'I met the towering intellectuals in books, not in the classroom, which is natural. I can't remember when I first read Ben Franklin. I had Thomas Jefferson over my bed at seven or eight. My family was into all that stuff, getting ahead through discipline, knowledge, and self-control.' - Charlie Munger
Charlie and Warren are a veritable knowledge smargosboard in the chaos based world of business. This quote holds particular resonance. Having completed primary, secondary and university studies, I have spent a significant percentage of my life in classrooms seeking education. Unfortunately for many (me included), the schooling system did not provide a reflective amount of information for the time expense. Thankfully the human mind is not coordinated in a machine-like fashion, we can attain information through various mediums. Teaching yourself is the most successful method of learning and these bound paperbacks filled with word after word can be that vital tool.
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's business associate at Berkshire Hathaway, was a high school dropout. Now he's one of the most financially successful men on planet Earth. We can't all be Mr Munger. However, learning from the wisdom he willingly imparts should be as automated as your last breath. As Ameer Rosic suggests, an important question to answer is what book you last read. Answer that with confidence and you're doing something right.
The overarching reason to read is simple, it has the capacity to increase your focus. There are various more subtle reasons to read, including enjoyment, knowledge, vocabulary expansion, memory improvement, relaxation and scientists have even suggested that it may slow or outright prevent the ghastly Alzheimer's disease. But it all winds down to this particular five lettered f word. Many academics, youtubers, bloggers and public speakers articulate that efficiency is key to any successful enterprise, whether that be an Ethereum based start up or someone picking stocks. The premise is that your eight hour work day can be condensed into five hours of supreme productivity. Imagine a world in which you didn't have your smartphone, laptop and TV. No Netflix may be an awful thought to contemplate at first, however our collective capacity for sustained thought would increase tenfold.
But how do we do it? Here are the top three Q&As to address.
1. Books are boring!?
Simply you haven't come across the book that you need to be reading. What're your interests? Nearly every interest known to the wider world has an expert willing to address it. Do you like cryptocurrency? Why not read a book by Andreas Antonopoulos? I can categorically say that there is someone out there who can place a thought in your mind that you can't believe you have lived without. The more you read the more consistently this occurs. Additionally, a book may allow you to see the world through the eyes of a personal hero and could even pave the way for you to forge a tremendous skill. The right book is never boring to the right pair of hands.
2. Paperback or digital?
This may be the basis for another blog in the future but I'm a strong believer that words placed on paper has greater benefit. There are a number of reasons for this stance, but the basic logic is simple. Our screens are associated with so many entertaining apps and tools. Much like how our brains associate sleep with bed and bed with sleep, our brains to some extent associate screens with youtube, facebook, twitter and the like. In addition, an increasing number of the public spend their days sat at a desk staring at their computers. Giving our eyes a rest is surely going to be of some benefit in the future. In conclusion, paperback for me.
3. Choosing the right book...
This question is perhaps the most significant to whether you sustain long term reading. Boring books are difficult to consume for the most habitual of readers. The beauty of the 21st century is that there are likely plenty of libraries nearby and stock full of books. You can go thumb through as many as your heart desires at no charge. Better still you can search google for books based on any and everything that has been brought into human consciousness. Many youtubers have taken to adding their personally favoured books. Scanning through their lists is another book choosing measure of substance. Whatever you choose, the options are plentiful and endless. This may seem a difficult question at the beginning, but alas it can be an enjoyable experience.