The free metadata that books generate (i.e., author interviews, author presentations, book summaries, reviews, quotes, first and last chapters, etc.) is a condensed version of the book, like a fractal, and often just as valuable as the book itself.

This al...

• Read 2–3 book summaries (Google search). Most books have several summaries containing the best information in the book (the 20 percent of ideas that create 80 percent of value).
• Listen to an author interview (podcast, Google). Interviews are engaging, and give you the a...

Skipping a whole page, reading in 5-minute spurts or skimming to find the most interesting parts and then go deep and slow on those.

Reading books this way can be powerful on a few levels:

• It helps to find the most important knowledge that’s worth going deep o...

Smart readers have a consistent learning ritual. They also learn how to learn, maximizing the value extracted from reading, and take action until they get the result they’re looking for.

Whereas book hoarders judge themselves by the number of books they own, smart readers judge themselve...

To make better use of your time, drop your current book if you find one that’s better, but be careful not to abandon it for one with a catchy title. Fractal Reading will help you discern when it’s time to change books.

Intellectual humility gives us a more realistic conception of ourselves and our place in the world, helping us conduct our lives more effectively and harmoniously.

Successfully navigating day-to-day experience mostly requires what we already know, that makes us bel...

Many of us buy lots of books that go unread and causes us guilt, but that’s a habit that many successful people have they believe they are better off for it.

For those who actually put in the time to read and learn how to learn, a pile of unread books may actually be a sign of int...