Review: Your Well-Read Life

If you’ve read much of this blog, you know I enjoy reading tremendously. Indeed, I enjoy reading so much that I sometimes read books about reading books. Thus I found myself reading Steve Leveen’s The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life last week. It took just two nights to finish, but contains much good advice on reading and suggestions of books to read.

Mr. Leveen is the Chief Executive Officer of Levenger, an upscale purveyor of reading, writing and office tools. Admittedly, I have used its products for years, my briefcase comes from Levenger, and I love many of its products. In the past few years, it has begun publishing nice editions of thought-provoking books – by Cicero, Plutarch, Thoreau, and others. Mr. Leveen’s came out in 2005; I purchased it almost immediately, but it languished on my bookshelf until last week. (Oddly, I could not find the book on Levenger’s website.)

Mr. Leveen’s approaches reading both philosophically and practically. From a philosophical standpoint, he almost sounds like Socrates when he says, “The more books you read, the more titles and topics you uncover. The more you know, the better you understand how little you really do know.” He gives sage counsel when he writes that “the most important thing to learn in school is how to teach oneself – to learn how to learn.” If you haven’t discovered how you learn, take some time and effort to do so – you’ll amaze yourself with what you can learn, and how fast, when you try to learn in ways best suited to you.

One of his more unique ideas concerns separating the books you have already read from the books you have yet to read in your library. He likens the section of books not read yet to your own bookstore. My books are pooled by category, read and unread mixed together, but I appreciated finding a new idea on library organization.

In addition, Mr. Leveen offers sound, practical advice to enhance your reading. He notes several other books dedicated to reading. He also has full chapters on audio books and book clubs. While I have never engaged much with either, millions of people have, and they can offer outstanding ways for people to draw out more from their readings.

The book makes a fine addition to any library and now has an honored place in my library. By the way, my own list of outstanding books about reading includes:

• How to Read a Book, by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren
• Another Sort of Learning, by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• Education of a Wandering Man, by Louis L’Amour, the great Westerns author