8. Alan Jacobs: How to Get More Pleasure Out of Your Reading

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways If you want a personalized list of book recommendations, you really have to know the person before you can give them a recommendation. It’s difficult to give a good recommendation without knowing someone:“I don’t know what they’ve read before, I don’t know what they left off their list, I don’t know what they started but couldn’t finish…If I don’t have that I can’t really give them a meaningful recommendation.” – Alan JacobsIf you want to find a great book, follow your curiosity:“Learn how to follow your own readerly nose. I think that’s a big problem that people have, they don’t trust their own judgement, they don’t trust their own inclinations.” – Alan JacobsBooks that are masterpieces demand a lot out of a person:“They really force you to give them your very best attention…You can’t do that every day anymore than you could run a marathon every day.” – Alan JacobsIt’s great to read masterpieces, just don’t read only masterpieces:“Don’t try to sustain yourself on a diet of pure masterpieces. Instead, read things that give you delight, read things just for fun and then when you given your mind that opportunity to recuperate a little bit, then go to one of the great masterpieces.” – Alan Jacobs“Read the things that give you simple delight”If you’re reading masterpieces everyday, you aren’t reading them well:“They’re not everyday things. If you’re reading masterpieces every day and that’s all you’re reading, I can guarantee you that you’re not reading them well because a really, really great book will wear you out.” Speed reading is like speed eating. If you can to do it you’ll likely regret it later:“If you are in a real hurry…all you’re going to do is give yourself indigestion and you’ll feel like crap later” – Alan Jacobs  

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

My guest today is Alan Jacobs, the author of The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction. Jacobs is a scholar of English literature, writer, and literary critic. He is a distinguished professor of the humanities at Baylor University.

In his book, Jacobs offers an insightful and playfully guide on how to make reading pleasurable and enjoyable. You'll learn why you probably don't want to read only Great books, the benefits of writing in your books, the truth about speed reading, and many more wonderful reading tips.

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:39] About Prof. Alan Jacobs & growing up a reader [02:56] Thoughts on How To Read A Book by Mortimer Alder[06:26] The truth about giving book recommendations  [09:53] The difference between liking to read & liking to have read[11:26] Why you probably don’t want to read only Great books[14:35] Great books require a lot of your time, attention, and reflection  [17:24] Niccolo Machiavelli’s relationship with books   [21:26] The benefits of writing in your books[24:51] Pros and cons of reading on a Kindle[32:24] The truth about speed reading & why you may be reading too fast already  [36:06] The benefits of rereading books[42:40] Two books that changed Alan's life

Learn more about the author:

Website: ayjay.org

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