Becoming Minimalist

Own less. Live more. Finding minimalism in a world of consumerism.

12 Reasons I Have Decided to Read One Book Per Week

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“To read is to fly.” – A. C. Grayling

While New Year’s resolutions have never played an important role in my life (I can’t remember the last time I made one), I do think resolutions are essential. Life is defined by the decisions we make and I’ve come to view life as a series of adjustments. As we increase in age and wisdom, we begin to recognize opportunities in our life to grow and improve. And any decision to embrace that opportunity could best be labeled as a resolution (I’ve just never understood why we’d wait until January 1st to make the change).

On a related note, I like reading. Each time I read a new book, I am stretched as a person. I am forced to embrace a new thought and evaluate my life against it. I am taken to new places and enjoy conversations with new people. I am inspired, entertained, and invested into. I become a better person because of it… I just wish I did more of it.

That’s why I’ve taken this occasion of a new year to purposely resolve to read more books. For most of my life, I’ve averaged reading about one book per month. But for the next 52 weeks, I have resolved to read 52. After giving it some thought over the past few weeks, I have made the decision to read one book per week in2012 for a number of reasons:

1. It’ll make me a better writer. As one who enjoys spreading thoughts and inspiring others through the written word, writing is important to me. And reading always increases our capacity to write.

2. It’ll make me a better leader. Life requires relationship. Each of us interact with others on a daily basis. And our lives are either giving life to others or draining it from them. I want my life to give life to others and inspire them to live better. There is a growing passion in my heart to continue taking this message of “finding more life by owning less” to more and more people. I’m not entirely sure what that looks like down the road, but there’s a 100% chance leadership qualities will be required.

3. It’ll increase my worldview. Reading opens our heart to new ideas, new cultures, and new worldviews. Good art always does.

4. It’ll increase my breadth of knowledge. There is a world of inspiration to be discovered in books. There is also a world of knowledge to be found in books. I live my life trying to see the good in people believing that we can learn something from everybody… and since some have had the opportunity to write it down for us, it would make sense to take full advantage of their efforts.

5. It’ll increase my reading speed. Just like any skill in life, we improve with practice. While not a slow reader, I have never considered myself particularly fast either. No doubt, reading 52 books in 52 weeks will be a stretch for me. It will require my attention and practice and will likely increase my skill and pace in reading – at times, by necessity.

6. It’ll be a good example for my kids. My kids are young (elementary school) and still learning to read. I want them to embrace the practice with joy. I want them to become lifelong readers. And I want them to recognize their father as one who does the same.

7. It’ll increase my ability to dream big. While I have enjoyed reading all genres of books, I have always found special joy in biographies. Reading the stories of those who sacrificed much, inspires me to do the same. Reading the stories of those who loved unselfishly, inspires me to do the same. And reading the stories of those who accomplished much, inspires me to dream big and do the same.

8. It’ll stretch my self-discipline. No doubt, at times, this resolution will require discipline. The best ones always do.

9. It’ll stretch my creativity. New thoughts always stretch our minds to rediscover life in new ways. We begin to see the world differently. And we find new creative solutions because of it.

10. Books lead to greater relationships with the people around us. Books provide great opportunity to improve our existing relationships. Not only do they provide new conversation starters, they offer a new depth to our conversations as well. They encourage us to further pursue their claims within the world and people around us. As a result, they give us opportunity to not just grow in ourselves… but grow in our relationships with others as well.

11. It’ll help me better discern good ideas from bad ideas. One thing’s for sure, there are a lot of different approaches to life and the problems we face. Reading books provides opportunity to better discern what has worked in the past and what has not.

12. There are so many great books left to be read. There are books written to provide wisdom, inspiration, knowledge, and laughter. There is a wealth of life hidden inside of them… all we need to do is take the time to pick them up and read.

