Reading books out of order
Many books open at once, opened at whatever section fits your mood that day
Dozens of books stay permanently in progress. Instead of starting at page one and working through to the end, you open whichever book matches your mood and read the part that looks most interesting. Most books get a skim. A few get close attention. Some stay unfinished for good, and that counts as normal rather than as failure. The claim from people who read this way is that it removes the sense of obligation that stops most adults reading, so total pages go up even as the completion rate falls. It works badly for a book with a single argument built in sequence, and well for essays, philosophy and reference.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Naval RavikantDoes it
Angel investor · AngelList and the Naval podcast
Sequence plays no part in it. He opens the Kindle, finds whichever book matches his mood, jumps to the part that looks most interesting and reads that. The payoff, he says, is that it keeps him reading on a regular basis.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show transcript: Naval Ravikant“Based on my mood, I’ll flip through to whatever book matches my mood. I’ll flip to whatever part of it looks the most interesting, and I’ll just read that part. I don’t read in the sequential order.”
The Tim Ferriss Show transcript: Naval Ravikant (opens in a new tab) · 2 May 2016
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or productivity.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Daily reading
A fixed daily reading block, usually books rather than feeds
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 23 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Early rising
A fixed, early wake time, often before anyone else is awake
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily writing
Write something every day, published or not
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Phone-free first hour
No email, news or social media until you have done something of your own
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Margin notes
Writing in the margins while reading, especially where you disagree with the author
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Thinking retreats
Blocks of time cleared of the schedule to sit with one hard problem
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.