Full Transcript for Used to be an avid reader? How to get back into books

the park, 41 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:41.680 in an armchair, at a lakeside retreat, or on the beach. 42 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:43.319 What if you let those. 43 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:47.920 Go and allowed yourself to read whenever, wherever, because you 44 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:51.920 don't want to miss out. Reading is a joy. Maryann 45 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.840 Wolfe is a cognitive neuroscientist at UCLA. An author, a 46 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:59.120 reader come home, the reading brain in a digital world. 47 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.400 Author gives us a chance to leap into the lives 48 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:07.040 and thoughts and feelings of others, a chance to leap 49 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:11.319 into thoughts that we've never had before. And the chance 50 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:17.400 to even appreciate that in the midst of solitude, we 51 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:18.919 are not alone. 52 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:22.599 On this episode of Life Kit, we have four tips 53 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:25.800 to help you read more this summer, and Marian says, 54 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:28.840 if you've fallen off the wagon, you can get back on. 55 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:33.639 I'm telling you that will happen, but you have to 56 00:02:33.719 --> 00:02:35.120 relearn those muscles. 57 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:38.560 It just takes time. That's coming up after the break. 58 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:50.080 Every episode, if It's been a Minute MPRS What's Happening 59 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:55.000 in Culture podcast starts by asking three questions, who, how, why? Now? 60 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:58.439 If the culture's asking it, we're talking about it. At MPR, 61 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.080 we stand for your right to be curious and indulge 62 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:04.199 your cultural curiosity. Follow It's been a Minute wherever you 63 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.919 get your podcasts, and we'll break down the zeitgeisty topics 64 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:08.199 that are filling your feed. 65 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:13.520 Picking up where we left off. 66 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:17.240 Our takeaway one is read when you can, wherever you are. 67 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:20.840 The hardest part about reading a book is just like 68 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:22.439 opening the book. 69 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.960 Kevin Wynn says, Instead of waiting for that perfect distraction 70 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:30.560 free cinematic moment, look for smaller chances throughout the day. 71 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.520 Standing on the train platform, there's a few minutes to 72 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:36.360 read in a long line for lunch. You can get 73 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:39.520 a few pages in read when you're early to school pickup, 74 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:41.360 or when you're waiting for your clothes to be done 75 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.280 at the laundromat. And if you commute to work, well. 76 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:44.719 That's a gimme. 77 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:48.080 Driving to work, it's audiobook time. You get on the subway, 78 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:51.280 it's time to open the book. I'm not gonna play 79 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.800 video games on my phone or listen to podcasts. It's 80 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:56.520 really easy to have that kind of discipline because it's 81 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:59.639 sort of like a sequestered part of your day where 82 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.039 you decide, I'm doing this thing. 83 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:02.960 At this time now. 84 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.159 To set yourself up for success here, you need to 85 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:06.199 have books within reach. 86 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:09.039 I have an upstairs book and a downstairs book, and 87 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:11.879 a car book, and a bathroom book and a bathtub book. 88 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.240 Jannita Giles is the executive director of the Virginia Children's 89 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:15.919 Book Festival. 90 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:19.040 I have books everywhere, put them all over the place, 91 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.600 and always have one with you, and pretty soon you'll 92 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:23.560 pick one up and you'll start reading, and then there 93 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:23.839 you go. 94 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:26.319 Now you might be thinking, how can my ear reader 95 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:29.680 or my tablet be in five places at once. Yeah, 96 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:31.839 you're going to need good old fashioned paper and ink 97 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:34.040 books for this, and you don't have to buy them 98 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:38.040 all your local library will be happy to supply. In general, 99 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:40.800 a lot of folks will download books to their laptops 100 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.800 or their phones or tablets and read there, but Marian 101 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:45.720 says that is tricky to do. 102 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:52.879 Distractions are intrinsically built in to our laptops and our phones. 103 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:59.720 We really have our attention pulled away. We are a 104 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:01.920 wha in distraction. 105 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.480 When you read on a device like your phone, you're 106 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.519 just one moment away from a text, an email, a 107 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:10.639 Slack message, a news alert, and even if you turn 108 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.560 those off, you might still go looking for other entertainment 109 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:16.560 on your browser or on Instagram, just out of habit. 110 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:20.120 You may also default to your typical screen behaviors, which 111 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.160 for a lot of us include skimming for information. 112 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:25.800 You're going to skim no matter what, because that's what 113 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:27.560 we do. We want to get to the bottom, and 114 00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:29.399 we

