Information overload? Time for a diet.
I started my Three Book Diet at the beginning of this month and wanted to share the books I have chosen. In case you don’t know what the Three Book Diet is you can go over to Chris Brogan’s website to read more about it (The Three Book Diet). Basically, the Three Book Diet is an agreement with yourself that you will only read three books for the next year, over and over, so they really sink in. The three books I’ll read for the next year are:
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by: Robert M. Pirsig
- How to Win Friends and Influence People – by: Dale Carnegie
- Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd – by: Youngme Moon
These three books will provide insights into four categories that I am always interested to learn more about. Together they cover philosophy, psychology, business, and personal development. I will be writing posts about each of the books. The posts will include quotes, ideas, and my general thoughts as I progress through my Three Book Diet. I will update the posts as I read and reread each book.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is my philosophy book. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of the lessons and ideas are related to motorcycles. It refreshes me to read philosophy and let a simple idea take over my thoughts for a while. This book is rumored to unfold a little bit more each time you read it. This is great because I will probably read it three or four times this year.
How to Win Friends and Influence People is an oldy but goody. I cannot believe this will be my first time reading it. Business minds have been borrowing Carnegie’s ideas ever since it was first published in 1936. Concepts from this book show up in the headlines of Newsweek, The Huffington Post, and The Harvard Business Review each and every day.
Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd is a book that will help me with my brainstorming. It is extremely easy to be a copy-cat and improve or change someone else’s idea. It is extremely difficult to be original and generate something fresh and, for lack of a better word, different.
I highly recommend starting your own Three Book Diet. Take some time and choose three books that you would like to dive into. Choose a start date and read them for the next year. The most important part of the process is to DO something with the knowledge the books teach you. Chris Brogan has started the hashtag #3BD for all of us to share on Twitter.
It’s time for me to get some reading done. I’ll catch you on the flip-side. Good Days.
