Dude, How do you read so much?
How does a busy doc, dude, and dad read so many books?
This has been a cultivated habit and a bit of labour. As a kid, I was a weak reader, fortunately, a good topic or engaging subject could hold my interest and it is always a skill to develop. I have dysgraphia so writing is a bit of a crux (Dysgraphia for me is if the first and last letters in a word are correct my brain has no interest in the other letters) and moves on. My children hate my handwritten notes, and my colleagues hate emails so I usually call and everyone hates my texts. Spell check is a list of words I cannot spell but I use both spell check and grammar add-ons with less ability than my family possess naturally. My reading accuracy was very low so I tend to test poorly compared to verbal or comparative performance metrics. I re-read, return to sentences and sections, write in the margins, and add sticky notes possibly more of a kinaesthetic approach. Hence I buy books highlighted in one of several ways using Amazon or my local Bruce McKenzie Booksellers and go back through my notes occasionally I re-read the whole thing. I also have a to-read list sadly not all my strange choices are in print. Reading books happens on planes, waiting for my family who need a ride or waiting for practice to end occasionally during dedicated office time.
Medical/Work reading comes in the short form of emails, press releases, reports, internal documents, and longer form committee work, quality assurance, research and adding to knowledge base content. I peer review papers for WESTJEM and Support the ACEM with adjudication of trainee research papers. Even during my sabbatical, I have chosen to work on research with a local university in an adjacent field hence why I have bit off health economics study.
My selection process has become quite refined and is content-area-focused. So the last few years exploring economics professors' popular books the library card model of higher education. I have also been reading more on psychology, law, prediction, statistics and mathematics. When you want to be decent knowledge is a priority.
Dad reads non-fiction, financial statements and the news.
January 2023 I read a fiction book that was recommended “The Power” by Naomi Alderman 0670919969. Besides reading to my children it may have been 20 years since I read fiction. If asked how to get kids to read start by reading them 1 book a day until they start school, they will have heard 1864 books minimum. Kids are happy to repeat books most are short. Most towns have libraries so transport costs and time is the barrier. By the time my oldest was eight, we were reading a chapter a day from a book series my wife and I enjoyed reading. The oldest could not wait for me to be home since I started working more late shifts that year so she would start finishing the novels and starting the next one. The third child was reading by two years old because of the repetition and precocity. I told my wife when the oldest started reading non-fiction we would be useless to her because she consumed books so quickly.
Recommendation calibration. 1-7, non-fiction
1 almost mad when I read it, but maybe a 1 ranking will save you some time.
2 process useful but not insightful exp: 0736036466 The Swim Coaching Bibile, Vol 1.
3 recommend reading some or all
4 useful and falsifiable exp: 0743200403 “One Up on Wall Street:” Peter Lynch
5 Useful, falsifiable, well written exp. 0241289122 “Breath:” Art James Nestor
6 great story, interesting, falsifiable
7 life-changing B0037NX018 “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” Robert M. Sapolsky