want to scroll. We want to get to the next, 115 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:30.240 the next, and the next. 116 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:32.759 Now, skimming can be helpful when you're reading emails or 117 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:35.040 when you're trying to stay on top of the news, but. 118 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:38.839 The reality is that skimming is one of the greatest 119 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.639 disruptions of deep reading. 120 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.600 And Marianne says deep reading can be a beautiful way 121 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:45.519 to slow down. 122 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:49.519 At the heart of it is the point where we 123 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:55.839 the reader go beyond the wisdom of the author to 124 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:57.839 discover our own. 125 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:02.439 Sounds pretty great, uh huh to get there. Take away too, 126 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:05.639 try reading more paper books when you can. You'll have 127 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.040 a better chance of minimizing distractions, especially if you're in 128 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:11.680 a moment where you can't seem to get into any books. 129 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:14.680 By the way, Marianne has also gone through periods where 130 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.680 she couldn't practice deep reading. She once tried to reread 131 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:21.040 a favorite of hers, The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse. 132 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:24.720 It was just painful. And what I had to do 133 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:28.120 is what I'm going to tell your listener. For two weeks, 134 00:06:28.279 --> 00:06:31.720 I forced myself to read twenty minutes a day, only 135 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:38.240 twenty minutes, as if I was just going to force 136 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:43.360 myself to try to be that older version of a reader. 137 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:47.519 And I will admit it took me two weeks and 138 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:54.079 then it was like coming home to my old reading self, coming. 139 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:56.279 Up how to choose a book you can't put down. 140 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.800 On June eleventh, the Globe's Biggest Sporting event comes to 141 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.519 North America, the FIFA World Cup. 142 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:10.319 The Super Bowl and you might say averages something over 143 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.920 one hundred million live viewers, but the World Cup final, 144 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:15.680 think like five times that much. 145 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:19.879 The favorites, the underdogs, and the Americanization of the world's game. 146 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:22.680 Listen now to the Sunday story from the Up First 147 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:24.560 podcast on the NPR APP. 148 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:27.959 All right, takeaway three. If you want to read more, 149 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:31.000 you've got to pick the right books, write for you, 150 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.680 and write for the moment. Kevin Wynn

tries to match 151 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:37.040 the books he reads to the amount of time he has. 152 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:40.160 Available, usually reading a couple novels at a time, a 153 00:07:40.199 --> 00:07:43.040 non fiction book and then maybe a comic book. He 154 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.040 just feels so different. And then like when I found 155 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:49.120 myself with like, you know, twenty to forty minutes on 156 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:51.360 the commute, that was enough time for me to get 157 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:52.439 through a bit of the novel. 158 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.600 Because books have different textures and they demand different kinds 159 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:59.199 of attention, it's smart to adjust accordingly. Like you might 160 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.399 want to read something lighter when you're at the DMV. 161 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:05.800 Different books demand different paces, and some books can be 162 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:07.879 read quite you know, quickly. 163 00:08:08.439 --> 00:08:11.480 The fact is, Sidhart, it can be read a lot 164 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:16.600 faster than Narcissius and Goldman, or a glass bead game, 165 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:18.519 or or poetry. 166 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:21.639 Poetry requires a different pace too. 167 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:24.800 Now, if you're trying to read a book and you've 168 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:28.199 been struggling to get into it, ask yourself, do I 169 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.040 even like this? Tracy Thomas is the host of the 170 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:32.679 literary podcast The Stacks. 171 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.759 For my work, I have to read books and finish 172 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:38.759 books that I do not always like. I can tell 173 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:42.559 you usually within ten to twenty pages if I will 174 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:43.639 like a book. 175 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:46.159 But your reading hobby is not a job, and you 176 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:47.679 don't have to finish that book. 177 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:50.120 I think if you're falling asleep while you're reading it, 178 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:52.039 that's a good sign that maybe you don't like it. 179 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:55.480 I think that if you are constantly checking your phone 180 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:57.519 while you're reading that that might be a sign that 181 00:08:57.519 --> 00:08:59.679 you don't like it. I think that if you want 182 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.799 to do anything else but read, that might be a 183 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:04.440 sign that you don't like what you're reading. 184 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:06.960 And Tracy says, putting down a book you don't like 185 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:09.320 that's called cultivating taste. 186 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:11.440 All right, last up, take away four. 187 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:13.759 You're back in the habit of deep reading books that 188 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:16.440 you actually like, and you want to keep that momentum going, 189 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:20.519 why not try setting some goals. When NPR producer Mansi 190 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:23.360 Kurana was a kid, she loved reading, but as an 191 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:24.639 adult she got away from it. 192 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:27.440 I made a really simple goal read a book a month, 193 00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:30.039 twelve books a year, and by writing down each book 194 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:32.480 I read, I was able to see how easy it 195 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:35.159 was to reach that goal. I increase that goal a 196 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:37.559 little bit every year to make it so that it's 197 00:09:37.559 --> 00:09:39.120 something that I'm working towards. 