One of my friends shared this on FB and I love it! It is by Ryan Holiday, whoever that is. I have never heard of the guy before, but he sounds very in the know. It is so refreshing to hear that there is someone out there who reads tough books not to get credit for it for school, but because he wants to be wise, knowledgeable, and a leader.

If you have ever despaired that you can’t get an education because you are a mom who can’t go back to school, read this and apply it! The good news is you don’t have to go to school to get an education. The bad news is you still have to find the time to read and take notes and study your notes, which sometimes is as easy as catching a greased pig, I know. As a mom, sometimes the simple act of extricating yourself from constant demands and going to the bathroom can be a challenge. The good news is you have years and years to perfect the art of getting an education at home. If you apply these teachings, you will become very smart.

I have posted the first bit here and the link to the original web site where it comes from. Be sure to read the whole thing. He gives info on how to take notes and how to organize your notes. I can’t always turn down the corner of the pages or write in the book because I read from library books. What I do is use a sheet of lined paper that I fold in thirds lengthwise to be the bookmark. Then I write down the quotes in each of the columns created by the folds with the page number. Then I compile these pages in a three ring binder.

I like that Mr. Holiday emphasizes reading to get to the “lesson” of the book instead of understanding the technical details that really aren’t that important. I also recommend Audrey Rindlisbacher’s mp3 file here http://www.tenboominstitute.com/tinybrowser/files/principles_&_questions.mp3 of how to get to the principles, or nuggets of truth, in everything you study.

OK, so here’s the beginning of the article by Mr. Holiday on how to read to lead and study books:

The best advice I’ve ever got about reading came from a secretive movie producer and talent manager who’d sold more than 100 million albums and done more than $1B in box office returns. He said to me one day, “Ryan, it’s not enough that you read a lot. To do great things, you have to read to lead.”

What he meant was that in an age where almost nobody reads, you can be forgiven for thinking that the simple act of picking up a book is revolutionary. It may be, but it’s not enough. Reading to lead means pushing yourself–reading books “above your level.” In short, you know the books where the words blur together and you can’t understand what’s happening? Those are the books a leader needs to read. Reading to lead or learn requires that you treat your brain like the muscle that it is–lifting the subjects with the most tension and weight.

For more go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanholiday/2012/05/14/read-to-lead-the-secret-code-for-cracking-tough-books-and-reading-above-your-level/