I’d like to try something new.
A natural consequence of becoming a blogger is that I now read a zillion blogs. This leaves me without enough free time – or motivation — to read actual books. Remember books?
But I’ve discovered an irony. You see, books are stuffed with well-developed ideas. When I manage to get my hands on a book, these ideas inspire my stories at Afford Anything. And those stories inspire others.
So I’d like to try something. It’s an experiment I’m running from now until at least New Year’s Day.
Every Friday, I’m going to write about a book I’ve read the previous week. This will force me to read a book per week. There’s nothing like a public promise to act as a fire under your butt.
But I’m not going to write an opinionated book review. Your tastes are different than mine. Who am I to tell you “this rocks” or “this stinks”?
I prefer to re-tell stories that are funny or inspiring. Or maybe I’ll latch onto one or two key ideas and develop it into a blog post. We’ll see.
I’m not limiting this experiment to just “published” books, either. I’m tossing everything into the mix: Traditionally published books. Self-published books. E-books.
Size doesn’t matter, either. I’ll write about major bestsellers and obscure underdogs. My only criteria is that is has to be AWESOME. Life is too short to read a boring book.
At any rate, this new feature is my Friday experiment. I’m calling it “Weekend Inspiration,” since I believe that books are meant to educate, entertain and inspire.
Shoot me feedback over the next couple of months and let me know if you like this new segment.
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Martin Dasko struggles with credit cards. Although he knows he’ll eventually need to pay the bill, it’s too easy for him to view plastic as “free money.”
“When I’m out I might get too generous and buy drinks for everyone,” he says. “When I’m hungry I might end up with, like, 6 bags of Doritos.”
So he invented little ways to trick himself into not getting carried away. He gets his hair cut less frequently. He forces himself to take sandwiches to school and work. He parties near his home so he can avoid a $30 cab ride.
His goal is to avoid paying interest charges. “That’s beer money out of my pocket,” he says. And he’s been successful — he pays his credit card in full each month.
So he wrote a guide aimed at students and recent grads using their first credit card: Completely Conquer Credit Before You Hit 30. It’s an ultra-specific target, but it’s an important one. College and the first few years in the “real world” are critical in determining whether you start your adult life on a debt-ridden path.
If you’ve fallen off the wagon, Martin walks you through ideas about how to negotiate your interest rate. “Once you start picking up the phone and calling random strangers, you’ll get brave like a drunk person on Twitter,” he says.
And without being preachy, he encourages people to take responsibility for their own lives. “Blaming a credit card company for being in debt is just like blaming a fast food restaurant for being out of shape.”
His guide is the anti-book: short, easy, blunt and laced with profanities. It’s a book for people who don’t like to read. Martin masters the art of getting information across in the fewest, funniest words.
Who’s It For?
- Personal finance novices – all the info is basic – and the writing style is clearly aimed at people who don’t read Kiplinger’s for fun.
- Students and recent grads. I’ll give my cousin a copy of this when he becomes a senior in high school. Right now he’s just a little middle-school punk with a Justin Bieber hair cut.
Who’s It NOT For?
- Anyone who knows what “Kiplingers” is. And especially anyone who reads it.
Check out “Completely Conquer Credit” here.
Thanks to Miamism for the photo.
Hah I totally hear you on reading actual books! I guess we do a lot of “reading,” but I still think a good book is more valuable than blog posts in most cases.
Hi Paula,
Reading a book a week sounds like a great idea! It’s very true that reading information over the Internet leaves very little time for books. I’ve been thinking of a more relaxed goal of one book a month, but have not been able to stick to it.
I totally agree to your statement, “There’s nothing like a public promise to act as a fire under your butt.” I call it throwing yourself into the fire. I’m doing that with the announcement of my new website. Not sure whether I will complete it quickly, but I’ve already announced it. Next thing I will do is announce a date on which it will go live. That would be more like hot coal
Keep it going… er, burning!
Cheers,
Mark
Good luck with your reading challenge! I try to make time for both blogs and actual books each day
@Millie — Thanks! It feels strange to sit for hours NOT in front of a computer!
Sounds like a great idea. Looking forward to next Friday’s post
Good luck with the new venture.
It does feel strange to read actual books hey. I am with you. I must admit I have been getting better lately at giving my eyes a rest and pulling out the old paper backs but that has been work for me. I am just so used to reading everything online. It is a nice change.
I still like the good ol’ book once a while, but I do enjoy reading blogs too. I like the interaction and commetning in blogs, but I also like the “uninterruptedness” in a book.
This is an awesome idea! Getting so much into blogging has also made me put off reading actual books. I’ll be checking out your reviews and try and pick up a book more often.
@Erik — Awesome!! I’ve been really happy with how many more books I’m reading these days. My one-book-a-week pledge is a little much, but it feels like I’m (re-)learning to swim by being thrown into the deep end (in a good way!)