This Addiction Might Actually Help You

Started in grade school, still going strong.

I’ve always had habits. Some people call them routines. Therapists and other experts? They might refer to these as addictions. Fine. Call them what you want.

Smoking and drinking were among the less harmful—again, depending on who you talk to.

But there’s one habit I’ve had since I was in grade school. At first, it was played out at the local kids’ literary space. As I grew older, my habit moved to the bedroom, where late at night, under the glow of a small flashlight, I continued the practice. I did it on planes and trains, but not in cars—it just made me nauseous.

I can only imagine what’s going through your mind.

No, not that.

The habit is reading. Books. Real ones. Those things that trees sacrifice their existence for are to provide knowledge to society.*

Of course, you get it—people who don’t read don’t make it this far down the page. But you probably know a few who’ve never made it past the back of a shampoo bottle. They say things like, “I don’t have time to read,” and then lose three hours arguing with strangers in the comments section of a news article they didn’t actually read.

Do humanity a favor. Forward this to them. Worst case, they scroll. Best case, they pay attention to you.

What Kind of Books?

Any books. All books. Big ones, short ones, true ones, blue ones. Doesn’t matter. Today’s Curmudg is a plea—a plead, if you will—read. Please. About the world—the world today, yesterday, even tomorrow. “But I read online articles all the time,” say ye. No, that’s not what I’m talking about. Depending on your addiction, that reading is short form and geared to your personal likes and rarely out of your comfort zone.

Why Bother?

Because turning the page still matters.

More than ever.

Why? Hate to say it, but America isn’t getting any smarter. Pick your metric: literacy, civic knowledge, critical thinking...it’s all headed south. I recently poked around, and the results are the same—and dismal. Don’t believe me? Feel free to do your own research. But don’t be surprised if what you find makes you want to crawl under a rock. When it does, at least take a book with you.

Here’s Why Real Reading Matters:

Critical thinking. The active engagement required when reading forces your brain to slow down, weigh alternatives, consider evidence, question credibility, and come to your own conclusions.

To inform, not inflame. Where is there room for you to sit back and ask, “What’s really going on?” What qualifies as “news” today to too many people is sometimes a tween whose journalistic cred has more to do with TikTok than with actual knowledge. It’s not only possible, but literally probable that in reading about another time and place, you can become more empathic as you read and learn about lives much different than your own.

Societal awareness. Your online reading habits are the result of your online scrolling and are rarely served up to you with any opinion other than the one you already have. Not much different from the garbage-in, garbage-out principle.

A vacation for your mind. A meditation for your soul, and a challenge for your brain to focus on something for more than a minute. A chance to take you away from your everyday whateverism into that of someone else.

One Rule, One Wonderful Suggestion, and One Q and A:

The Rule: “50 Page Rule.”

If a book doesn’t grab you in the first 50 pages, it’s unlikely that it ever will. There are a zillion books in print, and you don’t have a zillion years on this planet. Your life is too short for a book that you don’t like. Want to make it a “20 Page Rule”? Be my guest. You get the point.

The Suggestion: Keep a Book Journal. Seriously.

Wish I had come up with this one many years ago. I have a document that I keep that has a list—by year—of every book that I have read.

But there’s more. Every book has its own entry with my quick assessment of the book, whether it’s fiction, and what the story was about. And as I read a book and find a thought, or a collection of words that strikes me, or a salient piece of information, I dog-ear the page. And when I’m finished with the book, I copy the passage onto the document.

I started doing this in 1998, and now I have something approaching 300 pages. It’s probably the most accessed document I have in my files, as I use it to remind myself of an author or even to recall that I’ve actually read the book I might be intending to buy. (That’s not dementia, by the way. When you’ve read over a thousand books in this stretch of your life, you’re allowed a few repeats.)

And more than anything, the ideas and insights from hundreds of authors are the motherlode of creativity and intellectual stimulation, long after the last page.

Where Do I Find the Best Book Recommendations?

Glad you asked. Here’s a hint: it’s not online. It’s a matter of trust. Who can you trust? I’m suspicious of bots infecting the reviews of any site that sells books as well as reviews them. Five stars don’t mean much when half the reviewers haven’t read past chapter two.

I’m still a brick-and-mortar guy. I believe in bookstores. Independent shops where the staff actually reads and writes those little handwritten cards you see tucked under certain titles. Those are spot on. Because at the end of the day, who do you think works at a bookstore? Uh…people who love books, read many of them, and are happy to take the time to share why. Still don’t know what to read? Here’s a radical idea: When you’re in the bookstore, just ask!

You’ve read this far, so this counts as “reading,” so thanks. Now, do me a favor: pick up a book. If I accomplish nothing else, if I get one person to go out and read one book, then it’s all been worth it.

*And for the record, I have nothing against tablets for reading.

What about you? Got a favorite book or author you want to share? Want to know some of my favorites? I’ve got a few thousand recommendations I’d be happy to share. As always, reach out: curmudg@richiegoldman.com

TL;DR: Reading real books makes you think harder, live smarter, and feel more human. If you're not doing it, you're missing out—and making it easier for the world to stay dumb. I offer a rule, a suggestion, and a gentle nudge to help you get back into the habit.

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