Most of us love reading. Yes, we all do. By nature, we all thrive and enjoy learning and reading is one form and part of the learning process.  If you are a startup founder, CEO, or simply interested in self-development techniques and creating a better version of yourself, you know that you need to aim and read about 50 books per year.

Now that’s a lot of books and when it comes to reading that many books we all encounter a number of issues that stop us from keeping up with that goal.  Three main problems in fact:

A) Lack of Time. Most people I speak to, mention lack of time as one of the main factors/reasons why they don’t read as often or as much as they would like to. Even I find myself in that situation. There is so much more I want to read than I actually do read.

B) Prioritization. Amongst the books that I have purchased and are on my list, I am often faced with the difficult decision of which one I should read first. Most recently I have become fascinated by history (recent and current affairs), yet I have a huge list of academic/textbooks that I want to read and learn from. At any given time, I may have two or more books open and I finish one faster than the other. I mix the two based on the time of the year, week, and workload.

C) Choice. Yes. There are hundreds and thousands of books out there. How do you choose what to buy in the first place and what is right for you? I get my recommendation from friends but mostly from the Financial Times Weekend issue. Every week it picks a topic and reviews some of the most recent publications on the subject. The reviews are so detailed, concise, and precise that you often feel that you have already the read book and some are so gripping that they will urge you to buy the book and read it in full.

Back to the question “Why I do book recommendations”.

Simple. We don’t always have the time to read all the books that are published, all the books in one category. We need to pick what is suitable for us and the best for us. Nobody wants to waste time reading something that is less than brilliant.

The combination of the above three factors is what gives rise to the popular art of curating and book recommendations. My choice of books (excluding history and politics, which are equally as important) are generally good for entrepreneurs and anyone interested in self-development, leadership, technology, and communication.

You don’t have to read all the books I recommend, because usually I write articles and blog posts about the important message(s) in those books. This way you get the message in 4 to 5 minutes rather than having to read a full book.

There is an App called Blinkist. They summarize books into short chapters and they are available as text and in Audio format. For all the books I do not have time to read, I listen to them on Blinkist (One book in under 30 minutes, while walking), and in my own way, all the books I read, I summarise the important points for you in a short blog.

You should do the same. Share the good books you read and share what you have learnt from those books. By sharing you reinforce what you have learnt from them and you help towards educating everyone and anyone who cares to learn more.