digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Build a reading habit by starting with topics you already enjoy talking about, then read the top three popular books in those areas, and keep several books going in parallel if that suits your mind. Raj Shamani describes his own path from feeling inferior in professional settings to reading practical books on manners and style, and from there to a steady stream of how-to and filmmaking books.
Key Points
- Start by listing what you like to gossip about or brag about with friends, such as cars, style, movies, philosophy, entrepreneurship, money, or news; this list becomes your reading starting point.
- Pick the top three things you could discuss with friends, then find the most popular books in each area and begin there, since interest makes reading easier to sustain.
- Shamani's first fully completed book was a practical manners guide, "100 Non-Negotiable Rules for Men" by Square, after he felt inferior at a conference, which shows that reading can start from a personal need.
- Reading several books at once is a valid approach; he reads a how-to book in parallel with filmmaking and cleanliness books; it was the other speaker who read filmmaking/how-to/cleanliness books in parallel, while Shamani says he has read up to 15 books at the same time.
- Some readers prefer one book at a time while others take a little from many books, so the method should match your own focus style.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Write down what you enjoy talking about first, including gossip, bragging topics, and anything that makes you feel informed in a group.
- Choose your top three topics from that list.
- For each topic, look up the most popular books in that area and start with one of them.
- Pick a practical "how-to" book for a skill you want, such as talking to anyone, drawing, or painting, and read it alongside your interest-based books if you want variety.
- If you have a particular problem, such as lacking confidence in social or professional settings, choose a book that addresses that exact problem first.
- The example books mentioned are Think and Grow Rich, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and "100 Non-Negotiable Rules for Men" by Square, which covers basics like tying a tie, when to unbutton a suit jacket, and how to shake hands standing.
- The example of car enthusiasts reading about Ferrari shows how a specific existing interest can lead to a specific book.
- Shamani notes that without real interest, long or famous book titles are unlikely to be finished.
Bottom Line
A reading habit is easiest to build when it starts with what you already enjoy talking about and expands from there, with the freedom to read one or many books at a time.
