Stalking a Writer Online Made Me Change My Reading Strategy

09 Jan 2025 #books

I’m a recovered book addict.

Two years ago, I tried to read as many books as possible to show off my huge book count. But I didn’t remember much about those books, even when I took notes.

Ironically, it was another book, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, that made me change my mind.

By pure accident, I discovered my new reading strategy.

Last year, for the first time, I discovered James Altucher.

I found his bankruptcy stories. I followed his idea of becoming an Idea Machine. I read some of his books. I loved his idea of the Daily Practice. And without even realizing it, I was stalking James Altucher online. Quora, Medium, his own website, YouTube… Everywhere.

By immersing myself in his work, I heard extra details about the stories in his books. I learned his book publishing strategy. I learned about the motivation behind some of those books. And I listened to way more anecdotes.

So, from now on, I’m immersing myself in a writer’s world by reading their books and listening to their interviews. It adds more context and depth to my reading experience. Yes, often listening to an interview about a book counts as reading the book itself.