How to be well read without actually picking up a book

“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” ~Jim Rohn

I am an avid reader. I love books.

Looking back on my childhood though, it’s hard to understand where my love of books and of reading came from.

I was the youngest of 7 kids in a pretty hectic Indian immigrant family. My grandparents also lived with us, so with 11 of us in the house, let’s just say it was a busy household. I imagine like many of us, my parents probably didn’t have time to read and they didn’t really encourage us to read. In fact there were no books in our home. Not a single one (unless you count my mum’s old recipe books).

“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” – Roald Dahl

The fact that there were no books, now seems really odd to me, but I guess, like a lot of people, my parents were just too busy working.

I’d say I first really discovered books at infant school. I can remember that once a week, our whole class would visit the local library. We got to take out books on our book tickets. I loved those visits to the library with school. They were the highlight of my school week.

Writing that makes me think about the scene in Matilda when she first realises that she’s actually allowed to take books out of the library and even to take them home. Wow the wonder and excitement of it all.

I still love buying books and reading book reviews and I’m constantly ordering books from Amazon. I have many books that I’ve bought over the years that I’ve never read, but I just love having them. Amazon prime has been a godsend!

As a parent myself now, I always felt that it was really important to read with my kids. We still have a lot of the books that we used to read together at bedtime. There is so much evidence available now about how good reading is and why it’s important for kids and adults to read, but that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about how I still manage to consume the wonderful knowledge that is contained in books, without actually sitting down and reading.

I actually posted a tweet recently asking if listening to the classics on Audible was cheating? I do feel like it’s cheating a bit, but it’s better than not reading or rather consuming content, at all.

Elon Musk (when asked how he learned to build rockets):

“I read books”

Why It’s Important To Keep Learning As We Get Older And Why Reading (Or Listening) Is Such An Important Part Of That.

Regardless of how many degrees and qualifications you have, you can always learn more.

“understanding and mastery is a fluid, continual process.” Moreover, even if you are a master at your craft, there are countless other things from which you can learn and glean insight. And the best way to do that is through reading” ~ Ryan Holiday (American author ~ the obstacle is the way)

Despite the fact that I own lots of books and I love curling up on the sofa with a good read, these days, with so many projects on the go, I simply don’t have enough hours in the day to sit down and enjoy a good book.

However I have discovered an amazing life hack, which is so simple, but it has literally changed my life (ok, maybe that’s a bit dramatic!, but it’s been a game changer and made a massive difference)

So what is this amazing, life changing, game changer I hear you ask.

Audible!

That’s it, quite simply listening instead of reading.

The thing is, I’m in the car a lot and I walk a lot. I used to listen to music on the radio, but now I listen to books instead. This way I get all the benefits and knowledge from a great book, whilst I’m on the move.
If I’m on foot I can simply use my headphones to listen and when I’m in the car, I use a phone speaker. I use this one Avantree Bluetooth Handsfree Care Kit, but there are a ton on Amazon to choose from.

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” – J.K. Rowling

What Is Audible?

Amazon Audible is a monthly subscription service that provides users with access to a massive database of audiobooks. You access and play these audiobooks through the Audible app, which can be downloaded for iPhone and android.

“‘Classic’ – a book which people praise and don’t read.” – Mark Twain

How Does Audible Work?

Members pay a monthly subscription and get to listen to one new book each month. If you don’t use the book credit it is simply carried over to the next month, so you don’t lose it.

Every month you get a ton of new titles and Audible will even send you recommended listens based on your recent downloads, so it’s also an amazing way to discover new authors and get new ideas.

Over time, members are able to accumulate large libraries of audiobooks and unlike similar audiobook subscriptions, all audiobooks purchased through the Audible app are yours to keep forever.

These days I am a busy working parent. There is always so much to get done. I am very active in the make money online community, and run my on digital marketing agency, so life is incredibly busy.

If like mine, your life is busy, then whilst the idea of reading is really appealing, you may simply not have the time and if you’re not reading , you’re missing out on so much good information and knowledge.

We all know that reading is good for us and listening on Audible is such a great way to listen to your favourite books and to discover new one’s.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King

These days I am a busy working parent. There is always so much to get done. I am very active in the make money online community, and run my on digital marketing agency, so life is incredibly busy.

Mark Zuckerberg:

“Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today.”

In the interest of transparency, I want to let you know that I occasionally include affiliate links in my posts. I will only include links to products that I have found interesting and useful in my journey and which I believe will be of interest to you on your journey towards a “passive income” lifestyle. If you purchase an item using my affiliate link, I will receive a commission.