Thus far, I am on pace. I have recently completed Every Body Matters and Seven Days in Utopia. I am currently rereading Death by Suburb. And I have another book lined up to read after that. I hesitated a bit writing this post… but I desire the accountability. Putting resolutions out in a public forum encourages our discipline and resolve. It further calls us to pursue our goals as others have the opportunity to track our progress. And that encouragement will be valuable to me throughout.

Lastly, I wanted to encourage you. No doubt, if you read blogs, you are likely a reader already. But if not, there’s no better time to start than today. And while 52 books is a challenge that I believe fits into my life at this exact moment in time, you may find greater encouragement in reading 26 or 12. But either way, I’d love to have you join me in some way.

I’d also welcome any book recommendation in the comment section below.

Joshua Becker

About Joshua Becker

Writer. Inspiring others to live more by owning less.
WSJ Bestselling author of The More of Less.

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Comments

  1. What a great resolution Joshua. I’ve been having a hard time staying focused on my reading this year. Not because I don’t feel like reading, but because I have multiple books started.

    I typically read one book at a time, so I’m not sure why I’m so distracted.

    The one book I’m reading right now that is winning out against the rest is “The Overspent American” by Juliet Schor. It’s a great look into the reasons many of us overspend. There is also a portion of the book dedicated to a way of life the author refers to as “downshifting,” which sounds a lot like minimalism to me. ;)

    Oh, and I’m really enjoying the audio version of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden.”

    Thanks for your recommendations. I just reserved “Death by Suburb” at my local library.

  3. This is something I would really love to do! I have not read much over the past few years other than some self-improvement books. I really want to stretch myself by reading some good writing. Maybe I will join you in this 1 book a week! My husband even gave me a Kindle Fire for Christmas to encourage me to read more, just for fun.
    Bernice
    40 tips to simplify your life

  4. I’m an avid reader and reading a book a week is about the norm for me. I have noticed a change in my reading habits the past 2 years (in terms of what I read) and have resolved to read some harder stuff this year. Last year I successfully finished Don Quixote and am aiming for at least three new classics this year, starting with Pilgrim’s Progress.

    Death by Suburb sounds interesting. I’ll have to check it out.

  5. I have just begun homeschooling my daughter as of August (9th grade) and we are reading the classics of literature. I recommend the Odyssey– you will see where many of the myths that are common in our culture have come from. C. S. Lewis” til we Have Faces, is a wonderful retelling of a Greek myth. Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World is also a fun adventure and a “what if” about evolution. Definitely try to add some classics in.

  6. I new of a southern man who was successful with his business, his family, and life in general. He told everyone it was because he read good books. Over the years, he had filled a room with good books. They had cost money over the years, but had paid him back many times over…

    On day, a thief broke into the man’s house, found his way into the library, and stole THE TELEVISION! The successful man concluded that this thief is a loser and will always remain a loser. The secret of success was right there in front of him, but chose the television instead of success.

    Several years later, I treated a patient who was in jail for stealing televisions. (Probably not the same guy, but who knows?) Anyway, this inmate told how hard it was to make a living stealing televisions. You have to rent a truck, haul all those televisions out of houses, and find buyers for them… Its hard life. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to get a real job that would have been easier and paid better.

    Most people have a similar problem. We could improve our lives if we would make simple changes. For some reason, we just don’t do it. Reading a book a week is a good way to start. I wish you success.

  7. it’s very interesting. I also like reading, but 52 books in one year it ‘s difficult,but i’ll try.your reasons are good…..

  8. Good stuff man. I’m with you on this. I’ve been reading one-hour day and have already completed 3-4 books. I read 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 at night. Been plowing through books.

  9. i have been striving to do this for a couple of years now, but only read 36 last year after reading 45 the year before… it is an amazing education, and does wonders for my writing. congrats on the mission and good luck!

  10. Enjoy your reading challenge!

    As a kid and young adult, I had the opposite problem–I couldn’t put a book down, and would get absorbed in them too much.

