Pollsters say reading is in decline. As an author and former publishing executive, the statistics make me wince. But I’m optimistic for another reason. Why? A readership crisis is really a leadership crisis. And for people who know how to respond, crisis is just another way of saying opportunity.
reading
The Science of Reading
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “reader,” you read all the time. Signs, instructions, articles, bills, blogs, newspaper headlines and grocery lists all depend on literacy. Literature is the icing on the cake. Reading permeates so much of our lives, and yet human civilization has only been literate for a tiny sliver of our […]
10 Rules to Read More Books This Year
One New Year’s resolution I frequently hear from people is that they want to read more books. Makes sense if you consider reading a key component of personal growth and development. Ray Edwards recently wrote about his reading goals here at MH&Co. He planned to read fifty-two books in a year. Instead, he read seventy-six! […]
5 Reasons Why I Read So Many Books
I have always been an avid reader, but over the last few years, I’ve become much more intentional and ambitious in my reading. In 2015, I set my first challenging reading goal: to read fifty-two books in one year. By the time the year was done, the total was seventy-six. I still read at least […]
George Washington Shows Us How Leaders Are Readers
Most Americans think of George Washington as a great leader and the father of our country, but I bet few of us think of overdue library books. When Washington was president, he borrowed two books from a New York library and forgot to return them. According to a humorous but true story the fines for […]
How to Make Your Non-Fiction Reading More Productive
I’m a serious reader and have been most of my life. Most leaders I know are. We realize there’s a major ROI on time dedicated to reading. As I’ve blogged about before, reading makes us better thinkers, improves our people skills, and helps us master communication—not to mention the rest and rejuvenation it offers. We […]
3 Non-Physical Benefits to Running
We all know the physical benefits to running. However, people who don’t run, often miss the non-physical ones. Here are three.
The Secret to Ben Carson’s Success
It’s been fascinating to watch Dr. Ben Carson’s recent rise in the polls. Whatever your political bent, he deserves attention. What’s his secret? The deck was certainly stacked against him. He grew up in dire poverty, raised by a single mom in Detroit, Michigan. Success wasn’t even on the radar. I had the honor of […]
Why The Best Reading App Available Today Is Not What You Think
This is going to sound crazy. After all, I run an online content business. But the best reading app for comprehension, emotional engagement, and more is … paper. Whether we go back to the ancient Egyptians or the Chinese, there’s nothing new about paper. What is new is the understanding that reading on paper is […]
7 Sure-Fire Ways to Reduce Stress and Restore Your Sanity
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on the trend in slow reading. The idea is that intentional time in a book can improve our minds and reduce our stress. If you’re a book person like me, this is no surprise. It doesn’t matter if it’s paper or digital, just taking thirty minutes out […]
5 Ways to Make More Time to Read
As leaders, we know we should be reading more. But we struggle to find the time. In this guest post, Robert Bruce suggests five ways to make more time.
Confronting the Curse of Busyness
Many of us have succumbed to the curse of busyness. A few of us have started a quiet rebellion. Will you join us?
How to Retain More of What You Read
One of the most important things you can do to grow as a leader is to read voraciously. But how can you better retain what you read? Here’s a simple tool that will help.
In Defense of Books
Despite what many pundits are saying today, reading is not dead. Nor are books. Certainly, big changes are underway, especially in the way books are delivered to readers. But reading itself is not dead. It is not going away. At least, not any time soon.
How to Read a Non-Fiction Book
When I read a non-fiction book, I typically practice these ten disciplines. They help me get more out of the books I read and insure that I retain the information longer.