Post: #1

I read a lot, I am constantly acquiring books that look interesting or someone has recommended and an even bigger growing list of books to read.

I usually have between 2-4 books on the go at any one point.

This seems like a pretty well read group here, so I'm curious how the others here manage and prioritize all their reading activities?

I used to keep a list of books to be on the lookout for at second hand stores in my wallet, would keep on updating it whenever someone mentioned a book in passing. That's kind of fell by the wayside, and I kept on losing the sheets or didn't have a pen, or whatever. I've started using the amazon wish list feature, and seems to work pretty well. Then for actually reading books it seems I just start digging through piles until I find something that looks good. Honestly I almost feel like I'm hoarding books, but it's a dream of mine to one day have a real kick ass private library.

Post: #2

I throw away my books when I am finished with them. Except for the philosophy ones which I keep.

I just have too many books around the house otherwise. And I don't like clutter.

I spend alot of time on the internet and get alot of good recommendations from there. And I buy all my books from amazon. So - I regularly will buy a book (always the second-hand option when it is cheaper - which it usually is) and have it in the post to me minutes after coming across the recommendation online.

To organise all that I just have a bookmarks folder. I chuck any interesting sounding books into my 'BOOKS' folder. This is better than an Amazon Wishlist - since I don't have to be linked into amazon to use it - or to read it. And I can drag the links up and down the folder really easily (which you can't do with an amazon wishlist). Also - all the links are displayed as one list - as opposed to over seveal pages on the amazon wishlist.

Then - every so often I look at my 'BOOKS' bookmarks folder and drag any interesting books to the top of the list. So that each month I will buy a couple of the books from near the top of the list. And during the month - I tend to find myself buying at least a couple other books on a whim. Either from a recommendation I have just come across - or if I am in the mood for a particular type of book.

I usually have about 4-6 books on the go. And I don't read any fiction. The books are usually such that one is a philosophy one, one is an economics one, one is a business one and one is a politics one. That way I have a book ready to go into depending on which mood I am in.

The only problem for me is that I tend to prefer to read at night - and if I am not totally relaxed - I tend to surf the internet instead. Which often results in more books being bought and a backlog forming. So - the only thing I would like to work on is to spend less time on the interent and more time reading.

Still - I have no commitments, no wife, no girlfriend and no kids. So - I still have alot more time for reading than most people.

Post: #3

I have a kindle and I download every book I read (except for the occasional recommendation by the old mom and dad). Takes up no physical space and all for free.

I usually read 1 book at a time, but sometimes a fiction and non-fiction one at the same time. I keep a journal with all books I've read and in the same document I keep a short list of books I want to read. Just a word document. I mostly get the recommendations through the grapevine (roosh posts, posts on here, and often one books leads to another), but if I'm temporarily out of good books I go here:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/05/14...s-library/

I try to read for at least one hour a day. I ALWAYS read before I sleep. @ cardguy: I agree it's hard to focus when you're not relaxed, but once I force myself to sit down, reading helps me get into that relaxed state. I hate wasting time on the internet, so as soon as I catch myself surfing for useless things, I move away from the computer and turn on my kindle.

Post: #4

I have the same problem. There's this really awesome thrift store where I've bought all my books for around $2 each and they always have good books there that are in great conditiion. I have a huge bookcase full and I haven't paid full price for a single one

But now I have the same problem you do. Too many books. Not enough time to read them.

I'll have a stack of books I want to read and ill go on goodreads and skim reviews for each one. If it has a bad rating Ill just put it off to the side. If you're reading a book and it sucks just next it.

Another thing I do is read books that will benefit me first. Eg if you wanted to pick up chicks read bang before you read any other book..

Post: #5

I buy a lot of books, I keep a large Amazon wishlist and buy batches of them 2 or 3 times per year. I also get a lot of them at thrift shops and yard sales. Very rarely do I get books from bookstores, I find that even second hand bookstores seem to overcharge for books that one could find for pennies on the dollar if you looked around.

I also get a lot of books from friends, I got the word around that I would keep any book they dont want, no matter what book. Whenever someone is moving or wants to declutter, I get a ton of free books.

Im usually reading 8-10 books at a time, I keep them in a stack in my room and read whatever is on top/i feel like it.

The rest of the books I keep in stacks or in file boxes in my living room. So there you have it, I have a very small apartment that is cluttered with books. Im calculating that I could double my living space if I got rid of them.

