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Category: Speed Reading

7 Books That You Must Read To Achieve Success


It is not easy to find success in life, but if you have the right knowledge and mindset, there is no reason why you cannot seek out your goals in life. To help you out, we have put together a list of seven books that you absolutely must read to achieve success.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey.

This is one of the best self-help books that you will find when you are looking to achieve success. The author informs the reader how the key to success is finding the right balance in your personal and professional life, change the way you perceive the world, and find ways to think more positively when faced with challenges. Whether you are a young college student or the CEO of a Fortunate 500 company, you are certain to improve your chances of success after reading this book.

What Makes the Great Ones Great: 16 Characteristics of a Champion by Don Yaeger.

The author of this self-help book asked more than 2,500 highly successful people how they managed to reach the top. The end result was a lot of inspiring motivational quotes and insights that focus on not merely being good but always seeking out more goals and challenges. The bottom line is that this book will show you to both get ahead in life and stay there. This is important stuff, so while you devote yourself to reading this book and learning the secrets to success, why not order high-quality essays from EduBirdie?

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

A groundbreaking book written in 1937, it remains required reading at colleges and universities everywhere, especially in business schools. The key takeaway is that success comes when you are able to handle people the right way. This means making them appreciated rather than feeling used and using powers of persuasion to get them to see your point of view. If they see that you are being sincere, straightforward, and opening acknowledging your flaws even as you critique others, there will be mutual motivation to want to succeed together.

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko.

In this book, the authors interview wealthy, successful individuals – particularly those who live modest lives in spite of their money – to gain some insight into how they achieved success. The most important lessons for living a successful, satisfying life include living below your means and choosing a profession you feel passionate about it rather than for the social status. After all, success ought to be about financial independence and not about the need to compensate for insecurities.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

What makes this book stand out is that it does not dwell on unrealistic expectations nor does it offer empty promises. Instead, it is full of motivational thoughts related to how an individual’s success starts with a happy family life, satisfying profession and having a meaningful impact on the community. Success does not require you have superior intelligence, but it does mean having the right mindset. For example, if your dream is to write a book, one of the keys to success comes in being able to manage your time well rather than making excuses for why you can’t start.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves.

This is one of the more inspirational books because as the reader you begin to realize that the key to success is in the ability to develop the ability of self-reflection. As a result, you will have full control over your emotions and therefore will be equipped with the ability to identify problems and find resolutions that bring happiness. Furthermore, you will be able to understand why other people think the way they do and use that knowledge to further advance your success.

The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman.

This book targets success from a slightly different angle compared to the other books on this list. While it focuses on mental and physical aspects, the author also spends a great deal of time on the importance of spirituality when seeking success. She does not endorse any particular path of spirituality but suggests that an important element of success involves being at peace with yourself and finding a broader purpose beyond the wealth that success brings.


Author: Helen Birk 

SPREEDER: MY NEW FAVORITE THING EVER

We would like to say THANK YOU to Joe Merkel for his very honest review about Spreeder and for letting us re-post his writing.

Well, that’s probably a slight exaggeration. But if you’re like me, and suck at reading and retaining information, you’ll more than likely benefit from what I’m about to share.

It’s called Spreeder.

Their whole mission is to help people eliminate the “need” for subvocalization– the little voice in your head when you read.

Simply input your text, click “SPREED!”, adjust your settings, and click the play button.

They say the average reader can read/retain about 200 words per minute. For me, that’s likely around 150. But with Spreeder, I can easily retain 450 words per minute much better than I could have prior to my discovery.

They have a free and paid version. As frugal ol’ Joe, I’m just working with the free version for the time being. And it still works wonders.

To view the article, click here.

tDCS for Speed Reading

Before I mention how tDCS can benefit your reading speed you probably should know a little about tDCS If you already know about tDCS please skip the first paragraph.

Firstly, What Exactly is tDCS?

