How to Select What to Read for Personal Development

“The man who reads nothing at all is better informed than the man who reads nothing but newspapers” – Thomas JeffersonThis is specifically directed towards those of us who are selecting books to read for personal development and growth purposes. I feel this is something we should take more seriously as books significantly influence our thinking. Steven B. Sample in “The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership“, describes how some leaders have become addicted to popular media. Steven points out that if we’re not careful, we allow the media to decide for us what we to pay attention to, and what to ignore. This can problematic for leaders, as leaders need to remain authentic and true to themselves to be effective. Making a conscious and informed choice about what we read, contributes significantly towards original and independent thinking.

One of the questions, I have been pondering is, “How do you select books to read for personal development purposes?” Some of the ways I go about selecting these books are:

The Collection Habit – As I’m always on the lookout for a good book, I keep a folder of possible next reads. When I hear about a book in general conversation or stumble across a recommendation whilst browsing the web, I make a note of the title and author. I also recommend subscribing to the 800-CEO-READ Blog for this purpose. I then later access the book details and associated reviews from Amazon, which I print and place in my “Books to Read” file. This becomes a source of books for consideration based loosely on a recommendation, which I have found to works significantly better, than the impulse buying I usually do whilst browsing the local bookstore. When I do feel like browsing the bookstore, I take along my book list, which I then use to “browse” and at the same time eliminate books from the folder based upon some of the criteria listed in the points that follow.

What do I need at this time in my life? – I personally place a significant emphasis on the application and integration of what I read into my life. If you do not apply what you read you’re wasting your time. To successfully apply and integrate what you read requires that the knowledge you gain is relevant to you, where you are in your life. For example, if I’m reading about marketing and I have no opportunity to apply what I’m learning in my daily life, I’m wasting my time! Real growth and development comes from two sources, firstly thinking and reflecting on the material you’re learning and secondly the translation of the ideas into action. It’s only as you attempt to translate ideas into action that you begin to understand an integrate that book into your life.

What’s the Books Purpose? – What is the purpose or central theme? To gain a high-level understanding of the purpose I’ve found it useful to quickly read the books introduction or preface. In addition, I go through the table of contents, trying to get an understanding of how the book is structured and how the purpose is supported. The briefly flick through the book to get an idea of how thoroughly the book addresses it’s purpose. Some books provide an introduction whilst other provide depth to increase understanding. I do this to answer the question, is the books purpose and level of detail appropriate for me to achieve my goals? Is this material practical? Can I apply it?

“Read only the best books first, lest there not be time enough to read them all” – Walden PondKnow which Authors “Speak to You” – I’ve found that some authors “speak to me“, by this I mean that their style, approach and voice resonates with me. This increases my interest and enthusiasm, because I’m engaged, I learn more and retain the concepts more easily. By understanding why these author’s speak to you, helps in selecting new authors, those who are likely to engage you in their writing. Since we’re reading for personal development purposes, with the intention of applying what we read, it’s necessary to ensure we select the best books on the subject. This is important when considering a book by an author you’re not familiar with. To help me in this I try to select authors with the necessary credibility. I do this by asking, “What are the authors qualifications in the subject?”, “How well known is the author in his field?”, “What evidence does the author use to support their purpose?” and “What references does the author use?”

How Significant? – I’ve found that many books are generally similar, they simply rehash accepted ideas placing a slightly different spin on them. After reading a few books on a topic you find similar ideas surfacing again and again. Instead of spending your time reading books that restate accepted ideas, I look for books that are significant within their fields, by asking myself, “How significant is this book in this field?”. Is the author adding something new to the subject area? I look for book that pushes the boundaries in the field adding new information or a new approached to the field. How is this book different from the hundreds of other written on the subject?

Technorati Tags: Reading, Personal Leadership, Management, Productivity, GTD, Books, Lifehack

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Tagged as: Growth, Personal Leadership