An ode to reading (non-fiction)

The Oberlausitzische Library of Sciences in Gorlitz, Germany. Credit:Florian Monheim/Arcaid via Corbis

Before I tell my own story, here are some tips for getting back into reading:

1. Choose a time of day and make a habit: reading before bed can greatly improve sleep quality and get you through 15–20 pages a night, at which rate you’ll finish 2–3 books a month.

2. Put your phone somewhere else (and minimize screen time): I’m not explaining this one. Until your relationship with the phone changes, cultivating focus will prove elusive.

3. Make a list of interests (non-fiction) and start with a light read in your favorite category. Work up to denser concepts.

tl;dr I changed my relationship with gadgets and sought knowledge. Then I accidentally, amazingly, found the good life.

What happened when I left school

I grew up a shy bookworm. Like so many other children who grow up feeling socially cast out, books gave my brain somewhere else to go and even find fictional characters in whom I saw myself. I went…