The electrical activity of certain cells in our body, such as nerve and muscle cells has always been a mystery to scientists. It is amazing that all the things that we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch are based on electrical impulses generated from cells. All our emotions, memories, behaviors, and moods are the result neural connections. All this is well organized and synchronized in our brain and spinal cord, which together make the central nervous system and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can seemingly enhance this system.

For over 100 years, people have been experimenting with electrical currents that can change the conduction of impulses between nerve cells, more recently people have learned how to benefit from it. tDCS is one of the most advanced approaches to external brain stimulation that has been well researched and shown some impressive results. tDCS works by delivering a very low electrical current stimulating specific areas of the brain through the scalp with two simple wet sponges, one sponge the cathode (positive current) and one the anode (negative current).

How Could It Help You Improve Reading Speed?

It’s worth noting that some scientists have noticed that tDCS not only increases reading speed, but most importantly improves the accuracy of reading at faster speeds. The cognitive functions tDCS improves are now being examined more thoroughly, however I’m going to give you my anecdotal results for improvement in my reading and comprehension. The tDCS kit I have purchased and recommend is the Omni Stimulator found at http://www.omnistimulator.com .

How to Use My tDCS Kit?

As stated my decision was to purchase the Omni Stimulator. Its simplicity for an average user makes it a simple choice and the price said grab me! It consists of a voltage regulation device, two cables, two sponge electrodes and a headband. You also have very detailed instructions on how to position the electrodes on the surface of your scalp in order to stimulate specific parts of the brain and get the desired result. For fast reading, scientists recommend the anodal stimulation of the border between the left temporal and left parietal region of the scalp. Firstly, I simply soaked the electrodes with the saline solution (for better conductivity than water) then placed the electrodes in their position and secured them with the headband. It was very easy to use. One thing you may notice when you turn the tDCS kit is a tingling sensation where the electrodes sit, this is just the small electrical current and you get used to it quite quickly.

My Personal Results

As a student, I recall using energy drinks and having what I called booster coffees (6 teaspoons of coffee in one cup) in order to keep my focus while studying for exams. If I had something like Omni tDCS kit at that time, I would have used that in its place and not been so jittery from all the caffeine. Today, my work requires skimming through a lot of content from which I have to notice and extract the sequences that are relevant to the particular problem I need to solve. I have been using the Omni device for the past 6 months, and there is a noticeable difference. My reading is definitely faster, and I think that is because it feels much easier than before. I used to get very tired, especially when reading technical language, and my reading speed used to slow down after a few working hours, not to mention the decrease in comprehension. I did notice results with my first use, but I did question whether this may have been the placebo effect like any good skeptic. However, after months of use I see that this little Omni tDCS kit really keeps me focused on my reading. It seemingly makes my mind clearer and although I still take breaks, I have noticed that they are becoming shorter and that my mind is getting refreshed and ready to work much faster than before.

Writing & Other Speed Readers Thoughts

I use the Omni Stimulator according to the instructions for speed reading, but what I have also noticed is a higher level of creativity while writing. I’m sure you have all experienced moments when you get stuck trying to find the right words to describe something, well that rarely happens to me now. Moreover, people I recommended the Omni Stimulator to in the speed reading field had similar feedback. Depending on their daily activities, some reported they were able to read faster, while others noticed a greater effect on reproducing the content they have read.

Conclusion

In conclusion I think that tDCS technology is fantastic for speed reading. Using my Omni Stimulator has definitely been worth it. I highly recommend grabbing a kit and giving it a shot.

For more information or to grab your Omni tDCS kit click here.

References

Thomson JM, Doruk D, Mascio B, Fregni F, Cerruti C. Transcranial direct current stimulation modulates efficiency of reading processes. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2015;9:114. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00114.

Turkeltaub PE, Benson J, Hamilton RH, Datta A, Bikson M, Coslett HB. Left lateralizing transcranial direct current stimulation improves reading efficiency. Brain Stimulation. 2012;5(3):201-207. doi:10.1016/j.brs.2011.04.002.

Brasil-Neto JP. Learning, Memory, and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2012;3:80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00080.

