I read quite a lot, but I never set a goal to read as many books as possible. The quantity read in itself does not make much sense. It is much more important what ideas remain in your head afterwards and whether they change your perception of the world.
For entertainment:
— Science fiction and space operas. Probably one of my most favorite genres. I’ve always been interested not so much in the adventure itself, but in trying to imagine what the future of humanity might be, what technologies await us, and what problems they will create.
— Classics, but very selectively. With age came the understanding that the status of “classic” does not yet mean that the book will be interesting specifically to you. A huge number of works that are considered great seem to me personally boring or simply irrelevant. At the same time, there are books that after decades and even centuries remain surprisingly alive.
— Motivational books like “how to become more successful”, “how to manage time properly”, or “how to quit smoking”. I read them rarely, rather out of curiosity. Usually the result is predictable: another set of simple tips that everyone already knows, but for some reason doesn’t use. Sometimes it is useful to re-read such things not for the sake of new knowledge, but to understand once again why they work poorly in real life.
— History. In school, to be honest, I perceived this subject rather as a set of dates and last names, so no real interest arose back then. Now I read and understand that without historical context it is impossible to normally understand the modern world. Perhaps in school I was simply not ready to perceive it the way I perceive it now.
— A lot of literature on physics. Not because I’m going to become a physicist, but because physics is one of the best ways to understand how reality works. From the structure of atoms to the origin of the Universe — every time you are amazed at how strange and beautiful our world turned out to be.
— Popular science articles. This is probably the easiest way to constantly keep the brain in a state of curiosity. New discoveries, technologies, research — all this gradually adds up to a more complete picture of what is happening.
With benefit:
To be honest, even this list is enough to occupy free time for several months ahead. And if you add articles, research, technical documentation, and work materials, it becomes clear why it’s impossible to read even a small part of what you would like to.
It seems to me one of the main problems of modern humans is not the lack of information, but its excess. Previously the main task was to find knowledge, now the main task is to learn to choose what is truly worth your time.
Therefore, I long ago stopped trying to read “everything important”. What is important for one person can be completely useless for another. It is much more interesting to collect your own library of ideas — from different fields, different eras, and different points of view.
Ultimately, good books are needed not to check a box next to a title. They are needed so that after them you look at the surrounding world a little differently.