    So my challenge has been to be more productive–put the book, internet, magazine, etc. down and get to work!

    Please keep us updated as to what you’ve read that you’d recommend.

    minima/maxima, a blog about minimalist style

  11. Wow! I am completely in awe! I set a goal to read 50 books this year, but hadn’t taken the time to think about the fact that that’s almost a book a week. I’m inspired to hear about your goal and to hear about the books you read. Will you be posting about them?

  12. Hey Joshua,
    seems like an awesome resolution. Personally, I think reading “many” books is overrated. One can spend monts reading a single book if it has valuable content and one reads it in depth (which most of the time requires reading the book multiple times). Think that a couple of centuries ago a personal library of 200 books was an incredibly rich library. And with the right books, it still is.

    Sometimes I feel a person only needs 20-30 books in their entire life (which is usually the number I read per year), assuming these are books of great value and that one re-reads them often. A small library formed mostly of books by authors like Seneca, Epicurus, Lao Tzu, Montaigne, HD Thoreau, Marcus Aurelius, etc should be enough for a life time. What do you think?

  13. I’ve been reading more since January 1st. I’m not sure I consciously set out to read a book or two a week, but all of a sudden I wanted to read. Here it is mid January and I’ve read a half dozen books already. Probably I’ll slow down when teaching really gets back in to full swing. I hope not. I’ve loved immersing myself in the reading.

    Keep us all informed of your progress and reading suggestions.

  14. You may like this website: goodreads.com

    It is a great place to start a challenge, track your reads, and find recommendations.

    I used to read a lot, which fell by the wayside when I had kids (& they were really young). As they moved out of toddler stage & I had a little more time, I started reading more… a few books one year, a dozen the next, slowly ramping up. Last year, I managed 62. Not sure I’ll meet that number again (because some books are better read slowly, over a long period), yet I like striving always to read & learn. Enjoy your reading journey!

    Books to recommend? Here are 30 random favorites of mine (hope that’s not too many to recommend, lol!):
    Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
    Darkmans by Nicola Barker
    Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
    A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley
    Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
    C by Tom McCarthy
    The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
    All the Names by Jose Saramago
    The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
    The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
    The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
    Fatu-Hiva: Back to Nature by Thor Heyerdahl
    Sleeping in Flame by Jonathan Carroll
    Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
    The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
    Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
    The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
    I, Claudius by Robert Graves
    The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
    Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
    Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
    The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs
    The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
    The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
    Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
    Dancer by Colum McCann
    Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
    Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
    Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
    Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

  16. Josh, I have been reading books for 60 years and agree there is no substitute for reading books. I will take some exception, however with your fifth point. I agree it is possible to increase your reading speed, but I’m not convinced that is something you want to do. We are always rushing through life. We need to slow down, and reading is an excellent place to do it. I’m reading Eknath Easwaran’s “Passage Meditation,” and I agree totally with him when he discusses why ‘speed reading’ is not a desirable thing to do. Again, Josh … good list, but you might want to reconsider #5.

  17. Great inspiration thanks. I think read that you read a book every week and bit blew my mind! I love to read but I am a very slow and sleepy reader (I always fall asleep at night). I have read 2 books this year already and am just about to start my third. I’ve read the great Gatsby, Breakfast at Tiffanys and I am starting the angels game by Carlos Ruiz Zafron of The Shadow Of The Wind fame. I think that you should post your reads every week to keep us motivated.

  18. I won’t be joining you on this project, but I can see how it will benefit you. I look forward to hearing what you’re reading and also to your comments about each book. Telling us how it’s going is important, I think.

    I’m sure you’ll find some of them useless, boring and contrary to your belief systems, and I especially look forward to hearing which those are.
    Gip

  19. Reading is awesome. I read a bunch more before I started blogging but I still read 1 or 3 a month. I blog about it once a month to try and keep me accountable :) I finished ‘Hand Wash Cold’ by Karen Maezen Miller a few weeks ago that was really good.