Scheldrup M, Greenwood PM, McKendrick R, et al. Transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates cognitive multi-task performance differentially depending on anode location and subtask. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2014;8:665. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00665.

How To Increase Your Reading Speed By A Factor Of Three

Speed reading is all the rage these days. We have little time and so much to read through that being able to read more without sacrificing comprehension is an essential skill more and more students and professionals want to master.

You can improve your reading speed and get up to 3 times faster, simply by letting go of reading habits you learned when you were a child and by adopting skills that are more … 21st century compatible, shall we say. Let’s dig in!

Read chunks of words, not word after word

At school you learned to read in a linear manner. Spell out every sound, syllable, and word before moving on to the next. It’s a great practice for children who are just starting to learn to read, but it’s not helpful when you want to read at 500 or 600 words per minute.

When we read we fixate our eyes on a particular area in front of us. To read faster you need to have the fewest number of fixation points per line as possible in order to read faster through each line. This is reading in saccades, jumping from one fixation point to the next in little bursts.

Each fixation act lasts as little as 0.25 of a second, so imagine how much improvement you will achieve by having only one or two fixation points per line! This will greatly improve your words-per-minute rate.

To achieve this you have to learn to use your peripheral vision when reading. Instead of fixating on a single word, focus your eyes in the blank space between two words so that you must read both the word on the left side of the space and on the right side at the same time.

After some time you’ll be able to read more than two words at once using your peripheral vision and by expanding your fixation area.

The only way is forward

Fixation is not the only problem when it comes to speed reading mastery. You also need to eliminate regression.

This is another leftover habit from when you were young and just starting out to read. You would spell out a word, and then instantly read the whole thing to get what you’re reading.

This habit as an adult, however, will completely ruin your speed reading potential. If you constantly back-skip to reread words and whole sentences because you weren’t paying attention, you’re spending too much time. It is estimated that about one third of your reading time is spent rereading stuff  you just read either because you consciously didn’t get it the first time, or because it is something your brain is still trying to process in the old letter-by-letter method.

Either way, you need to reduce regression to a minimum in order to read more in less time. What you can do:

– Prevent yourself from re-reading a phrase of word – unless of course you absolutely have to!

– Use a pointer to keep your reading speed at a high level. Using your index finger, your cursor, or a pen will force your eyes to read faster. Of course, to achieve this you first need to increase your focus and alertness so that every phrase you read is understood and you can move on to the next without backtracking.

By eliminating these two bad habits of regression and vocalization you will be able to read at as much as three times your current reading rate. Remember, speed reading takes practice and the more you practice the faster you will read!


Spreeder is designed to be the world’s most powerful speed e-reading tool that contains the basic course of learning how to speed read. 

How to Remove DRM from Kindle Books by Pluto Pavlov

Everyone is asking “How can we read Kindle Books to an e-reading device especially with speed reading capability software?”

Well, we should worry no more! Pluto Pavlov has created a video tutorial that might help everyone with the dilemma.

1) Watch YouTube video “How to Remove DRM from Kindle Books” by Pluto Pavlov, published 1/1/2014.

2) Download and install calibre ebook management software from calibre-ebook.com/download

3) Download and install DeDRM Tools 6.5.2 from https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/dedrm-tools-6-5-2-released/. Apprentice Alf’s Blog contains several useful posts.

4) Follow directions on YouTube video above to install DeDRM plugin for calibre.

5) Follow directions on YouTube video to drag and drop Kindle ebook into calibre. This will automatically remove DRM from the Kindle ebook.

6) Convert the Kindle ebook to EPUB format. In Page Setup, set Input Format as “Kindle” and Output Format as “iPad”, but other settings may work as well.

