Seth Godin shamed me

Yes, Seth Godin has shamed me.

In a recent post on his blog, Seth Godin talks about how important it is for business people and business consultants to read business books and business blogs. He asks the following questions:

If you went to a doctor who told you that she hadn't read a scholarly article or taken any training since med school, would you stick around? What about a lawyer who doesn't read law journals or a dentist who never bothered to read up on the newest case studies?

With those questions, Seth shamed me into reading more. Don't get me wrong... I read, and I read a lot. And I love books. I own a lot of books. But I have to admit, I don't really read them. More often than not, I skim them, read bits and pieces, read chapters that really interest me at the time, but I don't really read them.

At the beginning of the year, I sat down and set a few goals for myself. One was to read at least one book a month -- 12 books during the year. I didn't specify that they be business books -- just books.

I recently participated in a survey for a grad student who's writing his thesis on the mind of the entrepreneur (scary subject). One question on the survey was "What goals do you have to help you become your Ideal Entrepreneur?" My answer: Read one book a month.

Like I said... I read a lot. Not just books. I read other blogs everyday. I have my favorites listed in my feedreader. I have e-newsletters I subscribe to. I get business publications and magazines. It's tough to keep up on all the information and opinions available, but I try. Sometimes I think I could have a full-time job just reading.

So I've renewed my commitment to really read at least one book a month. Every night before I fall asleep, I'll read for a few minutes. (Typically, I play solitaire on my pda to disengage my brain.)

So what am I reading now? All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World by Seth Godin, of course.