Redefining my relationship with books: 5 mental models for reading more/better

1. The 50-page gist

Have you ever felt guilty about leaving a book unfinished? I've been honing the skill of capturing a book's essence within just 50-75 pages. No guilt, all gist! My belief is that most non-fiction books deliver substantial value upfront, with diminishing returns as you progress. You might wonder, why not simply resort to freely available book summaries online? My rationale is simple: I hold the conviction that due royalties must be rightfully paid to the creators and distributors of these ideas.

2. Books as a High-leverage investment portfolio

I view books as the ultimate high-upside bet. Investing a few hundred rupees in a book isn't just about buying a product; it's about potentially discovering that one idea capable of changing the game—yielding returns of 10x, 50x, or even 100x the initial value

3. Shelf-Shaming? Not Here!

Unread books on a bookshelf discourage many from maintaining their reading habits. I have a somewhat selfish approach to tackle this. If I don't finish a book, particularly fiction, I conveniently shift the blame to the author for failing to sustain my attention till the conclusion. It's akin to a bad movie—better to abandon it than to complain about it later.

4. The Alchemy of book recommendations

Asking for book recommendations isn't just a casual conversation starter; it's a strategic manoeuvre. It's an art and a science—I carefully curate the suggestions I receive as books shape my worldview. After all, what we read influences how we think.

5. Reading to disconfirm beliefs

I tend to select books from individuals I might naturally steer away from. Choosing books is akin to entering a vast echo chamber; selecting those that either complement or challenge your perspectives on specific topics is crucial. For instance, I used to strongly believe that learning sales from books was like trying to learn swimming solely from reading about it. However, after recently delving into two exceptional books on the subject, my perspective has done a complete 180-degree turn.

So, next time you glance over your book shelf, I hope you feel substantially lesser guilt after reading this.