The Benefits of Using the Best Speed Reading Software (Guest Post)

Speed reading software teaches people to read articles and documents quickly, and helps them learn how to instantly scan and comprehend text line by line instead of word by word. The best speed reading software teaches this important technique, and such software will also have other benefits. For example, the best speed reading software is easy to use, and so can be used by anyone regardless of their age or educational background. For instance, a post graduate student can use it and get good results, and a high school student can also use it for their learning needs. Another benefit the best software provides is that the user is able to access the application from any computer; they can learn anywhere, at any time, as long as they have a computer or laptop.

The most obvious benefit of the best speed reading software is that it increases the user’s reading speed when they use it. A person can increase their reading speed by up to three times each week by regular practice. The more times a person uses the application the more they increase their reading speed. The best reading speed software is also has easy to follow instructions, enabling the user to adjust a wide range of parameters to suit their own learning style. The user can also reinforce all the techniques that are important for becoming an efficient reader. A speed reader is able to do a lot of reading faster and so will enjoy the reading process.

The best speed reading software is a learning tool and combines both physical and physiological methods. These methods should be supported by empirical evidence attesting to the fact that they work, and that the exercises have practical utility. Another major benefit from the best speed reading software is that it provides additional exercises after each reading lesson that keep the user’s brain in good overall shape. The exercise enables the user to learn to think and answer based on the reading done previously. The exercises are useful as they help to practise for exams or interviews, giving the user the experience of how to answer questions based on previous study. The best speed reading software also offers a range of exercises that are based on the readings made in the chapter or unit.

The best speed reading software promotes learning by providing instantaneous feedback. The reason this is important is because the user can examine if they have benefited or learnt something from the reading exercises just completed. The more questions in the exercises the user can answer the more they understand or comprehend the reading. The reading speed of the user is also another feedback point, showing how it increases or improves with time. Good speed reading software allows the users to comment on how much knowledge they have gained. The best speed reading software also has many tracking tools and reports that are useful and accurate. This provides proof of the credibility of the speed reading software.

The best speed reading software also has interactive games and learning tasks for the students. The games and learning tasks help the students to take a break from the more intensive reading exercises, and enhances their memory and understanding of the reading material in fun ways. They engage the students and encourage them to participate in the games and learning tasks, thus enabling learning to continue despite the break. Games are useful as students love games and also play them willingly. Therefore, offering users the opportunity to engage in games and learning tasks as they read enable them to improve their reading, as they are eager to find more games. The users can also enjoy stories that are present in the software. The best software will provide stories that are based on a wide variety of topics.

The best speed reading software also provides a wide range of programs that are designed professionally. These programs are calibrated in order to meet the needs of the individual and groups using the software. The user is also able to pursue a curriculum that is structured, focused and designed by the user on their own.

Anyone can benefit from the best speed reading software as it improves comprehension and understanding of the reading. This is because such a software product has interactive games, stories, exercises and learning tasks that aid in understanding as they provide a practical example to the theory discussed. It also helps the users to train their eyes and brains from one step to another. The best speed reading software also provides results that are guaranteed. The software is parent-friendly and customizable thus can be adjusted to meet the needs of the user.


Cross-posted on the 7 Speed Reading blog.

Speed Reading And Peter Sandeen’s Time-Saving Marketing Strategies

When you’re trying to grow your business, you’re constantly fighting against the clock. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything. Customers and clients expect you to be on call 24/7 and you’ve got to fit that into your schedule along with everything else. And both society and technology keep moving forward, which means that you have to keep up with trends, stay on top of breaking news, and make sure you’re ahead of the competition. In order to do that, you need the best information you can get, from as many sources as possible – and you need the ability to read, remember, and recall that information so that you can use it at precisely the right moment. That’s one of the reasons we encourage people to learn to speed read. When you have that extra time, you’ll be able to devote it to learning from people like Peter Sandeen, whose expert advice on marketing can help you expand your client list and communicate with your customers to keep your business booming. We asked him about his strategies for information overload and other time-saving tips.

7SR: You’re an articulate writer, and you frequently emphasize the importance of well-crafted professional text in written communication with customers. Is writing a skill that people should spend the time developing, or can they “outsource” that particular task?

