How to Be a Smarter Reader in the Age of AI - Ep. 30 with Alex Wieckowski
AI and I
Intro
This chapter explores the lasting impact of books amid the fast-paced changes in technology and reading habits. It emphasizes the transformative role of literature, particularly self-improvement books, in personal growth and lifelong learning.
Alex Wieckowski is on a mission to make you fall in love with reading again—and he thinks AI can help.
Alex, who writes a newsletter that captures lessons from books he’s read and tips to become a better reader, Alex & Books, is a creator with over 1 million followers across social platforms. He’s also the author of a book of quotes that will inspire you to read more, Learn to Love Reading.
We spent an hour talking about how Alex uses AI to be a smarter reader, and we tested out a few strategies live on the show, including:
- prompting ChatGPT to recommend books that will help me lead a creator-run business better,
- understanding the deeper themes in Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha with large language models, and
- using AI to create an actionable strategy for Alex to build a course based on the frameworks in Alex Hormozi’s business strategy book $100M Offers.
Alex clued me into what he’s learned about developing a good reading habit, and his best advice on how to reignite your passion for books. We also discuss Alex’s predictions on how companies like Neuralink, which make use of a brain-computer interface—a technology that allows users to control external devices through brain activity—will change the future of reading and books. Here’s a link to the transcript of this episode.
This is a must-watch for book lovers, people struggling to finish books, and anyone who wants to take their reading to the next level with AI.
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Timestamps:
Introduction: 00:00:34
Choose physical books over e-readers to boost your memory: 00:01:36
Alex’s take on how long books will stay relevant: 00:02:54
Prompt ChatGPT to find your next read: 00:07:40
Articulating Dan’s taste in books with AI: 00:13:50
Use AI to find books tailored to solve your problems: 00:15:46
How to use AI as a personal study buddy: 00:33:32
Prompt LLMs to turn insights from books into actionable strategies: 00:41:19
What Alex’s rule around buying a new book is: 01:02:10
Alex’s advice for anyone who feels like they don’t have time to read: 01:16:36
Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
Alex Wieckowski: https://twitter.com/AlexAndBooks_
Alex’s newsletter: https://alexandbooks.beehiiv.com/
The self-improvement book that got Alex into reading: How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The books that Dan is reading: Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Pragmatism as Anti-Authoritarianism by Richard Rorty
The books that Alex is reading: Never Enough: From Barista to Billionaire by Andrew Wilkinson, $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Outlive by Peter Attia
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