Why Do You Read So Many Books?

I’m surprised by how often people ask me this question, and even more surprised by my inability to give them a concise, sensible answer. Reading has long been one of my top priorities, so it’s time that I figure out why the hell I do it.

A while back, I tried to answer the question of how I read so many books, but Why? is a much more interesting question. So here are a few thoughts on why I choose to spend an inordinate amount of time with my nose in a book. [And each thought is followed by an excellent book that I associate with each point, for one reason or another.]

• The Boring Antidote – I’m lucky to know many interesting people, and, without exception, all of them are intensely curious. The vast majority of them satiate that curiosity through reading, and most of them read a lot. The same goes for historical figures whom I admire. If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then these folks should feel uber-flattered—I’m trying to be a minor-league version of them. [Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin]
• Focus Barometer – Reading takes focus. And if I’m not reading as much as I’d like, it’s usually because I’ve lost focus in other aspects of my life. Whether it’s skipping my meditation, procrastinating, or letting down my guard with social media, a long stretch of no reading is a warning signal that something else is off. Once I identify and remedy the sloppiness, my focus improves and, whaddya know, the reading resumes. [Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport]
• Art of Conversation – Back when I was selling ranches, my clients would run the gamut from fancy-pants CEOs to salt-of-the-earth ranchers. And because I’d read everything from the biography of Warren Buffett to treatises on livestock grazing, I was never at a loss for substantive topics to discuss, no matter who the client was. It worked in sales; it works at parties; it works on the podcast; hell, it works whenever you want to be an engaged human being! [Raising the Bar: The Story of Clif Bar & Co. by Gary Erickson]
• Bye-Bye Shyness – Years ago, I considered myself shy, and I’m still a strong introvert. Building on the point above, I’ve found no better solution to shyness than knowing that I have an extensive source of topics to discuss with pretty much anyone. Or better yet, I can ask a cogent question to jumpstart a conversation. People love to talk about themselves, so I tee up a substantive question, and voilá! We’ve got ourselves a non-awkward, usually enjoyable conversation. [The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder]
• Priority Check – I’m always tempted to fall back on the trusty ol’ excuse of “I’m too busy.” Nonsense! Reading is a high priority for me—miles above social media, TV, internet news, and other electronic tomfoolery. There is ALWAYS time to read ten pages a day. If I cannot find the time, it is another blaring warning that my priorities have veered into the gutter, and I’m not using my time wisely. [Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen]
• Feel Better Today – Just as reading can be the canary in the coal mine for my focus levels, it can also be a trusted tool to maintain or enhance focus. If I catch myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram or feeling the siren call of prank videos on Youtube, 15 minutes of focused reading is usually all I need to snap out of the Zuckerberg-induced delirium. [The Craving Mind: Why We Get Hooked & How We Can Break Bad Habits by Judson Brewer]
• Feel Better Tomorrow – Almost everything I do that’s good for me is not fun in the moment. Eating well, running, meditation—for some odd reason, I dread it all. But the next day, without exception, I’m always glad that I forced myself to do whatever needed to be done. So, the idea of “tomorrow I’ll be glad I did this” drives all of my essential activities, including reading. [The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology by Gregg Krech]
• Brain Aerobics – I spend many hours per week running, lifting heavy things, and watching what I eat, all for the sole purpose of keeping my body functional and not too gross looking. But my brain is obviously much more important than my biceps, so it deserves some attention too. A few minutes of focused reading is the least I can do to keep that three-pound grey blob in decent shape. [The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff]
• Zoom Out – We’re living in kooky times, that’s for sure. But if there’s one takeaway from my reading of history, it’s that human kookiness is a constant. Having some perspective on just how bad things have been gives me comfort that we humans can find answers to our current problems, no matter how overwhelming they may seem in the moment. [Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy]
• RESIST Nonsense – In the age of tweets, hastily written news, sensational clickbait, and inflammatory “hot takes,” reading is a refuge from all of that surface-level foolishness. Reading is my commitment to depth, my serious attempt at mindful comprehension, and my stand against the tsunami of internet bullshit. [Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier]
• Evolve – If I were to compare my 42-year-old self to my 22-year-old-self, the differences are stark. Political leanings, value systems, spiritual practices, athletic goals, philosophical frameworks, and other points of reference—by many standards, I’m a different person. This significant personal evolution is a direct result of reading curiously and voraciously. And I hope that the evolution and growth continue for many decades to come—I know that at a minimum, the reading will. [The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X]
• Intellectual Humility – The deeper and more broadly I read, the more I realize how little I actually know. In fact, with each passing year, the ratio of “what I know” to “what I know I don’t know” skews more and more toward the “don’t know” category. It’ll be difficult for me to morph into a stuck-in-my-ways, know-it-all curmudgeon when I’m continually facing the fact that I don’t actually know a damn thing. [Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman]
• No Reading, No (Good) Writing – Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” Nowadays, we are all writers, whether we’re composing another work email or the next New York Times bestseller. I spend a large chunk of my professional time writing, and I credit any minor success I’ve had to my deep commitment to reading. [On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King]
• Learn Some Stuff – While I have no dreams of becoming Jeopardy’s next Ken Jennings, it’s satisfying to feel marginally informed across a broad spectrum of topics. The fact-collection aspect of reading is by far my least important reason for doing it, but I’d be lying if I claimed not to enjoy dominating a few Jeopardy categories from time to time. [A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson]

So there you have it. Not concise, and possibly not sensible. But at a minimum, I hope these ramblings encourage you to read a few more pages than you would have otherwise.

“I am part of everything I have read.” – Theodore Roosevelt

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