I recently noticed that I’ve been reading fewer books lately. I think it’s because I’ve been spending a disproportionate share of my time reading blogs, news sites, a certain social media feed, and other less substantial content. Then I read Blake Butler’s Maximizing Time for Reading, which put everything into focus for me.

The subtitle of Blake’s article is Why reading—and reading widely—is more important than ever, and how to go about creating habits and practices to allow yourself the space and time.

The most impactful part of the article for me was the “How to maximize time and effect for reading” section. Here’s a bullet list of the main ideas:


  • Small amounts of time add up quickly.
  • To this end, reading poetry is really ideal.
  • In general, aiming to ‘understand’ or even have concrete takeaways for what you read is getting the cart before the horse.
  • Reading is good for your mind, body, and soul.
  • Reading is fun.
  • Devote time to read.
  • Be more selective about what you read.
  • You don’t have to sign up for university to read their syllabuses.
  • In counter to the previous, it’s also important to not only read work by dead people.
  • Hey American, don’t only read Americans!
  • When you find something you like, keep going.
  • Keep track of your progress.
  • Review books, or write about books you read.

I feel fortunate that my parents encouraged me to read from a young age and I always enjoyed it. Everything you read influences your thinking and your world view in some small way and the accumulative impact is massive. Conversely, there is much lost in a life without deep reading.

Reading doesn’t have to be serious and it doesn’t have to be difficult. In the past I’ve struggled with the completion syndrome, wherein I had to finish a book before opening the next one on my list. The problem is if I didn’t like the book I was reading, it could take a very long time to finish. My advice would be stop worrying about finishing - if, after a reasonable investment of time, a book is not working for you, move on. There are too many other great books awaiting your attention.

Don’t lose this precious gift. Figure out how to structure your life so that you have sufficient time to enjoy and profit from deep reading.