Five Principles That Make English Originals Easy Again
You know reading matters. Yet English originals can feel punishing: hard to finish, harder to remember. Apply these five principles and the experience flips from exhausting to energizing.
Principle 1: Read Only What Serves You—and Drop the Rest Fast
There is zero virtue in forcing yourself through a book that feels like torture. Define “useful” reading with three filters:
- It solves a problem. Need better habits? Reach for Atomic Habits or Tiny Habits. Wrestling with mood or burnout? A neuroscience or dopamine primer can explain what is happening in your brain.
- It satisfies curiosity. Biographies and memoirs of Benjamin Franklin, Elon Musk, or Richard Feynman scratch the itch of “How did they do it?”
- It entertains. Novels by Neil Gaiman, sci-fi epics like The Three-Body Problem, or comedic memoirs such as Jimmy O. Yang’s How to American often beat Netflix.
If a title checks none of these boxes—or repeats advice you already practice—quit without guilt. Life is too short for joyless pages.
Principle 2: Read Multiple Books at the Same Time
Smart readers keep several books in rotation. Two easy approaches:
- Syntopical (topic-based) reading. Tackle several books on the same subject simultaneously. Patterns emerge, foundational ideas repeat, and you learn the topic faster. Example: five marketing books at once.
- Cross-topic reading. Mix genres to keep things fresh. When one book drags, pivot to another—say, a persuasion guide, a sci-fi adventure, a poetry collection, a sales manual, and a screenwriting handbook all in the same week.
Principle 3: Favor Books That Have Already Survived Time
Bestseller lists are popularity contests, not quality control. Many hyped releases fade within a year because advertising, not insight, carried them. Instead, lean on the Lindy effect: the longer an idea has lasted, the longer it is likely to last.
Evergreen titles—How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) is a classic example—prove their worth across generations because the underlying principles never expire. Prioritize works with that kind of staying power.
Principle 4: Use Every Format Available
When a text feels dense or confusing, change the medium. Swap between print, e-book, and audiobook.
Long, winding sentences become manageable when a narrator handles pacing and intonation. Audible and other services host high-quality recordings for most major titles. For extra focus, listen while following along on paper; the double input stream cements comprehension.
Yes, buying multiple formats costs more. But for anyone serious about career or personal growth, books are the highest-leverage investment available. One good idea can repay the price many times over.
Principle 5: Apply What You Read
Reading without action guarantees fast forgetting. If you cannot explain the book to a friend, it might as well still be shrink-wrapped.
- Use it immediately. Drop the new phrase into an email or conversation the day you learn it.
- Teach someone. Summarizing an insight for another person is the best memory device there is.
- Deploy the strategy. Read Cialdini’s Influence? Practice one persuasion trigger in your next negotiation or presentation.
Integrate these five habits and English originals stop feeling like a punishment. You read faster, remember more, and most importantly, enjoy the process enough to keep going.