Peter Sandeen: If you write for a business, the purpose is to make the reader get closer to buying what you sell. Understanding what are the best reasons for them to choose your products and services is more important than literary ingenuity.

First, of course, you need to know what those reasons are—what I call your value proposition—so you can convey them with your writing.

When you have a clear value proposition, developing your writing skills makes perfect sense. But you should devote your studies to copywriting. Writing with the explicit purpose to “convert” is very different from casual writing. Much of the general writing advice just won’t have the same impact on your results that better copywriting skills could have.

7SR: There’s a lot of information out there on marketing strategies, not to mention all of the articles and news feeds that are directly related to a person’s field, service, or product. What do you recommend to people when they tell you they’re unable to keep up with reading all of that material?

Peter: Information overload is a very common reason for people to slow down their progress. They might actually do a lot of things. But they’re not focused on taking consistent steps on the shortest road to their goals, but instead they spread their efforts over countless projects, so they don’t make much progress at all.

Focus your information intake on a small select group of sources. And avoid learning from conflicting sources—people look at marketing in so many different ways that you might be dragged to completely different directions by different people’s advice. Preferably find just one or two sources you trust and understand, so you can actually act on the advice.

7SR: Where should a new business owner begin? Should they be working on self-improvement that will polish professional credentials or personal skills, or focusing on getting a website up and running and starting to look for sales right away?

Peter: Maybe you’re fine with first studying marketing for a few years before setting up your first website.

But you won’t learn marketing from a book, blog, or course if you don’t put the ideas into action. So, set up something simple soon. And then improve over time.

Getting started might seem daunting, but once you’re off square one, you can learn much faster.

7SR: Even though professional communication is so important, it’s such a basic part of everyday life that some people may treat business e-mails in the same way they do a quick text to a friend – in other words, without worrying too much about spelling and grammar. How much of a problem do you think this is in general?

Peter: If I get an email with lots of typos, I feel like the sender didn’t really think that the email was worth putting any effort into. In other words, I don’t feel respected.

Simple grammar mistakes that are clearly mistakes, on the other hand, can make you look plain dumb or uneducated.

I don’t mind the occasional typo or forgetting to follow the most obscure grammar rules. But you should respect the person you’re writing the email to enough to read it through at least once.

7SR: What are three books you’d recommend to people to help them improve their communication skills?

Roy Peter Clark: Writing Tools. You’ll learn specific tools (that are surprisingly practical) for making your writing better.

Sol Stein: Stein on Writing. Another excellent book on improving your writing. Sol Stein is an accomplished editor, which gives him a great perspective on what makes writing better.

Joe Vitale: Buying Trances. A great book that helps you understand some key copywriting lessons. The book isn’t quite the classic some other copywriting books are, but it’s really good (and recommending the same old classics seems like a boring choice).

I’d also love to include some Tony Robbins’s books just because writing effectively is really about understanding people. And that’s about psychology—not grammar 🙂

Read More About Peter Sandeen’s Time-Saving Marketing Strategies At www.PeterSandeen.com


Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments

7 Weird and Funny Ways to Learn a New Language

Think learning a new language is boring? Think again – with these techniques, you can improve your skills while having fun!

Here are seven unorthodox language learning tips from the seasoned writers of Scholar Advisor that might just change your perspective in the language learning process:

Stage a Play

It doesn’t have to be a big production. Remember that the keyword to these tips is fun while learning. Stage a short play for a small audience you think would enjoy.

Of course, the other key point here is to stage a play in a completely different language, preferably the one you’re learning. Make use of the language while having fun in this simple activity.

Go on a Blind Date

One way to meet new people, have fun, and practice a new language all at once is through this unconventional tip.

Go on a blind date with a native speaker and try practicing a few key phrases with them during your date. You can even go to a restaurant and try practicing your basic phrases while ordering.

Cook a Foreign Dish

The important part of this exercise is to cook a dish in which instructions are written in another language. This not only boosts your vocabulary, it also helps acquaint you with basic phrases and instructions.

