If you had told me even a few months ago that I would be starting a podcast, I probably would have broken a rib laughing. But after a month or so of dabbling and planning, I’m doing just that. I had a weird idea, grabbed a microphone, got over how awkward it is to talk to yourself into that microphone (so much more awkward than just talking to yourself like a normal person!) and Read and Think was born.
I read a lot of books, to the tune of over a hundred per year. And while doing so has been the foundation of my education pretty much my entire life, I didn’t always get as much from them as I could have. I only started taking occasional notes two years ago when I began working my way through biographies of every US president. And while I’ve gotten better at it over time, I’ll admit that occasionally it feels like I’m reading a ton and retaining very little.
One of the best ways to learn something at a deeper level is to teach it, which is why I started occasionally writing on this blog about the books I’ve read. I enjoyed doing it and felt like I got a lot out of it, so when I had an idea that would double down on that principle the concept was too intriguing to ignore: Start a podcast about the books I read, what I’m learning from them, and how I am applying that knowledge to my businesses, investments, and life in general.
What is Read and Think?
Read and Think is an audio podcast in which I will be discussing the books I’m reading. It is a solo show rather than the common interview or discussion shows, so it will have a different feel than many other podcasts about books. While discussing the books themselves and giving an overview of the most important lessons from them, I will also discuss the various ways I’m applying them to my life, businesses, and investments.
What will listeners get out of it?
If you want to read more books but just can’t find the time, this podcast will go over the key points on the best books I read in a much more compressed time format. Most episodes will be less than half an hour, and some less than twenty minutes. And while there are many podcasts out there about books, most of them are interview shows with the author that are really just a sales pitch to get you to buy the book, rather than a distillation of the key information from it.
What does James get out of it?
While I hope that some people will listen to my podcast and get value out of it, I certainly don’t think I’m about to be the next Joe Rogan. I’ll do a bit of marketing initially to see what the response is from listeners, but honestly I’m doing this podcast mostly because I will get value out of the act of making it. First off, I’m a big believer that a great way to learn a concept better is to teach it to someone else. By recording these podcast episodes, I’ll be reinforcing everything I’m learning from the books I read. That is tremendously valuable in my mind. It also is an opportunity or me to practice explaining complex topics through spoken communication, a skill that I certainly want to get better at.
Where can I follow and listen?
Read and Think is available wherever you listen to podcasts! You can go directly to ReadAndThinkPodcast.com to get the episode as well as show notes and some other goodies. Or you can use your preferred podcast listening app. Here are links to the show on some of the most popular listening apps: