How (and Why) to Read a Book a Week

As you begin the new year, here’s a goal to seriously consider: to read an average of a book each week.

If this sounds crazy, give it a try – it’s not as hard as it sounds. Let me share with you a few reasons why (1) it’s not that hard, and (2) it’s a great idea!

It’s Not That Hard

Here’s a few ways to make this easier than it sounds at first:

> Audio books count. If you have a commute to anything – work, school, the grocery store – you can easily make progress on a book. Plus, with practice, it is not hard to listen to a book at double speed. So, a 15 minute (one-way) commute twice a week = 60 minutes of driving = 2 hours of reading.

> You can listen to books while doing chores, going on a walk, or doing other tasks that aren’t mentally demanding.

> When you have a goal like this, you’ll begin to notice how many opportunities you have to catch a few minutes of reading here or there. You might actually surprise yourself with how much time you have. For example, carry a book with you to a doctor’s appointment, or any other time that you might have a wait. Reading is a far better option that pulling out your phone.

> You don’t have to read big books. Short books also count.

> When you choose books that you are interested in, it’s really easy to make progress. I often read books that I can’t wait to pick up, so it’s a goal that I enjoy. If you’re reading this blog, I’m sure that you can find something HERE that you’ll enjoy.

> You can include podcast series as well. Some may object that these aren’t books, but certain podcasts are formatted in a sequential order, making them similar to an audio book. Personally, I allow myself to count these, and there is nothing to say that you can’t.

It’s a Great Idea

I started doing this a few years back, and I really wish that I had started earlier. What I’ve learned has been not only informative, but also really fun. I’ve learned a lot that I would never learn in a classroom, and I’ve been able to explore subjects that I’m interested in.

If you do this, it’s important that you choose worthwhile books. While reading in general is good, the books that you choose are the food of your brain. Don’t fill it with junk food – though the occasional Twinkie won’t kill you. This isn’t to say that you always need to read nonfiction. But whether it’s fiction or not, read things that are worthwhile.

Just in the previous year, I thought through a sampling of some things I learned by doing this:

• How to haggle
• How the Near-Eastern concept of honor shows up in the New Testament
• How to organize my computer efficiently
• The major points of Steve Job’s life
• What life was like for the average person in ancient Rome
• The chronology of the Old Testament
• What caused the Persian Gulf War
• The final events of the Civil War
• How to make hard tasks effortless
• The underlying social assumptions behind transgenderism
• Strategies for eliminating hurry in my life
• The story of the American spy ring in the Revolutionary War
• The major events during Truman’s presidency
• How to overcome ‘writer’s block’
• The physics behind flight
• The story of Britain’s double agent in the Cold War
• How to Start a Business
• The story of America’s submarine espionage during the Cold War
• The structure of the book of Joshua

This is only a sampling, but it illustrates the value behind reading extensively. One important point is that it’s important not to allow other reading to minimize your reading of the Bible, and not to use reading as a ‘crutch’ to avoid doing other things – delaying action in order to be overly thoughtful.

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