Read to Lead: How to Digest Books Above Your "Level" - December 17, 2007 I shouldn't be able to read most

of the books on my shelf. I never took a single classical history class and I cheated through most of Economics 001. Still, the loci of my library are Greek History and Applied Economics. And though they often are beyond me educationally, I'm able to comprehend them because of some equalizing tricks. Reading to lead or learn requires that you treat your brain like the muscle that it is--lifting the subjects with the most tension and weight. For me, that means pushing ahead into subjects you're not familiar with and wresting with them until you can--shying away from the "easy read." This is how I break down a new book: Before the First Page Break out of the School Mindset Almost everything you learn in the classroom is tainted by the fact that ultimately teachers have to test you on it. Tests often have very little to do with proving that you know or care about the material but more about proving that you spent the time reading it. The easiest way to do this is picking obscure things from the text and quizzing you on them: "Name this passage" "What were the main characters in Chapter 4?" So forget that--you're reading for you. Even when you're in school, you should be reading for yourself and not for the teacher. The worst thing that can happen is they knock you down a little bit on a grade that means very little. When you read History of the Peloponnesian War, the countries involved in the conict between Corinth and Corcyra is not really worth remembering. (Proof: I had to go look up the names on Wikipedia, all I remember was that they both started with a C. )What you should latch onto is that as the two fought for allied support from Athens, one took the haughty "you owe us a favor" route and the other alluded to all the benets that would come from aiding them. Guess who got the support? From Seneca: "We haven't time to spare to hear whether it was between Italy and Sicily that he ran into a storm or somewhere outside the world we know--when every day we're running into our own storms, spiritual storms, and driven by vice into all the troubles that Ulysses ever knew." He rightly points out that Homer was wise before he recited or sat down to write his own works--so what do you really gain by analyzing the minutia of it? The work is an expression of the message, not the message itself. So forget everything but that message and how to apply it to your life. Dates, names, pronunciations--they only matter in how they provide context for the lesson at hand. They carry little value otherwise.

Ruin the Ending I almost always go straight to Wikipedia and ruin the ending. Who cares? Your aim as a reader is to understand WHY something happened, the what is secondary. In the case of HOTPW, without reading the entry you might have passed over the glorious anecdote that Thucydides missed a large part of the war because he caught the Plague and that he was largely delegated to writing about the battles because his military incompetence led to an early defeat. You ought to ruin the ending--or nd out the basic assertions of the book--because it frees you up to focus on your two most important tasks: 1) What does it mean? 2) Do you agree with it? The rst 50 pages of the book shouldn't be a discovery process for you; you shouldn't be wasting your time guring out what the author is trying to say. Instead, your energy needs to be spent on guring out if he's right and how you can benet from it. Plus if you already know what happens, you can identify all the foreshadowing and the clues the rst read through. Read the Reviews (Amazon) Find out from the people who have already read it what they felt was important. From the reviews you can deduce the culture signicance of the work--and from what it meant to others, at least grasp a bearing of what it could mean to you. Also by being warned of the major themes you can anticipate them coming and then actually appreciate them as they unfold. Which again frees you up much in the same way that ruining the ending does. And frankly, if you agree with their assessment of the work, go ahead and steal it once you've nished. They didn't copyright it--this isn't school, this is life. The Book Itself Read the Intro I know, I know. It infuriates me too that a 200 page book has a 80 page translator's introduction, but they are helpful. Every time I have skipped through it, I've had to go back and start over. Read the intro. It often has a ton of interesting stuff about who the work ended up inuencing, and other tidbits that often stick with you longer than the work itself. Look It Up If you're reading to lead, you're going to come across concepts or words you're not familiar with. Don't pretend like you understand, look it up. I like to use Denr or I use my Blackberry to look stuff up on Wikipedia. If you're away from a computer and need the denition of a word, type "Dene: ______" and text it to 46645 (Googl) and you'll get one back from Google. With Military History, a sense of the battleeld is often necessary. Wikipedia is a great place to grab maps and to help understand the terrain. That being said, don't get bogged down with the names of the cities or the spelling of names, you're looking to grasp the meta-lesson--the conclusion.

