Tracy Durnell: My Reading Philosophy in 17 Guidelines
Sunday, August 20, 2023
I love all 17 guidelines in Tracy Durnell’s reading philosophy.
Two highlights jump out at me.
- “Read according to whim.” Just read whatever the heck you want to read. Classics, trash, whatever.
- Quit reading a book whenever it stops working for for you. Tracy’s rule is “Quit nearly as many books as I finish.” I finish 90-95% of the books that I start and you know what? I think I should be quitting more books. Because I think quitting more books would mean that I’m trying to read a greater diversity of books.
Gradually over time in my adulthood, I found I was reading fewer and fewer books. I got back in the habit a few months ago, and I’m happy about that.
Many adults don’t read books, and if you’re one of those and would like to start, you could do worse than follow these rules.