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Read 1 book 10 times or 10 books one time?

Almantas

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Hi guys, just a quick opinion check :) Would you rather read a good book, such as Think and Grow Rich, 10 times, or read 10 similar genre books just once? What method would provide more value and why?

IMO reading good book more than once is very effective. For example, each time I read over TGR I always find something I've missed previously.
 
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Luke.

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Over say 5 years time, it might be good to read tfm 10 times. But 5 months time not really.

Over a short period i'd much rather go or quantity. But over a long period , i'm always going to come back for the quality.
 

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Whats the reason behind why you're reading? If there's something specific I'm trying to solve or find out then read I more widely. I check in with books that have really stuck with me - like lean startup - every so often to refresh my memory.
 
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marklov

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Seems like procrastination but I'll bite.

I read quantity at first like Sales books (telemarketing)

Many books were recommended and after reading various
perspectives.

I chose one book that resonated with me the most and work to
internalize the concepts then further my knowledge down that path.

Easier said than done I might add.

Example

Pitch Anything ( doesnt suit my personality)

Spin Selling ( is my favorite) >>then>>Sellin Local Advertising ( is the natural progression for me)

Then read various forums sifting through BS
 

mtn_baldy

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I'm always reading new books, trying to get new information circulating in my head, but there are a few books that I keep coming back to. TMF being one, Models, and The Way of the Superior Man.
 
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Mattie

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I read everything. Personally, I think it is just an individual choice. I would get bored reading the same book ten times. Maybe three times, but after that I would thirst for to much knowledge and know one person doesn't have all the answers. My theory is the same with any social group. You can only learn as far as the teachers in front of you. If you out grow them you must move on, or you just become bored and lose your zest for life.
 

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Gary Bencivenga, one of the foremost copywriters of the last two centuries, said that after a lifetime in business he recommends reading 1 book 10 times rather than the reverse. So I would do that.
 
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hellolin

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10 books one time, because you always want to expand your version further. According to the 80/20 rule the best bet you have is that you are only going to be absorbing 20% of what you read anyways, so you might as well read as much as you can and spread out your knowledge spectrum.
 

Roli

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Hi guys, just a quick opinion check :) Would you rather read a good book, such as Think and Grow Rich, 10 times, or read 10 similar genre books just once? What method would provide more value and why?

IMO reading good book more than once is very effective. For example, each time I read over TGR I always find something I've missed previously.

Reading it once and taking notes is like reading it a thousand times times, I highly recommend it. :)
 
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Almantas

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Reading it once and taking notes is like reading it a thousand times times, I highly recommend it. :)

My personal method is reading the book once and writing down headings, subheadings and any highlighted key points in my special notepad.
 

Roli

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My personal method is reading the book once and writing down headings, subheadings and any highlighted key points in my special notepad.

Perfect, my rough estimate is I forget about 50% of a book by the time I've got to the end, but it feels like I can remember everything, so notes are key, I'm still getting used to it but it's worth it :)
 

T-K

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The Machiavellian Way of Reading Books

I aim to read or reread at least one book every 10 days, and so should you. The technique that allows me to make the most of both the book and my time involves the following steps:

  • The first step would be observation. Getting a feeling for it, by doing a little research and quickly skimming them from cover to cover. So we can say: reading chapters, headlines, summaries, reviews.
  • Next I read the book from start to finish (or abandon it in rare cases) and take notes. I write them down into a little notebook or into a MS Word document. I try to make my notes as concise as possible, because nothing is more frustrating than having a great idea of how to use/integrate new found wisdom, forgetting about it and the idea vanishing.
  • Sometimes no book or laptop is available and in such a case I always use a post-it notes to mark the site and put the words onto paper as soon as I am home.
  • If I happen to come across especially valuable information or didn’t understand something I reread the parts right after I am done with the book.
  • I may decide to reread the book as a whole, around 3-4 weeks after my first read-through, if I deem it to be a good use of my time.
Unless I can not get hold of a physical copy of a book, I never read eBooks. You would never consider drinking a fine Champagne out of a cardboard cup, so why would you read great books on such an abomination of a device.

