--- title: How I Read Books Now | The Sales Blog description: I’ve stopped trying to read a lot of books. I used to read a book a week. I read a book a week outside of my assigned reading in college and all the way through law school. I read hundreds and hundreds of books, and I am happy I invested my time doing so (there […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_175520738.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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I used to read a book a week. I read a book a week outside of my assigned reading in college and all the way through law school. I read hundreds and hundreds of books, and I am happy I invested my time doing so (there are few investments with so great a return). But now I have different outcomes, so I read differently. I read to apply what I am learning to my life. That means slowing down and going over the same ground a few times. 1. **Read Through**: First I read a book from cover to cover. I highlight passages I find interesting or useful, but I don’t spend any real time thinking about their value or how I intend to use them in the future. I read the book just as I would have in the past. 2. **Listen to the Audio Book**: This isn’t always possible, because some books aren’t available in this format. But when they are this is my second pass. I listen to the book I just read on audio while I am running, showering, and driving. It’s amazing how different the book and the experience are when you listen to it being read to you. It’s passive, but for me it seems to multiply my comprehension and retention. 3. **Second Reading**: After I have listened to the book, I read the book a second time. It’s a very different experience the second time through, especially having listened to it. Sometimes you can hear the author’s voice. This time I read with one single purpose that I have managed to capture in a single sentence: *Now that you know this what are you going to do different?* It’s one thing to read for pleasure and another altogether to read with intention of using what you read to improve your life. There isn’t any reason to pick up the next book if you haven’t implemented and executed what you learned from the book you just finished. It takes time to digest a valuable work and the ideas therein. Slow is fast, and fast is slow in all things worth doing well. Books are magic. **Note**: This isn’t worth doing unless you pick really powerful books. I just finished the audio book *Essentialism* by Greg McKeown. I’m on to my second read. After that, I am back to *Antifragile* by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2014](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2014) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on August 4, 2014 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2024-08-29T3:31:03 AM", "datePublished" : "2014-08-04 21:22:58", "description" : "I’ve stopped trying to read a lot of books. I used to read a book a week. I read a book a week outside of my assigned reading in college and all the way through law school. 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