Post It Highlighters These will change how you read. On the right side of the page, I tag the pages I have highlighted important passages on. On the top of the page, I mark if there is a concept I need to research or if there is a book the author suggests I read as a supplement. Don't be afraid to tear the book up with tags--tape is cheap but the time it will take you to otherwise ip back through the book to track something down is not. Flip Through It Again Before you close the book, go back through and reread all the passages you've marked. This puts them back into your memory and let's you walk away knowing the crucial hits of the author's message. With these agpoles you will be able to go back through and remember the details if necessary, like knowing the chord structure of a song and working through the rest as it comes. After You Finish Type Out the Important Quotes and Passages In Old School, Tobias Wolff talks about how he used to retype the works of classic authors when he felt uninspired just to feel what it was like to have that profoundness ow out of his nger tips. That is why I have the Book Quotes and Passages section. I've been compiling for almost 4 years now and have nearly 15,000 words typed. And I still have boxes left to go through. Not only will it inspire you, but it will help you remember them. Read One Book from Every Bibliography This is a little rule I try to stick with. In every book I read, I try to nd my next one in its footnotes or bibliography. This is how you build a knowledge base in a subject--it's how you trace a subject back to its core. Just keep a running list through Amazon's Wish List service (here is mine). Last month I read a book on Evolutionary Psychology and discovered that I'd read almost 80% of its sources because I'd been pulled down the rabbit hole of a predecessor. Connect, Apply, Use When you make connections--that the cultural reactions after WWI (largely extroverted and amboyant) and WWII (introverted, uptight and overly moral) appear to be opposite takes on the same disillusionment--you can see things for what they are. And then better understand the cyclical nature of history and human nature. Make the connection--that every major military pretext for war was claimed by (some) historians to be governmentally orchestrated (sinking of the Maine, Pearl Harbor, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, 9/11)--and appreciate how our responses to events rarely ever contain perspective or a sense of rational continuity. Ex: Is Cicero's advice on speaking similar to the mechanics of good writing? Begin to apply the mindset of the author to your daily life--even if you don't agree with it. How would an evolutionary psychologist consider this situation? If people are economically self-interested, how can I explain this action? If Von Clausewitz said that

we love Greek history because it's the easiest to manipulate, should I trust this anecdote? Ex: I know Cicero wanted to make you a better speaker, but if he wanted you to write better, what would he say? Use. You highlight the passages for a reason. Why type the quotes if you aren't going to memorize them? Drop them in conversation. Allude to them in papers, in emails, in letters and in your daily life. How else do you expect to absorb them? Don't be a douche and drop them where they aren't relevant, but use the wisdom to make yourself a better person.Ex: Write, even if it's just for yourself, even if you're thinking aloud, what Cicero can teach you about writing. I give you Seneca again: "My advice is really this: what we hear the philosophers saying and what we nd in their writings should be applied in our pursuit of the happy life. We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application--not far far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and gures of speech--and learn them so well that words become works." Conclusion Of course, none of this is easy. People always ask me if the books I carry around are for school because they're full of notes, ags and folded pages--why would anyone work so hard on something they were doing on their own? Because I enjoy it, because it's the only thing that separates me from ignorance. These are the techniques have allowed me to leap years ahead of my peers. It's how you strike out on your own and build strength instead of letting some personal trainer dictate what you can and can't be lifting. So try it: Do your research, read diligently without getting bogged down in details, and then work to connect, apply and use. And I think you'll nd that you're able to read above your supposed "level" even outside the classroom setting. You can check out my Reading List for a place to start. **Note: My list isn't conclusive, it's just my system. If there are any steps I am missing, feel free to post what you use.

Ryan Holiday Reading List Like I've said before, I devour books. I thought I'd put together a list of my own -although this is a bit of crossover between the two. So here are the books that have greatly inuenced me. I'd recommend starting with these and then following my chainmethod, which is to read as your next book, one that is cited by the book your currently reading. Books to Base Your Life On The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius I would call this the greatest book ever written. I've read it countless times and have a large passage that I printed out and posted above my desk to look at before I start each day. It is the denitive text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization and strength. If you read it and aren't profoundly changed by it, it's probably because as Aurelius says "what doesn't transmit light creates its own darkness." You HAVE to read the Hay's translation. If you end up loving Marcus, go get The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot that studies the man behind the work. The War of Art by Steven Presseld This is from the guy who wrote Gates of Fire and it's probably the closest thing I've seen to a modern version of The Mediations. He breaks down what he calls "The Resistance" or the force within us that we allow to hold us back from success. It's split up like The Meditations or any other philosophical dialog, but intended specically to help artists make the transition from amateur to professional. Works well in conjunction The Dip. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Frankl is one of the most profound modern thinkers on meaning and purpose. His contribution was to change the question from man asking "What is the meaning of life?" to man being asked and forced to answer with his actions. He looks at how we nd purpose by dedicating ourselves to a cause, learning to love and nding a meaning to our suffering. Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning is also extremely powerful. For more on the existential vacuum, try The Broken American Male by Rabbi Schmuley 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene It is impossible to describe this book and do it justice. But if you plan on living life on your terms, climbing as high as you'd like to go, and avoid being controlled by others, then you need to read this book. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk I'm amazed how many young people haven't read this book. Truly life-changing. This is the classic of my generation; it is the book that denes our age and ultimately, how to nd meaning in it.

