This is the tech hack that I used to read books faster | Work Life - Fast Company

Tom Gerencer, career expert at Zety.com, an ASJA journalist, and regular contributor to Boys’ Life and Scouting magazines explores, This author stumbled on a new trick that allowed him to finish more business books (and it’s not listening to audiobooks).

Photo: Konstantin Dyadyun/Unsplash]

We all need to read more. Warren Buffett spends 80% of his day reading. Bill Gates reads a book a week. Reading is the only way to stand on the shoulders of the giants all around us. But 1,000 books get published every day. As a burned-out workforce, it’s challenging to find the time to read one book a week.
 
As a business owner, I used to read voraciously. But with two young children and ballooning work demands, finding the time to read has become more and more difficult. For years now I’ve read a half a page a night while nodding off to sleep.

Why audiobooks didn’t work for me 
I found audiobooks helpful, but there are problems. They cost more. You can do Audible, but then you have to read on their schedule or lose credits. Plus, once you buy one, you’re stuck listening and can’t switch to reading. Also, not all books come out on audio. Finally, the voice talent isn’t always “on it,” and for me, that disrupts the reading experience.

Then I stumbled on an iPhone trick that got me reading business books like crazy. It takes zero time and lets me toggle any e-book back and forth from print to audio. Now I’m reading three to five Kindle books and library books a week just for fun. In the process, I’ve gained valuable insights that catapulted my productivity to the moon...

Since I learned this trick, I’ve been devouring more business books and articles than I can count. I’ve learned a ton, and it’s effortless and a lot of fun. I canceled my Audible subscription too, and I’m back to loving reading and learning like I’m in a master’s program, without spending any extra time. 

One significant insight I picked up already got me saving 4% of my income. From another, I discovered that successful people don’t use to-do lists. Instead, they budget time like money, scheduling the steps to reach their goals. I tried it and “found” 15 additional hours a week.
Read more... 

Source: Fast Company