Best Advice: Reading and Books

I get requests for reading lists and things on a very regular basis. When I was in college, I was surrounded by earnest but not well-read readers. They always wanted to know what they should be reading and how it would improve their lives. Reading books is a great way to learn new vocabulary (you may want to keep a dictionary handy or use an electronic edition with definitions), and reading is a good way to raise general intelligence. Reading doesn’t make you look smarter; it actually makes you smarter. Reading as an adult is very different from the assigned reading you experienced in school. There are no book reports, and there are no grades.

Reading is vital, we push kids to do it but it can be hard to read as an adult. We have many demands on our time, and social media is excellent at sucking our reading time away. I recommend specifically trying to devote time to reading. I know audiobooks are popular, and I produce them (especially for my dyslexic friends), but there is a different experience when you get to imagine things from the page.

The best part about reading is that we get to experience the lives of other people. As a child, growing up in Arkansas and Colorado, there was a whole world out there and it was fairly inaccessible to me. I grew up rather sheltered but I could read whatever I wanted. Books and magazines (to a lesser extent) were a magic carpet to worlds unknown far away from the humidity of the South or the Rocky Mountains. Developing this for ourselves as adults is also vital because it gives us perspective into the experiences of other people. In our present times, that ability is the mark of a true intellect.

Don’t let this put you off of reading. Reading is important by very simple.

Important Advice for Reading

1. Whatever you are reading, reading is good for the brain

I recommend keeping a book with you at bed (if you like to read in bed) or regularly setting aside time just to read. Whatever you are reading, even if its romance, fantasy, sci-fi or a best-seller it is important to be reading something! Your brain will grow and your general intelligence will benefit. It does not matter what you read (although studies show we remember more on paper rather than a screen) but what you are reading.

2. What do you want to learn?

If you are trying to create a reading plan then you need to figure out what you are intending to learn or what knowledge you are trying to gain. If you are looking for a pleasurable experience then you know what you read for pleasure or what stories you enjoy experiencing. If you are looking to learn about philosophy then look for the right books to start with on those kinds of topics. If you are looking to be generally well-read on English language literature of prominence then look to popular lists like my book list. They can help you choose your reading list and plan what you would like to read. It is important to research, look at plots and things in advance. It is alright to look ahead and make sure you’re going to be interested. That being said, reading lists can be a great way to stretch your knowledge, so don’t be afraid to dive into something that doesn’t strike you right away.

Cameron’s Official Book List

Books are amazing places that transport us to world’s unknown and with great depth and perception than a movie or even a TV show. Books use more of your brain than other forms of media so I would pick out a book from a store or local library and dive in!

Extra piece of advice:

Many of the older works on my list (and others) are available for free online or on your favorite e-reader.