    Now I am reading ‘The Element’ by Ken Robinson, he is a great combination of brilliant and funny that makes a great read all about finding your passion.

  20. A book a week is ambitious, but doable. All your reasons for challenging yourself in this way are sound ones.

    The novel I’m reading right now is the most amazing I’ve read in quite some time. Possession, by A.S. Byatt. It’s a literary mystery and moves back and forth between the Victorian era to the 80s. It won the Man Booker Prize back in 1990. I highly recommend it.

  21. Would love to recommend ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield. It’s positively life-changing. Good luck with your resolution!

  22. Beautifully put. This was one of my goals for 2012 as well. So far I have read. The Anatomy of Peace, One City, and The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You. All are brilliant and I would suggest any. I am at this moment reading Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.

    Keep us posted.

  23. I was going to download Twilight onto my iPad tonight ((I’ve been indoctrinated by (female) friends who reckon it’s ‘amazing’ – I’m not convinced, but as I haven’t read it who am I to disagree?)). However upon reading this if I can get it I may opt for Death By Suburb – sounds right up my street ;-). I’m more of a non-fiction gal anyway. The only thing is whether it will transfer to UK life… Guess I’d better read it and find out!

  26. Just think what an expert you will be on various subjects in one year. I’m trying to do something similar – read 26 books in one year.

    Some of my favorites include:
    The Magic of Thinking Big
    How to Win Friends and Influence People (I’m currently reading this with my mastermind group)
    Beautiful Outlaw
    Linchpin
    A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
    In A Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day
    The Art of Nonconformity
    Winning with People

    • I love The Magic Of Thinking Big. I recently gifted it to a 22 year old I know. I said ‘read this – wish I had when I was your age!’… Think it’s set in the 70’s so it just goes to show that ‘attitude’ is timeless.

  27. I’m very interested in this project and I love the books you’ve chosen. In fact, the biggest issue I would have with following through on this is selecting the next book to read in a timely fashion. Whats your method? Any chance you’d continue to post some/all of your selections?

  28. Please post what you read and what you think about it/how it affected you–I’m sure we all would like to know!

  29. I certainly could list a few favorite books I’ve read over the years. Some really stand out though: Where Rivers Change Direction by Mark Spragg, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Little Britches by Ralph Moody, Saga of a Wayward Sailor by Tristan Jones,On Writing by Stephen King, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle, The Dangerous River by R M Patterson, More Alaska Bear Tales by Larry Kaniut, Where the Wagon Led by R D Symons, Tomboy Bride by Harriet Fish Backus

    Enjoy your adventure!

  30. Yay for books! I love reading. I indulged last Sunday night and stayed up reading until 2am. I haven’t done that in years!

    Just a suggestion…throw in some of your childhood favorites. They are so great to go back and re-read as an adult.

    some of my favorites are:
    the poisonwood bible
    the tipping point
    the happiness project
    still alice
    a million little pieces (i know, the whole it’s not really a memoir scandal…but i still think it’s a tremendous book with value)
    life of pi
    where the red fern grows (a childhood favorite!)
    jaycee dugard – hard to read, but an amazing story of survival and grace

    happy reading :)

  31. I just finished a beautiful book written by a 70 year old ex-librarian called

    “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
    ISBN 978-1-74175-895-5

    One of those books where you want it to never end…

    Also I do love reading anything by Bill Bryson and Ben Elton.

    Brave by Mark Whittaker is a book about Australian everyday heroes. It details the scary situations they were placed in and their heroic deeds – then it goes deeper to detail how their lives were affected by their heroism. Makes you think twice about being a hero :(

    I love your personal challenge Joshua. Very inspiring.

  32. Hi,

    Wow, quite a few recommendations already. I was just going to add Island by Aldous Huxley. It’s the kind of fiction cum social commentary that can really shift how we view the world.

