I've heard fitness experts recommend that we rotate through different muscle groups in our body so that our muscles have time to rest and also so that we have muscle everywhere, rather than just a few favored locations.
I think this applies to reading and brain activity as well. I've long disparaged myself that I tend to not finish books, and I commend my wife that she is a "finisher." I tend to read anywhere from 10-20 books at once, a few pages or a chapter at a time. She tends to read one book at a time and finish it in a few weeks.
But, I read this blog post today about How to read a non-fiction book, and the author made a point that intrigued me: "Don't feel that you need to finish." This prompted me to reconsider my It-Is-Foolish-To-Read-20-Books-At-Once policy.
Maybe it's normal for my brain. I have an active brain. Maybe for some people, it's suited to their mode of information digestion that they stay on topic for a long time. Maybe for me, it's not just a tendency but a necessity to switch contexts every so often.
Last night I wanted to read some more of The Meaning of the Pentateuch (to be diligent), but I just couldn't. My brain was screaming "NO!" So, I read a chapter of F.F. Bruce's New Testament History. That sat a lot better with me. Question: What is normal for you?
2 comments:
I am with you Matt. I went for a couple of years on the, read one book at a time and finish it before starting another but am back to reading a bunch of books at a time. One thing that I do is keep a list of the books I am currently reading. Sometimes I will look at the list and notice a book I forgot I was reading :). Another thing I do is try to categorize the books I read and try to have one in each category going. My categories and what I am currently reading in each are:
Non-fiction pleasure: i.e. A History of the American People.
Fiction: just finished a sherlock holmes story.
Christian Living: Seeing with New Eyes
Theology: Abrahams four seeds
Business: Ogleby on Advertising.
Keeping a list is a great idea! Thank you for sharing your methods.
Right now, my "currently reading pile" is all over the floor. Although I'm running out of bookmarks. And I'm constantly forgetting which books I'm reading, especially when I put stuff back on the shelf to clean up the floor.
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