The Read Well Podcast

In this episode, I explore Henry David Thoreau's essay Walking and what it can teach us about becoming better readers. Thoreau believed that walking could be transformed into something deeper than exercise—a practice of attention, presence, and discovery. I argue that reading can undergo the same transformation. 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. I'll also share a book recommendation and a few updates from the community.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

For years, I thought education was something that happened in classrooms, universities, and formal programs. Then I realized that some of the most meaningful learning in my life happened when I took responsibility for my own education.

In this episode, I explore how self-education changed the way I think and live, why I recently enrolled in a free Harvard philosophy course, and what happened when I stopped waiting for someone else to decide what was worth learning.

I also recommend Fences by August Wilson—a powerful play about fathers, responsibility, regret, and the complicated relationships that shape our lives.

If you've ever felt the urge to learn more, think more deeply, or build a richer intellectual life, this episode is for you.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I share the reading list for Season 4, explain why Homer’s The Odyssey remains one of the most rewarding books a reader can pick up, and explore an idea from René Descartes that has changed the way I read.

If you’ve ever wanted to become a more thoughtful reader—but felt overwhelmed by philosophy, history, or the classics—this episode is for you.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

Most people think becoming a better reader is about speed, memory, or reading more books. I’ve come to believe it starts somewhere much simpler: attention.

In this episode, I talk about the decision every serious reader has to make each time they open a book. I share a few insights from the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau on careful reading, and I explain the practical habits I use to stay attentive when working through difficult texts. If you’ve ever found yourself reading a page only to realize your mind drifted somewhere else, this episode is for you.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I used to think reading more books was the goal. Then I encountered a moment in Plato’s Protagoras where Socrates warns that what you learn will either help or harm you—and you can’t take it back. That changed how I choose what to read. In this episode, I explain how I pick great books, how I avoid wasting time on shallow ideas, and how readers in real life—busy people with jobs and families—can build a reading life that actually makes them wiser. I also share one book recommendation that has deeply shaped my thinking.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

When my reading habit falls apart, I don’t try to brute-force it back into existence. I take a slower, kinder approach—and it works. In this episode, I explain why life disrupts reading, the two reader mindsets I see most often, and the exact process I use to start reading again without pressure. This is a practical guide for thoughtful readers who want depth, not guilt.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

In this episode, I sit down with novelist Timothy Schaffert to talk about The Titanic Survivors Book Club and the quiet, sustaining role books play in a life. We discuss how readers can slow down, pay better attention, and get more from challenging texts—especially when reading starts to feel like work. Timothy also shares what he believes separates good fiction from fiction that stays with you for years.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I've spent years setting reading goals that looked impressive on paper but left me feeling overwhelmed. This year, I’m taking a healthier path. I explain why focusing on total books read can quietly harm the reading life, especially for those of us who love challenging nonfiction. Then I offer the goals I’m using for 2026 and the eleven books from 2025 that helped me rethink everything.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I’ve tried every trick in the book to remember what I read—and the one that works isn’t about highlighting or taking notes. It’s about applying ideas. I’ll show how I take concepts off the page and into real life so that books don’t just get read—they get remembered.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

In this episode, I sit down with author Thatcher Wine to talk about something most of us overlook: the space where we read. Thatcher shares practical ideas for creating a room that invites focus, comfort, and deeper engagement with books. We also walk through his books For the Love of Books and The Twelve Monotasks, and explore how slowing down and reading with purpose can change the way we approach challenging texts. If you're trying to build a stronger reading habit, this conversation will give you tools you can use today.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/