How to Read a Book

I have a problem starting books and not finishing them. I know this isn’t anything unique about myself and probably happens to a good bit of the American population, but in the last year or so I’ve started (then stopped, about half-way through):

• The Intelligent Investor (excellent analysis/commentary, but very dense and technical)
  
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I read the first three straight, and I guess burned out)
  
• Blood Meridian (Southern literature done hard to read)
  
• The Tipping Point (I will say I started this during Busy Season 2k9, and I’m actually close to finishing)
  

One author I really like and who I’ve actually finished two of his books (the Blind Side and Liar’s Poker) is Michael Lewis. This afternoon, I read an article he wrote last December (2008) on the End of the Wall Street Boom (a follow up of sorts to 1990’s Liar’s Poker). If you have a spare 20 minutes or so (I’m actually waiting on client information at the moment) and want some interesting perspective on the “sub-prime mortgage meltdown” and how that affected our global financial markets, I’d highly recommend it.*

Speaking of Michael Lewis (and Malcolm Gladwell), the LOML went to a local book store yesterday and picked me up Moneyball and Blink. Sadly, this bookseller just announced they are closing their doors, but lucky for you and me that means EVERYTHING IS 50% OFF!!

* If you didn’t see Jon Stewart interview Jim Kramer last week on the Daily Show, I’d also highly recommend you check it out!! Seriously, it is AWESOME!!