How To Read More Books In Less Time

You’ve heard before that readers lead and leaders read. Harry S. Truman said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Clearly reading is important for self-development, growth, learning, and much more. The challenge I’ve run into is time. I wish I had more time to read. Perhaps you’ve run into the same challenge. Is there a way to read more in the midst of all our busyness? Yes.

The Reading Bug

A few years ago, I found myself wanting to read more and more. There’s a statement that might shock my mother. I haven’t always been an avid reader. However, I’ve realized the tremendous value to be found in books.

Apparently, not everyone has caught the reading bug yet. Or perhaps they struggle to find time to read too. In 2014, Pew Research Center reported that the typical American reads 5 books per year.

Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine, a successful businessman, about the job market and growing industries. I started to ask, “Have you read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink?” Before I could finish the question, he started to chuckle. He told me that he isn’t much of a reader. I was surprised.

It turned out that he must simply have needed a little encouragement. Days later he sent me a text message with a picture of the book he’d just begun to read. I had a good laugh.

If you are someone who just needs a little encouragement, here it is from Harvard Business Review:

  • Reading can improve intelligence.
  • Reading can lead to innovation and insight.
  • Reading helps you acquire and assimilate new information.
  • Reading makes you a better communicator.
  • Reading makes you smarter.
  • Reading makes you a more effective leader.

Once I became a reader, time became my biggest challenge. That seems to be the case for anyone wanting to take his or her passion, growth, and career to the next level. I read during my mourning routine [link]. I read in bed at night. But I wanted more.

Have You Discovered Audiobooks?

That’s when I discovered audiobooks. Brilliant! Interestingly, only 14% of Americans have read an audiobook in the past year. If you haven’t indulged in an audiobook yet, you are missing out.

With audiobooks I can read on the go, at times such as:

  • During my commute
  • Mowing the lawn
  • Riding a train/subway or airplane
  • Running (my personal favorite)
  • Road trips
  • Shopping (admittedly I haven’t tried this one)
  • Going for a walk
  • At the gym

The possibilities are endless.

At first, I shuffled through the shelves at my local library (My wife said that was more budget friendly). I consumed all that interested me there quite quickly. Note: maybe your library is better stocked than mine was at the time. “Now what?,” I asked.

My Perfect Solution

Then, I found my ideal audiobook solution, Audible! Audible is an audiobook service owned by Amazon that lets you download books straight to your mobile device and listen anywhere and everywhere.

Audible makes it easy for anyone to read at least 12 books this year, seriously. Here are 8 attributes I love about Audible.

Audible makes it easy for anyone to read at least 12 books this year, seriously.

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1. Flexibility

You can purchase one book at a time. Alternately, you can sign up to receive credits to buy books whenever you want. You can sign up to be a member or choose not to. It is up to you. Audible is totally flexible.

2. Affordable

With Audible, you buy books with credits. You can pay as little as $10 per credit with a membership. Without a membership, you can get credits for about $15. Think of what a new release hardback will run at your favorite bookseller. You’d be looking at $28, maybe. With Audible, every book is just 1 credit. If you spend all of your credits, you still get a 30% discount on every book.

3. Mobile

“They have an app for that.” I can listen to books on all of my mobile devices. Don’t want to take up memory space for a whole audio library? No problem. I only download one book at a time on my iPhone, and the rest are stored in the cloud and in my Audible account.

4. Bookmarks

This was my biggest gripe with books on CD: no bookmarks. If I wanted to remember something, I had to make a note of it right away. With the Audible app, I simply tap the bookmark button for any section I want to return to later. By the way, you don’t need a bookmark to keep your place. The next time you want to listen, the book will pick up right where you left off.

5. Members-Only Deals

Audible has regular discounts, coupons and specials for their members. I’ve taken advantage of their 2 for 1 credit offers. They even have sales and daily deals with books priced as low as $2.95. Last Christmas they sent out a FREE book for your family road trip. How awesome is that?

6. Free Subscriptions

If you’re a news person, you can get a daily subscription to The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times. I just found out about this and will be taking full advantage!

7. Endless Selection

Do you like Fiction or Non-Fiction? More of a Sci-Fi fan? Want something more intellectual? How about a relaxing novel for your vacation? I once listened to a biography on Winston Churchill [link]. Audible literally has it all. I continue to find amazing stuff in their library. You can even attend The Great Courses, audio lectures taught by top-tier university professors in all kinds of subjects.

8. Whispersync for Voice

This blew me away when I heard about it. You can seamlessly switch between reading a digital book and listening to the audio version. Read your book at night in bed, and pick up right where you left off during your morning run or commute. Seriously. When you buy a Kindle book, just add the audio version and then you can switch back and forth. I can’t afford to splurge on both all the time, but this is an awesome feature.

Try Audible Yourself, for FREE!

You don’t have to take my word for it. You can test drive Audible yourself.

Read, Learn, Grow

As you can tell, I am not just a consumer of Audible; I’m a huge fan. If you want to read more, learn more, and grow more, then you should give Audible a shot. Audiobooks haven’t replaced traditional reading for me, but it frees me up to read at times I couldn’t before.

Read more, lead better, and cultivate excellence in yourself and your team.

Question: What book are you reading right now? I love asking people this question. Share your book in the comments. 

Links:

 

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Category: Personal Excellence
Just so you know, some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. If you use those links and purchase an item, I may get a small affiliate commission. That said, I only recommend stuff I use personally and believe will add value for you too. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”