198 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.440 You can also set goals based on the types of 199 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:42.159 books you read. 200 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:45.120 For example, if you're a big fan of long war 201 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:48.559 and peace type classics, it might be more interesting for 202 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:51.480 you to read only three books a year and actually 203 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:53.480 just count the number of pages you're reading. 204 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:54.559 Or if you're. 205 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:57.559 Someone who wants to read more science fiction, maybe you 206 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.759 notice you gravitate more towards nonfiction and you really want 207 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:02.919 to change that. You can make a goal to read 208 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:06.639 two new books from two new science fiction writers. 209 00:10:06.919 --> 00:10:09.000 While you're at it, why not start a reading journal 210 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.600 or a spreadsheet to track your progress. You can rate 211 00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:13.960 each book, add notes and favorite quotes. 212 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:17.679 It feels really good to be able to see exactly 213 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:21.080 how many books you've read. Oh, this is the one 214 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:23.159 that I really liked this year. This is the one 215 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.639 that I gave five stars to. This is the one 216 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:28.480 that I rated the highest. It is a way for 217 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:32.320 you to sort of reflect later. It is not meant 218 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:35.480 to be something where you are competing with others or 219 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.360 you are trying to prove something to other people. Think 220 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:43.000 of it more as a reflection, not necessarily a competition. 221 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.320 Though Manzi sized reading does not have to be entirely solitary. 222 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:47.759 You can join a book club. 223 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:50.320 I love going to author's talks a local libraries, but 224 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:53.360 there's also a huge trend of quiet reading nights at 225 00:10:53.399 -->

00:10:55.799 certain places where you can just go sit and read 226 00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:58.679 and you don't even have to interact with anyone. 227 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:01.559 You can also just in a public space where other 228 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:04.879 people also happen to be reading. Going back to our 229 00:11:04.919 --> 00:11:07.360 first tip, don't wait for that perfect moment. 230 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:12.960 Just get started. Okay, time for a recap. 231 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:16.240 Take Away one, read when you can, wherever you are. 232 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:19.799 Take Away two, You'll do your best deep reading on paper, 233 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.320 not on a device. 234 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:22.840 Take Away three. 235 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:24.960 If you want to read more, you got to pick 236 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:27.440 the right books. Try matching the books you read to 237 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:29.840 the time you have available, and if you don't like 238 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:32.480 a book, put it down. There are so many other 239 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:36.320 options and take away four. To keep the momentum going, 240 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:39.399 try setting some goals, maybe starting a reading journal. But 241 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:41.519 if that feels overwhelming or like it's going to stop 242 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.120 you from opening a book at all, skip it. Remember 243 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:47.879 the priority is simply to read more and experience the joy. 244 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:48.519 That comes with it. 245 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.559 For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes. We 246 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:53.480 have one on how to make a small home feel 247 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:57.080 bigger and another on whether you should buy gold right now. Also, 248 00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:58.879 we love hearing from you, so if you have episode 249 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:01.679 ideas or feedback you want to share, email us at 250 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:03.600 Lifekit at NPR dot org. 251 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:05.320 This episode of. 252 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:08.360 Life Kit was produced by Sylvie Douglas. Our digital editor 253 00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:10.879 is Malica garib and our visuals editor. 254 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:11.000 Is c J. 255 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:11.600 Rikolon. 256 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:15.080 Megan Kane is our senior supervising editor, and Beth Donovan 257 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:18.879 is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Tagle, 258 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:22.919 Claire Mury Schneider, and Margaret Serino. Engineering support comes from 259 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.799 Cina Lfredo, back checking by Tyler Jones. Special thanks to 260 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:31.080 Barklay Walsh. I'm Mariel Sagara, thanks for listening. 261 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:42.320 On June eleventh, the globe's biggest sporting event comes to 262 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:45.200 North America. The FIFA World Cup, The. 263 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.960 Super Bowl and you might say averages something over one 264 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:51.799 hundred million live viewers, but the World Cup final think 265 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:53.240 like five times that much. 266 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:57.399 The favorites, the underdogs, and the Americanization of the world's game. 267 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:00.240 Listen now to the Sunday story from the Up First 268 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:02.039 podcast on the NPR app