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The Happy Engineer | Career Success for Engineering Leadership

144: Why Not All Readers are Leaders | 3 Big Mistakes Engineers Make in the Habit of Reading Books

Dec 4, 2023
Zach, a guest on the podcast, discusses three big mistakes engineers make in the habit of reading books. They emphasize the importance of intentional reading, quality over quantity, and implementing knowledge gained from books. They also share a curated list of nearly 100 influential books from their personal library.
26:51

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Limiting the number of books being read at once improves focus and retention, allowing for more effective implementation of knowledge.
  • Shifting the focus from the quantity of books read to the quality and application of information leads to more meaningful personal and professional growth.

Deep dives

Mistake 1: Reading Too Many Books at Once

One mistake the speaker made was reading too many books at once. They used to have multiple books in progress simultaneously, but realized that this approach lacked focus and hindered retention and application of knowledge. Now, they limit themselves to reading a maximum of two books at a time, with a preference for one book. By focusing on fewer books, they can dedicate more energy to each topic and implement the learnings more effectively.

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