📚 Read Slowly - Take Notes - Apply the Ideas You're reading this with 9,385 other critical thinkers.🙌🏻

The Mistake Most Readers Make

👋 Hey Reader,

Most of us learn how to read in elementary school and then spend the rest of our lives assuming we're good at it.

I used to think that way too.

After all, I can read. I understand the words on the page. I can finish a book and tell you what happened. But am I getting the most possible from that book? Hmm.

I've been thinking about this because of my handwriting.

I'm left-handed, and my handwriting has always been terrible. Not "a little messy" terrible. It's awful. Yet I've been writing my entire life. My penmanship got me through high school, college, graduate school, and twenty years of business meetings.

Clearly, I know how to work a pen.

IMPORTANT: Knowing how to write and having good handwriting are not the same thing.

My wife knows how much I love to journal. She also knows that my notebooks require a translator. So for Father's Day, she took me to a stationery store, and we spent an hour finding the perfect pen.

I'm happy to report that my incredible pen------has not improved my handwriting. 😅

But it has given me the desire to practice. I'm pretty proud of the progress. (see image).

THE LESSON: Just because I can write doesn't mean I've mastered the skill of writing by hand. In the same way, just because I can read doesn't mean I've mastered the skill of reading.

Reading well is a craft.

It's learning how to slow down when a passage deserves attention. It's noticing patterns, asking questions, making connections, and wrestling with ideas. It's training your mind to focus long enough to hear what an author is really trying to say.

The skills you learned in elementary school were enough to get started. They weren't enough to reach your full potential.

For that, you'll have to practice.

📚 As always, read slowly. Take notes. Apply the ideas.

—Eddy

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New This Week:

Book Recommendation Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer Listen to the Podcast 📚 Learn to Saunter Through Your Books | EP128 ​ What We're Reading in Book Club The Odyssey by Homer

Book Recommendation

Moonwalking with Einsteing by Joshua Foer

If you’ve ever read a book, attended a lecture, or listened to a podcast and thought, “I know this is important, but I can’t seem to remember any of it,” then Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer is a book worth your time.

What makes this book so fascinating is that it isn’t really about memory. It’s about attention. Foer begins as a journalist covering the U.S. Memory Championships and ends up training with some of the world’s best memory athletes. Along the way, he discovers that extraordinary memory isn’t a gift possessed by a lucky few. It’s a skill that can be developed through deliberate practice.

And since my message today is all about practicing life's basic skills (reading and writing), why not consider practicing the art of memory while we're at it?

Get Your Copy at Edgewater→

Listen to the Show

Learn to Saunter Through Your Books | EP128

In this episode, I explore Henry David Thoreau’s essay Walking and what it can teach us about becoming better readers. I’ll share four different reading speeds, explain why most readers spend too much time moving too fast, and discuss how to turn reading from information consumption into something closer to contemplation. Listen Here

Update From Book Club

What We're Reading

Edition: Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics, 1996. ISBN 978-0-14-026886-7

Reading Pace: 10 pages / day

Dates: 5/26/2026 to 7/14/2026

Online Meetings Held: Tuesdays at 6:30 MST / 8:30 EST (Recorded for those who can't attend)

The Odyssey is one of the oldest and most enduring epics of Western literature. It follows the hero Odysseus on his perilous journey home from the Trojan War, encountering gods, monsters, and trials of character along the way. This foundational tale explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the longing for home.

🙋🏽‍♀️Common questions about book club

What are the meetings like?

Here's a little video I've put together to give you a sense of what our meetings are like.

When should I start?

Start your free month today! There’s no need to wait for a particular book or try to time your membership around our reading schedule.

What if I can't make the live Tuesday sessions?

Live attendance is welcome but never required. Most members follow along on their own time. Every session is recorded and posted inside the community, so you can watch whenever it suits you.

What time are the meetings, and how often?

We meet every Tuesday on Zoom at 8:30 pm Eastern Time, which is 6:30 pm Mountain Time.

How long do we spend on each book?

Most books take us about 4–6 weeks to complete, with a new recorded discussion released each Tuesday.

How many people are in the community, and how many attend live?

We have 173 members from across the US. Around 35 join the live session each Tuesday, and the rest follow along through the recordings at their own pace.

Is the community active between meetings?

Yes. It is a private space built around books, reading tips, and what is happening in the club.

Can I read at my own pace?

Yes. There is no test and no falling behind. Read ahead, read along, or catch up on a recording. The community is here whenever you are ready.

Are the books included?

No. My goal is to keep membership as affordable as possible.

At just $12 per month, your membership fee helps cover the costs of running the book club, hosting our meetings, creating discussion materials, and managing our private reading community. It does not include the cost of the books we read.

Can I read a different edition of a book?

Absolutely! Many members do. The main advantage of reading the edition I recommend is that the discussion notes I provide each week will match the page numbers and formatting of that edition.

What if we read a book I don’t want to read?

That will happen from time to time—and that’s okay.

Part of being in a book club is discovering books and ideas you might not have chosen on your own. Some will become favorites. Others won’t.

If a particular book doesn’t interest you, there’s no need to cancel your membership. Many members use that time to participate in reading challenges, improve their reading habits, connect with friends in the community, or join discussions even if they haven’t finished the book.

What does the membership cost?

Your first month is free. After that, membership is $12/month.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. You can cancel at any time if the community is not the right fit for you.

📚 Try The Book Club - First Month Free →

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.

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