Why Reading Books Is Your Secret Superpower 📚
Why Reading Books Is Your Secret Superpower 📚
No, I'm not just saying that to get you to read this newsletter.
Hi! Did you know that reading is actually a superpower?
And no, I'm not just saying that to get you to read this newsletter.
Not the "I read a few tweets" kind of reading. I'm talking about real books. You know, those rectangular things collecting dust on your shelf while you're telling yourself that just one more podcast episode is all you need to get your life together. (No judgment, I've been there too.)
Elon Musk: The Bookworm Who Became a Billionaire (Maybe You're Next?) 🚀
So get this: Elon Musk was basically raised by books and... his parents (but mostly books, according to him). While most kids had nannies, he had a housekeeper whose primary job was making sure he didn't blow himself up while reading encyclopedias and building rockets(true story). At age 9, he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, which may explain why he's out here starting companies like they're side projects and somehow ended up as the world's richest man. Honestly, it's like he saw life as a game and just went straight for the 'unlock all achievements' button.
My takeaway: Maybe if I'd spent less time scrolling on social media for hours and more time reading encyclopedias, I'd be launching rockets by now. 🌟
Why Books Are the Ultimate Cheat Codes 🎮
Here's what I learned from my 52 books in a year challenge: It rewires your thinking, boosts your communication skills, and keeps you humble—because the more you read, the more you realize how much you still don't know.
Books Force You to Slow Down ⏱️
Unlike that YouTube video you're watching at 2x speed
No notification pings every 3 minutes
Just you, words, and the crushing realization that you have the attention span of a goldfish
They Give You Better Words 🎯
Authors spend years perfecting their thoughts
Meanwhile, I still struggle to write coherent texts
Plus they have editors (unlike this newsletter)
Mind-Blowing Facts That Make You THINK 🤯
(And Maybe Rethink Your Life Choices)
Did you know $81.5 billion of Warren Buffett's $84.5 billion net worth came after his 65th birthday? 💰
This fact broke my brain
Currently reconsidering my retirement planning
Also questioning everything I know about compound interest
Teaches You More Than You Expect 📚
Depth Over Speed: Books dive deep into topics, allowing you to explore complex ideas and connect concepts, instead of skimming the surface like quick articles or posts.
Diverse Perspectives: Each author brings their own unique lens, helping you see issues from different angles and broadening your understanding.
Retention Through Reflection: The slower pace of reading lets you pause, reflect, and absorb information, which is key to real learning and long-term retention.
Tools That Make Reading Better 🛠️
An Actually Comfortable Chair 🪑
More important than any productivity app
Trust me on this one
Your Notes App 📱
To jot down the things you learn
Let’s give a round of applause to the notes app - highly underrated but it truly is the MVP of apps
A Good Reading Light 💡
Your eyes will thank you later
It’s just more of a vibe
Late Night Reading Thoughts 🌙
Reading is like compound interest for your brain:
Small daily investments 💫
Massive long-term returns 📈
My Reading List: Books That Changed The Game 📚
Here are some of my favorites, listed in no particular order:
Atomic Habits by James Clear ⚡
Because small changes > massive wake-up-at-4AM-and-change-your-life-overnight plans
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson 🍎
The OG tech biography that made turtlenecks cool again
Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson 🚀
Same author, different tech visionary, equally mind-blowing stories
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins 💪
Warning: May cause sudden urges to run ultramarathons
Four Seasons by Isadore Sharp
How to charge people way too much for a hotel room (and make them love it)
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
Save $100K+ on business school (results may vary)
The Everything Store by Brad Stone
Amazon's story: from books to... well, everything
🔥 Tech News for People Who Don't Want to Read Tech News
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Search, Competing with Google and Microsoft: OpenAI's new ChatGPT Search is built right into the ChatGPT platform, designed to give 'timely answers' by pulling from a range of online sources. It's powered by a fine-tuned version of GPT-4, which means it can serve up information like sports scores, news, stock quotes, and more — complete with links to relevant sources. The best part? You can keep asking follow-up questions to refine your search, like a chat with the internet itself.
Google Hit with the Biggest Fine Ever? 💸 Russia fined Google $20 decillion (20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), for blocking Russian state media channels on YouTube. Which is coincidentally the number of books all of us need to read to catch up to Elon Musk's childhood reading list.
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P.S. If you found this helpful, share it with someone who needs to close TikTok and open a book. 📚 ✨