46% of Americans didn’t read a book in 2023. And the numbers continue to slide downward.
I read about two books a month on average. Sometimes I’m reading multiple books at a time.
I’m currently reading The Great Gatsby, The Arrogant Ape, and Letters to a Young Poet. And I have a stack of about a dozen, or two, books on standby.
I write a lot too. Last month, I wrote just over 55k words. I write to process ideas and information. I also write campaigns, copy, and frameworks. I also write to formulate ideas and concepts, which I then present and talk about.
I was at a house party over the weekend and met some ladies in my wife’s book club. They laughed as they told me they spend about 5 minutes talking about the book, then move on to whatever else is interesting. I could never do that. I read, then talk about what I read at length, and immediately roll it into the fabric of my mind. I would be a pain in the arse to them, insisting that we talk at length about the books. Maybe that’s why they don’t invite me.
I don’t know anyone who has read more books than my sister. But I never heard her talking about what she read. She closes the book, then opens another. Again, I’m out here talking, thinking about what I just read, and writing about it, too. And immediately putting it into play with what I do. As I was talking about this (and writing about it, too), I realized I seem to be the outlier. Reading feeds my mind more than anything, but the process requires thinking, talking, and writing to process and leverage what the authors have been generous enough to share.
I find deep joy and fulfillment through learning and exploring, in reading. And I love dropping quotes and references from what I’ve read in everything I do.
I enjoy reading and writing more than most things. I wrote my first book during the purgatory year of COVID. And I have a second book in draft that I will finish up in the new year.
My career and life would not be what they are without reading and writing. And I encourage you, if you read zero or 50 books this year, to get curious, pick up something different, read it, then think and talk about it, and, if you dare, write.
[Does anything make a space more interesting than shelves of excellent books? Photos of my office space by the talented @PentaxJane on IG]
Calling all book readers!
I first published this on LIN, and it got a ton of action. Colleague and mid-west legend Aarron Johnson pinged me with the suggestion to start a book club (I know, nerd alert!), and it is a fantastic idea. Here’s the initial concept: we pick one book a quarter (so we can continue to satiate our other reading desires), gather in a group meeting, and invite the author to discuss it with us. Hit reply or DM me on LinkedIn if you’re interested in joining.
