6 ms·

I used to read a lot more books 10-20 years ago. Now, I mostly read books on vacation. I think I have an unspoken budget of “words read daily” that is consume

by tarr11 5y ago

I used to read a lot more books 10-20 years ago. Now, I mostly read books on vacation. I think I have an unspoken budget of “words read daily” that is consumed by work and my mobile devices.

pier25 5y ago
> I think I have an unspoken budget of “words read daily” that is consumed by work and my mobile devices. I agree. Considering word count, I read more now than ever but I read a fraction of the books I used to read 15-20 years ago.
- randomswede 5y ago
  For me, the main reason for lowered annual books read is "no commute" (it IS possible to set time aside just to read, but over the decades, I have gotten used to read on buses, tubes, trains, planes... and thus frequently forgetting that I can actually just read whenever I want to). Pre-COVID, I usually managed 120 to 150 books per year. Now, it is probably down to about 40.
  - pier25 5y ago
    Totally. The time of my life where I read the most was when I spent about 1 hour daily on the metro.
AS_of 5y ago
As you get older, you should read fewer new books, and revisit the ones that have you the most joy. Vacation sounds like a great place for that! Edit: why? Because you believe in the leverage algorithms can provide https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Live-Computer-Science-Decisions/dp/1627790365 https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Live-Computer-Science-Deci... There are probably a lot of single people here that would benefit from that book as well (the stopping problem) We all "know" the algos. But reading/hearing how they can be applied and what effect they can have on your life can be enlightening.
- hashkb 5y ago
  > should Why?
- martincmartin 5y ago
  should why is that?
- dudul 5y ago
  I don't know if you should but it's not a bad advice. I do that occasionally, re-read a book I read as a teenager or young adult and it is interesting how sometimes one can pick up different details or understand things differently.
- sremani 5y ago
  If one is reading to apply the acquired knowledge, the above is an excellent advice. Also, do not underestimate the power of re-reading great books, new and deeper insights are attained during the second and third reads.
- sidibe 5y ago
  I'm always surprised when people talk about rereading books. I get absolutely nothing out of books I've already read. Do you also rewatch TV series?
  - csunbird 5y ago
    I also find re-reading books frequently have diminishing returns, but after some time, you and your world changes, which results in you having a different point of view when you re-read the book. As you change, the meaning of the book to you changes as well, and gives you new perspectives along with new ideas. E.g. a specific villain or a side character in the book might not be attractive or simply confusing to you, but as you re-read the book, you realize that you get them and they now make perfect sense.
  - Minor49er 5y ago
    Rereading a book, one could pick up on things that were missed previously or that have been forgotten about. Also, one might be in a different life situation or mindset from one read to the next which could alter the perception or enjoyment of what's being read. Not to mention that some prose can be appreciated for its beauty. TV shows, movies, and albums are often revisited by people who enjoy them. Even as I write this, I'm listening to an album right now that I've heard dozens of times before. I may not always be in the mood to listen to it, but my enjoyment of the music has not been eroded by how many times I've already heard it. Rather, being familiar with it, I appreciate both how it's composed, played, and the nuances that are now apparent to me that I certainly missed on my first listens. One of my favorite books when I was younger was "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art" by Scott McCloud. It was visually appealing to me at the time, but after several readings, I started to really grasp its concepts as an educational art book.
peter303 5y ago
I check a 100 books out of the library each year. But probably read just a third before they are due. Book greed! Pre-covid I'd mainly use the new non-fiction shelf. Since our libraries arent open in person yet, I mainly get book ideas from book reviews like in HN or NYT.

by tarr11 5y ago

I used to read a lot more books 10-20 years ago. Now, I mostly read books on vacation. I think I have an unspoken budget of “words read daily” that is consumed by work and my mobile devices.

pier25 5y ago

> I think I have an unspoken budget of “words read daily” that is consumed by work and my mobile devices. I agree. Considering word count, I read more now than ever but I read a fraction of the books I used to read 15-20 years ago.

randomswede 5y ago
For me, the main reason for lowered annual books read is "no commute" (it IS possible to set time aside just to read, but over the decades, I have gotten used to read on buses, tubes, trains, planes... and thus frequently forgetting that I can actually just read whenever I want to). Pre-COVID, I usually managed 120 to 150 books per year. Now, it is probably down to about 40.
- pier25 5y ago
  Totally. The time of my life where I read the most was when I spent about 1 hour daily on the metro.

AS_of 5y ago

As you get older, you should read fewer new books, and revisit the ones that have you the most joy. Vacation sounds like a great place for that! Edit: why? Because you believe in the leverage algorithms can provide https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Live-Computer-Science-Decisions/dp/1627790365 https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Live-Computer-Science-Deci... There are probably a lot of single people here that would benefit from that book as well (the stopping problem) We all "know" the algos. But reading/hearing how they can be applied and what effect they can have on your life can be enlightening.

hashkb 5y ago
> should Why?
martincmartin 5y ago
should why is that?
dudul 5y ago
I don't know if you should but it's not a bad advice. I do that occasionally, re-read a book I read as a teenager or young adult and it is interesting how sometimes one can pick up different details or understand things differently.
sremani 5y ago
If one is reading to apply the acquired knowledge, the above is an excellent advice. Also, do not underestimate the power of re-reading great books, new and deeper insights are attained during the second and third reads.
sidibe 5y ago
I'm always surprised when people talk about rereading books. I get absolutely nothing out of books I've already read. Do you also rewatch TV series?
- csunbird 5y ago
  I also find re-reading books frequently have diminishing returns, but after some time, you and your world changes, which results in you having a different point of view when you re-read the book. As you change, the meaning of the book to you changes as well, and gives you new perspectives along with new ideas. E.g. a specific villain or a side character in the book might not be attractive or simply confusing to you, but as you re-read the book, you realize that you get them and they now make perfect sense.
- Minor49er 5y ago
  Rereading a book, one could pick up on things that were missed previously or that have been forgotten about. Also, one might be in a different life situation or mindset from one read to the next which could alter the perception or enjoyment of what's being read. Not to mention that some prose can be appreciated for its beauty. TV shows, movies, and albums are often revisited by people who enjoy them. Even as I write this, I'm listening to an album right now that I've heard dozens of times before. I may not always be in the mood to listen to it, but my enjoyment of the music has not been eroded by how many times I've already heard it. Rather, being familiar with it, I appreciate both how it's composed, played, and the nuances that are now apparent to me that I certainly missed on my first listens. One of my favorite books when I was younger was "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art" by Scott McCloud. It was visually appealing to me at the time, but after several readings, I started to really grasp its concepts as an educational art book.

peter303 5y ago

I check a 100 books out of the library each year. But probably read just a third before they are due. Book greed! Pre-covid I'd mainly use the new non-fiction shelf. Since our libraries arent open in person yet, I mainly get book ideas from book reviews like in HN or NYT.