To avoid any accidents, start out with minor dishes first. You don’t have to be able to cook a grand meal yet, just make sure you get the hang of the language.

Buy Comics

Like children’s books, comics are also fun and easy to read, and can also help you be more familiar with the language you’re learning.

Aside from this, interesting storylines and appealing images won’t make it look like a chore, but more of an engaging exercise that both appeals to your visual senses, and helps you learn faster and better.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of reading, learning the language overall will be much easier.

Explore Your Surroundings

This one is for people who are traveling in another country. To really test whether you’ve learned the language right, head out of your cozy room, and walk the streets.

Ask the locals about facts and places in the area where it might be good to stay and further immerse yourself in the culture. Just make sure you can find your way back later on.

Write Down Your Grocery List

Similar to learning to cook in your language of choice, writing down your grocery list is a simple and engaging way to incorporate the language in your daily life.

In fact, before getting on the recipe itself, you can start with the grocery list first. Build your vocabulary by identifying as many kitchen materials and foodstuff in a foreign language you know. You might be surprised by your progress.

Introduce Yourself

Try this out with a friend, or with a pen pal.

Practice communicating with others in a foreign language by making a full introduction using that language alone. Avoid code switching to your native tongue, but try to sound as natural as possible in your introduction.

Don’t be too stiff. If you’re comfortable enough with the person whom you are sharing to, you can also ask for feedback on how well you used the language.

Learning doesn’t always have to stay in school, especially when it comes to an immersive topic like language. Think outside the box and engage in activities that might seem a bit different from classroom exercises.

Incorporate the language as much as possible in your daily life to make it feel more natural to you.


Author’s Bio: Stacey Marone is a freelance writer and blogger. She is fascinated with traveling, exploring new cultures, languages and people. Her hobby is to gather interesting facts and stories and she gladly shares them with everybody.

Studysuccessful.com Creator, Stefan Knapen, Recommends Efficient Study Habits for Academic Success

College and university life can provide many challenges for students, and it’s always good to have someone around who can give students the hints and effective tips that help them get the most out of their study time and their school years. In fact, the advice that Stefan Knapen provides at his website StudySuccessful.com can be applied to many situations and to people of all ages. After all, learning starts immediately and is a never-ending process! Check out Stefan’s site for answers to your questions about study habits, personal development, modern technology, and more.

7SR: You moved quickly through your university years and are now attending medical school in your early 20s. You must be incredibly busy! How do you fit everything into your schedule?

Haha, yeah things are going pretty fast. Well, what I did in my first couple of years was focussing on setting up a system. What kind of schedule should I use, how much work can I take on, and experimenting with different studying techniques. Probably one of the most interesting concepts I learned was the ‘Parkinson’s Law’, which teaches us that work expands with the amount of time you give it. So by taking up a lot of work, you won’t have a lot of time left to give to it. This results in the need to be highly effective in that work.

Take preparing a presentation for example. I could work hours on creating the perfect powerpoint, preparing all the jokes and practicing the presentation a couple of times beforehand. Now, as I simply did not have that time I needed to find the input which yields the highest results. So I focus on the story, I focus on the core principle. The powerpoint lay-out is not a priority at that point. This is also why starting the night before usually works out ‘fine’ (although it is for stress-reasons definitely not recommended!)

7SR: Here at 7 Speed Reading we encourage students to learn to speed read so that they can get through their research and study projects more quickly. Is this something that you’ve found to be helpful?

In med school I have to read a lot. In keeping up my blog I have to read probably even more. So learning the principles of speed reading helped me definitely. I don’t recommend to always speed read, but if it is a low-density text and there are only a couple of principles to get out of it, speed read your way through it and memorise the concepts later.

7SR: You wrote a free guide on how to build a personal website. Why is it important for people to have an online presence?

First of all: in this day and age it’s really simple. If you don’t own your own domain name somebody else will soon enough.

