How to read more


Sir Francis Bacon


Books are incredible things. Unlike movies or music, which are both passive channels, reading requires active participation of the individual, with each mind having different visualisations and interpretations. What other medium allows one to peer into the mind of an ancient Greek philospher or listen to Caesar as he relates his exploits beyond the Rhine?


However, whereas a good movie can be finished in around two hours, books are more demanding on one’s time. In this fast-paced modern era, reading is often sacrificed for other pursuits. And yet, few endeavours offer more rewards than books.


In this post we will discuss strategies that will (hopefully) allow you read more.


  1. One hour a day


Dismantle your timetable and find 1 hour a day which you can devote wholly to reading. Dissect these 60 minutes if necessary, so that your hour can consist of composites.


The average person can read around 30 pages in an hour. An hour of reading a day will then yield 210 pages in a week, 840 in a month and 10 080 pages in a year.  If you consider that the average book is 400 pages long, then this yields 25 books a year. If you devote an hour or so more on weekends, then you can fit in 10 hours a week – which is equivalent to 36 books a year. Not bad already.


  1. Have more books than you need.


So now we have worked out that you can read 36 books a year. Excellent. So during the course of the year buy 72 books. Why,   you might ask. Because more books represent more choices. If you get bored then you pick up another book, or you can read several books at once.


  1. Align your books with your interests


Interested in the complexities of black lesbian journalism in Honduras during the 1950s? How about quantum chromodynamics? If a subject does not stoke your imagination at all, then steer clear of it when making book purchases. Rather broaden your horizons in familiar disciplines or highlight some lesser-known topics of interest.


You can find a range of books on bidorbuy.


Read more books in 2016