three at once

Recently, I have developed a new reading protocol in an attempt to broaden my knowledge while maintaining personal satisfaction in what I read. I like this protocol a lot, so I thought I would share it.

It is inordinately difficult to “know” everything, but those interested in a variety of subjects cannot simply abandon those interests. My alternative is rather simple: to always be reading three books at once.

The number three is relatively arbitrary. Perhaps four or two books would work better for some people’s interests, but I believe three keeps a keen balance of time. It allows enough variety to explore different subjects while still allowing enough focus to make meaningful progress.

The first type of book I try to always be reading is a breadth book. These books primarily serve as introductions into subjects and greatly expand knowledge. The difference between knowing nothing about a subject and knowing something about it is enormous. Going from nothing to something is a much bigger difference than people often realize.

A great example of a series that consists almost entirely of breadth books is Oxford’s Very Short Introductions. These are excellent introductions into a variety of subjects written by actual professionals in their fields. These books support the general widening of knowledge and provide alternatives to other types of reading so that you do not become trapped in your own thinking.

The second type of book I try to read is a theory book. By this, I mean a book that helps you develop your own way of thinking about the world. These books allow you to build a perspective and a framework for analyzing what you see.

A theory book can come from many different domains. Perhaps you want to understand the world through an economic perspective, a sociological perspective, a philosophical perspective, or a political perspective. By deeply engaging with a particular way of thinking, you can better understand and analyze society from that perspective.

The purpose of studying theory is not to find one perspective and accept it forever. Rather, it is to develop tools for thinking. The deeper your understanding of a framework becomes, the better you can evaluate both its strengths and its limitations. Someone trying to understand inequality, for example, would benefit from deeply understanding economics because meaningful solutions require more than good intentions.

The final type of book I try to always include is the novel.

Novels are representations of the human experience. They show windows into different thoughts, different lives, and different perspectives. They allow us to experience the world through another person’s eyes in a way that abstract theories often cannot. While theory helps us understand systems, novels help us understand the people living within those systems.

Novels are also valuable because they remind us that reading does not always need to be purely productive. There is value in beauty, imagination, and enjoyment. I encourage everyone to try the classics because they have survived for a reason: they wrestle with questions that remain relevant across generations. However, all novels can provide the experience of entering another person’s perspective.

The Three Book Protocol is ultimately about balance. The breadth book expands your knowledge, the theory book shapes your understanding of the world, and the novel deepens your appreciation of the human experience. Together, they create a reading life that is both intellectually rewarding and personally fulfilling.