This resonates so deeply with me right now. I recently began reading Krista Tippet's 'Becoming Wise' with no expectation of what I was getting into and it must

This resonates so deeply with me right now. I recently began reading Krista Tippet's 'Becoming Wise' with no expectation of what I was getting into and it must've taken me two hours to read through the first 15 pages. Not because it was difficult, but because Krista's prose is so lovely and her writing is dense with stimulating ideas and perspective. I wanted to take my time to pore over everything. I'm the type to write in my books as I go. When the text gives me an idea I write it in the margins. When I don't understand something I write it down. When I think the author is wrong I say so and make a note. It's an approach of engaging with the book and having a conversation with an author. I've always been a big reader, but retention is an evergreen issue for me. There's no sense in speeding through a book if I'm not going to remember it. Things forgotten is often time wasted to me. When I speed through a convincing book I may be motivated to change my behaviors and retain a few rules-of-thumb about how to apply the book's lessons. Sometimes that's enough. But it only gives me a surface-level understanding of what I've just read. After having sped through a book I may be able to tell someone WHAT I am doing differently, but I do not have the internalized, intuitive understanding of why I am doing it. If someone were to challenge me on my new behavior or outlook I would not be able to defend my new beliefs in a robust way. It is a weak kind of authority that I've gained by reading quickly. By taking time to slowly internalize and integrate my learnings I am on a much stronger footing to A) retain the lesson B) intuitively understand it and C) convey it to others in a way that is consistent, authoritative, and convincing. ----- To return to Krista Tippet's 'Becoming Wise' I think I love this book. For me it is one of those rare books that resonates with me deeply and immediately. Like meeting someone and striking up an immediate friendship. I have that feeling of "You and I are going to get along just fine." It's a lovely feeling, but uncommon and it's a wonderful thing when it happens out of the blue. I am more than happy to take my time to get to know it.