Many of us read to learn.

Both fiction and non-fiction teach us something new.

Fiction shows us life and a new world as the author sees them.

Non-fiction works best for topical learning.

It is ok if you read fiction for passing time and enjoyment but reading non-fiction for the sake of reading does not help much.

These days it has become fashionable to read 20, 30 or 50 books in a year. I am sure it provides some value. But to get the maximum value from a non-fiction book, read it when you can apply something from it right away.

That is what I did when I started an experiment to build a reading habit. 

I chose a book that could help with a project I had been working on. 

It worked well for me because I was reading the book more keenly looking for ideas that I can implement. 

It instantly increased the return on the time I invested reading. 

I believe choosing the right book to read and reading it around a time when you can implement what you are reading can result in immense value for you.

If you are reading a self-growth book then you’ll see a change in your life in the short-run. If you are reading a business book, you can potentially make millions without reading too many books.

It was a big change from the past when I bought 10-15 books at one go to read them over the next 5-6 months. I rarely finished more than 1-2 books.

I still remember ordering a lot of books, receiving a big box from Amazon and not reading even one of those books. I only opened the box once, flipped the pages of the books and moved the books to a bookshelf.

I now plan to get one book at a time, read it, apply what I learn and only order the next book after I finish reading the first book.

I hope you’ll try this approach and add value to your life.