Second: Anybody who will ever have something to do with you will Google you. Being aware of your online presence and working on it as well can give you easily the ownership of the top 5 results in Google. Now, what do you want your future employer to find when he Googles you. Your own personal website, where your CV is clearly outlined and links to your portfolio? Or that picture where your roommate throws beer over you at that frat party on Facebook?

The free guide is a simple step-by-step instruction on how to create your own personal website. Check it out at StudySuccessful: http://studysuccessful.com/blog-as-student/

7SR: Good study habits are important for success in school, and can be applied even in a person’s later professional life. What are some of the study habits you encourage people to develop?

The best study habit would probably be finding out how you work as a person. Do you learn the most from lectures or from books? Do you like to read text or look at pictures? Do you study better in the morning or in the evening? In your first years these are core concepts to figure out. Find out where you are good at and use that.

7SR: What are three things you would recommend to someone who is starting their first year at university?

Again. Find out how you work. What is your way to do things. Together with that: also find out how social aspects of the University life fit into that, because they have to fit in there. This is the best time to meet new people, to make new connections. Use that. Say yes, become busy and find out how you can flourish! 

Cross-posted on the 7 Speed Reading blog.

Everyday Is World Book Day: The Lost Art of Reading

How often do you read? Chances are you’re reading much less than you’d like. It happens to everyone. We try to set aside time for this sense-awakening pastime only to have our to-do lists and last-minute errands steal that sacred time away from us.

Be more rigid with your reading time. It’s an invigorating experience for your heart and your mind. So, at a time when reading is verging on becoming an extinct art, put down your phone and pick up a book. A world of inspiration and awe awaits.

My Animals And Other Family

This book by Clare Balding is a brave story of self-discovery. It’s bold yet tender, it’s funny yet serious in its teachings. It’s your new favorite, actually.

This story will just make you want to be a better person. You will feel such an invogirating joy when you read it because it’s so full of poignant humor. Take this quote, for example:

“I had spent most of my childhood thinking I was a dog, and suspect I had aged in dog years.”

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

This book by Mitch Albom tells the heartbreaking story of Eddie, a war veteran who dies trying to save a young girl. He’s now in the afterlife. But instead of living the bliss he was promised, he has five people explain life to him.

A book that will shake you to the core.

Who Moved My Cheese?

This book by Dr. Spenser Johnson is not fiction but it will change your life. Why? It’s about change itself. Dr. Johnson inspires you to deal with change by giving you the language and toolkit to do it. He explains how your attitude will work wonders in how you perceive reality and the changes occurring. Through the explanations in the book, you will see a clear path to welcome change and use it in your favor, whether it’s for your career or your personal life.

The Four Agreements

A book by Don Miquel Ruiz that teaches you the four agreements,the four essential steps for utter personal freedom. The wisdom shared by Ruiz goes back to the roots of traditional Toltec beliefs.

Learn practical steps on how to change your way of thinking and create a reality and life that’s permeated by the freedom you deserve.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

This Lewis Carroll classic is the go-to book for many adults and children alike. It’s a world-famous piece of art on how life, just like our dreams and fantasies, is inexplicable, ironic, majestic, and nonsensical — all at once.

Whether you honored World Book Day on April 23 or not it doesn’t matter. You still have time to grab the next best-seller and immerse yourself in a journey of no return!

Here are our top five picks you can read at home, while commuting or with your best friend by your side.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

A book on the intricate relationships among family and friends. A family goes on a two-week trip to Mallorca. See what life has in store for them.

A Colder War by Charles Cumming

This espionage thriller will be the first book you’ve read in one sitting in years. Immerse yourself in an adrenaline-packed tour de force with MI6 agent Thomas Kell. You’ve been warned!

One More Thing by B. J. Novak

A funny short story book you will return to when you feeling blue or ecstatic with life. Your call! Written by well-known former The Office writer.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

If you’re lucky and haven’t watched the movie yet, grab this book and run before the spoilers get you.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

The much anticipated release by Stephen King comes out in the first week of June. Enough time to catch up on his best works to date!