    And since I’m here, Daniel Quinn has an interesting way of thinking of about the world, too in Ishmael, The Story of B, and My Ishmael (though the principles overlap quite a bit so you may only need to read the first).

    On a side note, I do hope that you (and your reading public) not forget Leo Babauta’s advice to put down a book that you’re not enjoying. Not every “good book” or “classic” is enjoyable, and sometimes the only thing you’ll learn is that you should’ve put it down hundreds of pages earlier.

    Enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing about your progress. Maybe you should add posting a 1 paragraph review per book part of your challenge… :)

  33. I’m recommending ‘Wulf’ by Hamish Clayton, link;
    http://www.penguin.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=30233&ID=2029459&SID=1054386225
    The best book i read last year. His writing style is incredible, and most pages I found myself forgetting to breath whilst re reading sentences to re capture their beauty. An astounding story indeed.

    Oh, and I second The Life of Pi.

    I also think you should reconsider #5. I’d much rather read slowly and deeply, allowing myself to disengage and mull over a paragraph, re read a sentence and sit on a chapter for a while. So much more satisfying than racing through books. I recommend cooling off the 52 books goal, and making a list of books you’d like to lose yourself in this year, regardless of how long it takes you to read them.
    Good luck!

  34. Ohhh, a 52 books challenge, great ! Let us know how it goes for you ! I sign up for the 12 books challenge, that sounds more reasonnable for me at the moment. Too many other great projects going on ;-) Thanks for your great blog by the way, I discovered it only a little while ago but I love it ! As you said, it is really enriching to read other people’s stories and let oneself be inspired by them in one way or another, even if only a little. Keep it this way :-) Aurélie

  35. just stumbled across your blog – and coincidentally, i’ve made up my mind to read more too in order to help me write better. but i might not be able to read one bookg a week… used to love reading though, dont know why I stopped…
    Thanks for the little reminder
    Noch Noch

  36. Good luck! I did this last year. I tracked my books on goodreads.com. I feel awesome for having done it!

  37. I can’t agree enough with the importance and beauty of reading, we do a ton of it in our home – even our little 8-month-old prefers playing with her board books to many of her other toys. Our bookshelves are one of the few things in our house we have trouble downsizing… we’re sort of bibliophiles and can’t help hoarding good books.

    Don’t forget to try and tackle a couple classics through the year, although it may be quite difficult to get through “Brothers Karamazov” or “Les Miserables” in a week, they’re definitely worth the investment of time.

  40. “Putting resolutions out in a public forum encourages our discipline and resolve.” I agree totally. Good for you! I don’t read nearly as often as I’d like to. Thanks for the motivation – I’m off to go read!

  41. Whew! When I read the title of this post, I was afraid you were suggesting that we read LESS books as part of a minimalist lifestyle! I was about to draw the line!

    I currently “read” about two to three books a week. I say “read” because I have a delivery job where most of my time is spent in my car, listening to audiobooks. My problem is that I listen to and read so many books at one time, I often forget what I have read and often find myself accidentally reading the same books over again!

    I used to want to learn to speed-read because there are just too many books to read and not enough time. But then a friend reminded me that books should be devoured, page by page. Since then I’ve learned to slow down my reading and thoroughly enjoy the books.

    I used to want to read all the famous classic books I could find so I could say “Why yes, of course I’ve read that book!” I wanted to understand what people were talking about when they made a reference from one of those books. But after reading quite a few, I found that so many of them (to me) were utterly BORING! I couldn’t make much sense out of them. So I decided that life’s too short to read boring books, and if a book doesn’t capture me in the first few chapters, then I move on.

    I applaud you in creating a goal to read more. I think it will definitely enhance your life. My mother was the first person to teach me how to read and I’ve thanked her many times for doing so. The gift of reading is the best gift that anyone can give!