The Bugliosi Canon You need to read at least of couple of his books. Either to understand strategy or eloquence or passion or what it is to be a Pro. My favorites: Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy And The Sea Will Tell Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders 'Till Death Do Us Part War/Strategy Books History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Tucker has this on his list, but he recommends reading it in a classroom setting. Wikipedia makes it possible to do it on your own, just read in front of the computer. Consider it the rst history book ever written (Herodotus doesn't count because it's part fantasy) perhaps the greatest war book as well. Every tactic, every strategy, every war the world has ever fought is essentially a microcosm of the nearly 30 year war between Athens and Sparta. Seriously, read it, and then reread the 48 Laws of Power and you'll understand it on an entirely new level. I would buttress this with The Greco-Persian Wars by Peter Green. Rules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals Saul D. Alinsky This is the 48 Laws of Power written in more of an idealist, activist tone. Alinksy was the liaison for many civil rights, union and student causes in the late 50's and 60's. He teaches how to take implement your radical agenda without using radical tactics, how to disarm with words and media as opposed to arms and Utopian rhetoric. Boyd: The Fight Pilot who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram Boyd was probably the greatest post-WWII military strategist; he developed the F-15 and F-16, revolutionized ground tactics in war and covertly designed the US battle plans for the Gulf War. He shunned wealth, fame, and power all to accomplish what he felt needed to be accomplished. Coram captures his essence in a way that no other author has touched. Of course you also need to read: 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene. The Strategy Paradox by Raynor. Machiavelli's The Prince, The Discourses and The Florentine Histories (the last one is difcult, but enables you to see what Machiavelli actually believed) On War by Von Clausewitz is also a must-read text. Evolutionary Psychology The Moral Animal by Robert Wright This is probably the denitive beginner text on evolutionary psychology and one of the easiest to get into. It's a little depressing at rst, realizing how ruthless many of our so

called "good" feelings are. But then you realize that truth is better than ignorance, and you emerge seeing the world as it truly is for the rst time. Also, a similar read is Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters, which is more of a Q&A approach to the subject and has contemporary edge. Sex on the Brain by Deborah Blum One of the better books on evolutionary biology that focuses almost entirely on the biological and psychological differences between men and women. It's written by a journalist (who cites scientists) so it's easy to read if you're not studied in the eld. If you want to get into evolutionary psychology--which you totally should--this is a good starting point because it covers all the basics. Essentially, it discusses how men and women have beneted evolutionarily through different behaviors and strengths so it would only make sense that they would have developed into two very different entities. Sperm Wars by Robin Baker This book shatters any illusions you may have had about the sanctity of sex in our lives. The premise is that sexual intercourse is based on sperm competition--the majority of our sperm is designed to kill another man's sperm, the penis is designed to remove semen from the seminal pool, women's menstrual cycles are hidden to gain control. It also analyzes the causes of homosexuality, adultery and illegitimate children. A Farewell to Alms by Gregory Clark Utterly destroys the perception that human evolution stopped a few thousand years ago. Clark asserts that the modern traits we associate with success were bred into the population between 1200-1800 as the upperclasses reproduced signicantly more than the poor, violent or lazy. It changes how you look at the world, how you understand economic problems and how you relate to history. What if pre-industrial man is difcult to understand because he was almost a different kind of person? The Origins of Consciousness and the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes is similarly shocking. I would also recommend: Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student which is a fascinating study of college health and how the things our culture glamorizes are incredibly self-destructive. The Origins of Virtue asserts that we had morality before religion, trade before capitalism and cooperation before government. The Internet The Long Tail by Chris Anderson There is not much that needs to be said about this book other than it denes current net economics. There's the head of the tail which is the stuff you nd in Borders, and the tail, which is the innite inventory on Amazon. You need to be familiar with this theory.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell is a genius and his writing is superb. You need to know why and how things 'tip'. Blink is also an amazing book. Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath This book comes right after The Tipping Point as far as important internet texts go. Gladwell tells you what tipping is and MTS teaches you how to do it. I just reread this for something I was doing with Robert Greene - absolutely peerless book. Other Important Internet Texts: Purple Cow -- Seth Godin Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations -- Clay Shirky Brave New War: The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization -- John Robb Wisdom of Crowds -- James Surowicki The Pirates Dilemma -- Matt Mason The New New Thing -- Michael Lewis Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything -- Don Tapscott The Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source -- Eric S Raymond Biographies I've always been a big biography/memoir fan, so I thought I'd throw together a few that inuenced me. My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, two of the most inspiring men of the last 150 years. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. Dr. Drew recommended this book to me, it is spectacular. He's my favorite president. Caesar by Christian Meier. I'm not sure why, but I really related to Caesar. Wouldn't it Be Nice by Brian Wilson. I used this book to write a big research paper a few years back. He dened how I understood the 1950's and 1960's in America. Hollywood Animal: A Memoir by Joe Eszterhas. The rst big book I read on Hollywood. Estzerhas controlled his own destiny and ruled where he should have been a minion.