Studies have shown that you retain information a little better when reading actual books and you are able to read them 20-30% faster on top of that. While eBooks are a convenient way of reading, nothing trumps real books.

The library of a man says a lot about him, and nobody who visits your home is ever going to inquire about the number or quality of books you have on your e-reader. Also highly doubtable that they will want to take a closer look and browse your “library” in these cases. If you library is a desolate space it is your objective to fill it with ancient thinkers who will accompany you on your path.

Source: modernmachiavelli.com
 
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DST

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You'll probably need to read at least 10 books to find the one worth reading 10 times. Most books aren't worth reading several times imo
 

Tom H.

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Hi guys, just a quick opinion check :) Would you rather read a good book, such as Think and Grow Rich, 10 times, or read 10 similar genre books just once? What method would provide more value and why?

IMO reading good book more than once is very effective. For example, each time I read over TGR I always find something I've missed previously.

I wouldn't call that a good book.
 

Kevin88660

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Hi guys, just a quick opinion check :) Would you rather read a good book, such as Think and Grow Rich, 10 times, or read 10 similar genre books just once? What method would provide more value and why?

IMO reading good book more than once is very effective. For example, each time I read over TGR I always find something I've missed previously.
I enjoy reading but these days I cut them back because these are really “non-productive”.

I stick to multimedia or online words contents that I can browse quickly.

I read zhihu, a Chinese version of quora which has a lot of business contents. Chinese language videos have a lot of Business case studies on companies, that I find is lacking in English videos. They can be all found on youtube. There is a lot of research work done and digging done..like how air bnb beat his competitors at the start by exploiting craiglist or how elon musk’s risk taking genes is found on his granddad who died on taking one man flight flying across continents. It is like an informal and entertaining form of business study.
 
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Ish Ma

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Hi guys, just a quick opinion check :) Would you rather read a good book, such as Think and Grow Rich, 10 times, or read 10 similar genre books just once? What method would provide more value and why?

IMO reading good book more than once is very effective. For example, each time I read over TGR I always find something I've missed previously.
Hey Almantis! I hope you are well.
This is a fascinating topic and I'll tell you why. But real quick, i completely agree with you that multiple reads tends to reveal new information. However, the reason for that is because you've consolidated youre understanding of the material from repeated exposure. Kind of like mini mastery.
This concept of multiple reads of a single book is explored in a book, ironically titled, How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler. (definitley reccomend). He declares that any book worth reading should be read at least three times. The first time with an open mind. The second time to understand deeper. And the last time to argue with the author.

I believe multiple reads of certain books, that are the gold standards of thier genre, such as Think & Grow Rich, will provide more benifet than reading multiple books on the same topic.
Now that being said, the benifit of readingmultiple books on a certaian topic provides alternative angles to the same material ; You get a 360 degree perspective on one topic. That may expose you to a way of thinking that just clicks with you and unlocks a gate to understanding for you personally, that the other author could not.

God Bless,
Ish
 

BarKogan$

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Hi guys, just a quick opinion check :) Would you rather read a good book, such as Think and Grow Rich, 10 times, or read 10 similar genre books just once? What method would provide more value and why?

IMO reading good book more than once is very effective. For example, each time I read over TGR I always find something I've missed previously.
I would say.. Read one Good book , 10 times..
 
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Nucleatum

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Most books are too long, and could be made more succinct.

However some books are tomes of knowledge, and NEED to be read again and again due to the sheer density of information.

An example of this would be Zig Ziglar's 'Secrets of Closing the Sale'
 

Thinh

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Actually, I'd even go one step further: OPEN 10 books.
But you don't have to read a book entirely after you opened it.

We've been trained/educated in such a way that when you start a book, subconsciously you feel obligated to finish it. That ends up wasting a ton of your time, because many books are just about one central idea, or a few good insights, and the rest of the content is just there to fluff it up.

But some books will be great and entice you to go until the end.
When this happens, the books you actually wanted to finish are probably worth re-reading 10 times.
 

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