  42. Thanks for the inspiration! I’m not setting my goals quite as high as yours, but 2012 promises to be a year of deeper reading. A good book to read, especially in the winter, is Ordeal by Hunger, by George Stewart. It will make you so thankful for everything, and cause you to think about your own strengths and weaknesses. What if…
    Blessings to you.

  43. Joshua, I’m an avid reader, and am always looking for new books… my list for you: Too long for a week, but amazingly great:
    A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
    The Stand (Stephen King)
    Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
    Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follet)
    World without End (Ken Follet)
    Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)… might be able to read in a week

    The right length for a week:
    Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
    Omnivore’s Dilemma (Michael Pollen)
    Animal Dreams (Barbara Kingsolver)
    actually, anything by Kingsolver or Pollen
    Also, Ann LaMott is pretty amazing… Pretty Little Birds in particular
    I am currently reading Hit by a Farm (Catherine Friend)… cracks me up.

    Books on writing that have changed me irrevocably… Bird by Bird (LaMott), On Writing (Stephen King)…

    Oh, how I love to give people lists of books!

    -Patty

  44. Quite a challenge to read so many books! I had gone for a long stretch – years – without reading much. This was odd as I used to read a great deal. It tapered off for reasons I don’t really understand. But in the last year I’ve rekindled a love for reading, and I feel more nourished as a result. It’s tough to beat the value of a book – lifetimes of wisdom just sitting in your hands.

  45. Making it a point to read as a family. And I adore it!! We have youngins so we read young classics-we are reading. Also made it my goal to become a Minimalist in a year. Wish me luck and check out my journey at
    thebestofpa.blogspot.com
    Danielle

  46. Currently reading Dangerous Instincts by Mary Ellen O’toole: Amazing insight from an ex FBI profiler.
    Getting things done by David Allen
    Body for life by Bill Phillips: the best way I found to get and stay in best shape of my life (even after giving birth!)
    Spent by Frank Lipman

  47. This is great :) I have resolved to TURN OFF THE TV for 2012…now I just need to turn off the computer !
    I am currently in the middle of two books: One is all about food…I’m a food/science geek, and the other is a marriage book. Not very exciting… but better than in the past.
    Looking forward to hear what you are reading.

  48. I appreciate the sentiment to starting a project like this, but putting yourself under a timeline can lead to skimming just to meet your goal. It takes time to process what you read to really get benefit from it. This is not a bad thing. It’s part of the joy of reading. Good luck

    • I agree with you, Cathy. It takes time to read a book and understand it. We already rush about too quickly in life. We all need to ‘slow down.’ I think this is particularly true when reading a book. Skimming a book or ‘speed reading’ might help you pass a test in today’s forgiving academic environment, but you’ll end up wasting your time if you are reading a book and want to get the most from it.

    • I’ve gotten on this kick of reading books written between 1880 and 1930.
      There is definitely a flair to this 50 year period that I’ve not found during any other time period. It’s timeless, hopeful and honest. Kind of like the age of these United States were at that time.

      I’ve been reading a book a week for 35+ years…my mother was a librarian when I was a kid so it was almost my job there for a while. After one does it for a couple of years it becomes like eating; a must to survive and a daily routine you cannot live without.

      A little “side gig” I endeavor upon is reading a second book during the week that I’ve already read before…I do that once a month…so it’s technically 64 books a year…but then again, technically only 52…I suppose your individual perspective matters.

      Happy reading!

  49. Thanks for writing this post! Please keep us updated on the titles of the books you read. This month I used a gift card I recently received to purchase some books that were recommended by other bloggers that I follow whose messages also ring true to me, and I haven’t been able to put them down. I’m learning and being inspired and the books’ messages are encouraging some much needed introspection. I am interested in hearing your choices. Good luck with your project.

  50. I’m joining you on your quest to read a book a month. In addition to the discipline of making time to read more, there also is discipline to stop reading- I can become so engrossed in my reading, that everything else gets pushed aside.

1 MILLION READERS CAN’T BE WRONG.

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