Post: #6

My kindle broke recently which totally screwed my reading plans. Can't get fixed until I get back to the UK either, bit of a bummer.

Post: #7

list of "to read next" on Evernote, + a Kindle

Come on dude, you're an engineer, ditch the paper and pen and upgrade your tech. haha

Post: #8

god damn e-books, mobi's, epubs, and pdf's are ruining my life.

Throw in the stuff i need to read for work, and the physical books....

And I like to actively read - highlight, take notes, draw conclusions - I'm lucky to get through anything nowadays.

And audiobooks on my Ipod take too long. (or maybe I realize that I scan most of what i "read")

WIA

Post: #9

I go through a lot as well, I'm interested in a lot of areas so as a generalist I've tried to cover all the bases to ensure I'm not forgetting anything:

1) On the go, make a note on smartphone
2) Home with comp, copy and past future article links into Word doc or leave an extra tab open if there's not too many already
3) Amazon wishlist/cart

And as far as the full management of physical books (I avoid ebooks if possible), just need to integrate bookshelves into the environment nicely, even if that means outside the bedroom in a smaller place.

People will have a shelf for dvd's next to tv so why not have some books on another section of the same shelf if you need the room

I'm also a believer in what Nassim Taleb calls "The Anti-Library" where I will often buy books I suspect will be useful or interesting in the future even if they aren't a priority currently:

Quote:Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (New York: Random House, 2007), p. 1:

The writer Umberto Eco belongs to that small class of scholars who are encyclopedic, insightful, and nondull. He is the owner of a large personal library (containing thirty thousand books), and separates visitors into two categories: those who react with 'Wow! Signore professore dottore Eco, what a library you have! How many of these books have you read?' and others—a very small minority—who get the point that a private library is not an ego-boosting appendage but a research tool. Read books are far less valuable than unread ones. The library should contain as much of what you do not know as your financial means, mortgage rates, and the currently tight real estate market allow you to put there. You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call the collection of unread books an antilibrary.

Post: #10

I don't understand why people buy books. You can read your hearts content for free using the public library.

Post: #11

(06-23-2013 07:50 PM)Gopher Wrote:  I don't understand why people buy books. You can read your hearts content for free using the public library.

Most libraries don't have all the books you want to read.

WIA

Post: #12

I suppose... I guess I'm just spoiled living in Minneapolis and having access to the Hennepin County library system. They have had literally every book I've ever searched for except Roosh's. I should call them up and tell them to get on that!

Post: #13

I don't use libraries much. Bad habit I guess.

But - most of the books I buy online are secondhand and pretty cheap. And sometimes I put a book aside for 6 months or a year. Before reading it - or before I get round to finishing it off.

I have alot of books on the go at once - and am always switching books in and out of my 'to read' pile.

So - I prefer not having to worry about renewing books at the library on top of all that.

Post: #14

(06-23-2013 08:02 AM)cardguy Wrote:  To organise all that I just have a bookmarks folder. I chuck any interesting sounding books into my 'BOOKS' folder. This is better than an Amazon Wishlist - since I don't have to be linked into amazon to use it - or to read it. And I can drag the links up and down the folder really easily (which you can't do with an amazon wishlist). Also - all the links are displayed as one list - as opposed to over seveal pages on the amazon wishlist.

Another reason to do this is that if Amazon no longer sells a book on your wishlist, all of its information will be deleted from your wishlist too so that you can't go back and find what you were intending to purchase - as if it went down the 'memory hole'.

Post: #15

I buy paperback's as I noticed if I started reading anything with a blue screen my mind would wander. Feels more natural reading from a paperback compared to an e-book for me.

I sort all the books I want by favourting the amazon page and buy about 2-3 books a month.

Post: #16

I hate ebooks. Also - I think the texture, smell, design, weight and spatial cues of a standard book helps imbed the information in your brain better than reading from a computer screen.

Indeed - there was some research showing this awhile ago.

http://lifehacker.com/5898644/read-a-phy...-something

Post: #17

Libraries have become to accessible and to lax. They will put the good books under reference in their Fort Knox style Research Branches and they stock up crappy popular Fiction titles everywhere else. I need to read more, but I have always been a big Library guy as I it was one of the few places I go go freely as a kid on my own.

I've seen them go downhill over time because back in the day if you did not return your books, regardless of the fines they would strait up ban your ass. Nowadays you get such soft ass penalties nobody ever returns shit, maybe you can't borrow nothing but you tell them some bullshit and they override it.