This is not even a properly disguised advertisement. Content free and full of fluff. Keep pieces like this in mind when HN as a group want to boast it is somewhat better than the other forums on the Internet. God I miss old Slashdot.
My own personal take is "only read something if you intend to teach it to someone else." Otherwise the stakes are too low.
There has to be a pretty even balance between consume and produce. I think the ratio is probably 30/70, but whatever your personal ratio is, make sure both sides are serving the other - consume to produce, take feedback from what you produce to consume more.
While the main advise seems useful, "if you get interest in a thing, read a ton about it", this article is quite misleading. Not all sources are relevant, I don't know about Buddhism, but psychology is mentioned with psychoanalysis and it's not a science, while psychology is. Seems more about a new-age thing than really seeking correct information.
Be Curious is maybe the first step. I’m not a big reader but I’m frequently curious and end up reading a lot because of it. I also look for the shortest path to info gathering. If I can read an article instead of a book. Or a list instead of an article. I’m all for it. If something piques a further curiosity, I can always find more content.
The author of this post is "building a new way to publish books online."
So I figure he wants us all to read as much as possible.
'and take notes' would be my follow-up to the article. Unless you've got a photographic memory, taking notes forces you to:
1. map/filter/reduce what you're reading for easy reference later, and 2. add your own observations/opinions/connections in real-time
Ooooo. An edgey PSA. Read my "ass" off.
Thanks for the advice. What's your next tip?
> Get Attention: Post Your Ass Off
Who upvotes this nonsense?
And, at a certain point, be on guard against too much reading, as Einstein warned[1]:
> Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking, just as the man who spends too much time in the theater is tempted to be content with living vicariously instead of living his own life.
[1] http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/sateve...