I have friends who have books they read every year. Rereading the same book repeatedly seems to offer them new insights on each passing. Stephen Marche claims to have read Hamlet over 100 times. According to him, this extreme rereading, “provides the physical activity of reading without the mental acuity usually required.” This allows him […]
I Was Wrong About Speed Reading: Here are the Facts
Seven years ago, I read some books and articles on speed reading and started practicing some of the methods. I found I was able to increase my reading speed from 450 word per minute to 900 in the drills, so I published an article entitled, Double Your Reading Rate, which has since become one of […]
Should You Maintain an (Almost) Empty Reading Queue?
Years ago, I made a realization that changed how I write. That realization was that I’m weird and almost nobody reads the way I do. Previously, I thought my blog reading habits were pretty typical. Subscribe to a dozen or so blogs, and read most of the articles they write. If I find myself skimming […]
Seven Principles of Learning Better From Cognitive Science
I just finished one of the best books I’ve read on the science of learning. Daniel Willingham is a Harvard educated cognitive scientist who writes books and articles about how to learn and teach better. The title of his book, Why Don’t Students Like School?, is a tad unfortunate, I think, because the book isn’t […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.