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The Read Well Podcast

Battle Your Brain Rot with Hard Books


Battle Your Brain Rot with HARD Books

Hello Reader,

Have you come across the term “Brainrot” yet? It comes from our lifestyle of busy living, screen swiping, and “working in a state of semi-distraction” (Newport 43).

📥 We’re swamped with shallow work, the kind of tasks that do little to feed the growth of our brains. We spend most of the day checking email (shallow), multi-tasking (shallow), and moving too quickly (you guessed it – shallow).

🧑‍🏫 We need depth in our lives. We need to work on interesting mental challenges that we can pour our entire focus into for long periods of time. It feels good to work on something important, and by doing so, we not only prevent this new phenomenon called “Brainrot,” we fortify against it.

👉🏻 No matter our age or state, we can always increase our intelligence.

📚 Learning to read a book WELL battles Brainrot. Go for it – pick up the kind of books that make you think. Wrestle with their words and concepts. So what if they’re hard – that’s a good thing! Netflix and TikTok are easy, but they’re not helping you – they’re distracting you.

🧠Your brain is craving something important. Feed it with words from Michel du Montaigne, Tolstoy, or Shakespeare. At first, and for a long time, it may feel like you’re reading a different language. That’s because you’re overcoming Brainrot. Stick with those books, and soon, they will not only make sense, but they will far surpass the “wow factor” of TikTok.

🤔 One final thought. “When you lose focus, your mind tends to fix on what could be wrong with your life instead of what’s right” (Newport 82). That’s why it’s so important to escape shallow activities. When you tackle something mentally hard, you fortify against Brainrot and you stop thinking about what’s wrong with life in favor of what’s right.

Until next week, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.

-Eddy

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Works Cited: Newport, Cal. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. First Edition, Grand Central Publishing, 2016.


New This Week:

Book Recommendation

Understanding Knowledge by Dr. Michael Huemer


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5 Lessons I Learned Reading Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals | EP 80


Watch the Show

A Simple Morning Routine that Fuels My Day


What's New at Edgewater Bookstore

See What Other Readers are Loving in December.

Book Recommendation

Understanding Knowledge by Dr. Michael Huemer

I got a chance to interview Dr. Huemer on the podcast. It was a wonderful experience, and since then, I've been asked by many of you what my favorite book of his is...well, this is it.

Understanding Knowledge takes you on a walk through the concepts of Epistemology. Essentially, it's a book that asks the question, "How do I know that what I know is what I know?"

We walk around all day with a certain set of beliefs. How do we know they're true? Even more interesting, does truth matter or should we just do what makes us feel good?

If you're interested in learning more about the concept of knowledge and how it applies to becoming a better thinker, this book is worth a look. It will challenge your study sessions, but it's well-written and easy to understand (for a philosophy book 🥸).

Listen to The Podcast

5 Lessons I Learned Reading Four Thousand Weeks | EP 80

I used to think time management was about fitting more into my day, but reading Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman completely shifted my perspective. In this episode, I share five key lessons I took from the book, explain why it’s worth your time, and give practical ideas for applying its insights to your own life. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by productivity hacks or like you’re racing against the clock, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Watch the Show

A Simple Morning Routine that Fuels My Day

video preview

🎉 -I believe morning routines are meant for books, coffee, and quiet reflection. In this video, I’ll take you through my reading routine, where I enjoy a great book, take some notes, and make a cup of coffee. Starting the day like this sets the tone for everything else.

Great tasting coffee. My mornings thank you!

Louise Wahlstrom

I love this hour glass! It really stands out and looks great on my desk. Never thought about having one of these, but it really helps me focus and kind of stay in the zone on what I'm doing. Great buy and would make a great gift!

Steven Baker

These notebooks are a great way to really engage with the books you are reading and retain the important things you find.

Ben Bryan

Hi, I'm Eddy.

How Can I Help?

Feel free to respond to this email. Let me know how I can make your experience in our reading community better, or if you have questions, I'm all ears.

As always, read slowly - take notes - apply the ideas.

-Eddy

Got Questions?


Reply to this email with your questions. I respond to each and sometimes make a podcast or video to answer your bookish questions.


See you next week!

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