One More Thing

Reading brings me an immense amount of joy, but on a more practical level, it has helped me almost more than anything else I can think of.

I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Books have helped me become a better leader, a better husband, a better father; they have helped me become a better person. From books I have learned how to better deal with people and how to better deal with myself. Books and reading have exposed me to new ideas, allowing me to gain perspectives I otherwise wouldn’t have.

To learn from those before me, from those who have been through extraordinary situations, to benefit from the experiences of others, is awesome.

To be transported to places both real and imaginary, and to laugh and cry and yell because I’m so emotionally invested, is awesome.

Reading has expanded my world, and for that I am grateful.

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