How to Prepare for the 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

Introduction: How to Prepare for the Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

Reading can be a lot of fun if you read the right books. Although the quality of what you read is more important than the quantity, it would be great if you stretched yourself to read a book a week if you are not already doing so. When I introduced the Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge, which will begin on January 1, 2018, I included some recommended books. But you do not have to read all the books on the list because a part of the challenge is for you to read books that will enable you to perform your job better and to develop a new skill.

The two key objectives of the Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge is for participants to read books to teach them key workplace skills to thrive in 2020, as well as read books that authors born across the globe wrote.  This allows us to develop the cultural awareness we need to succeed in today's diverse workplace.

Have you read?

This Reading Challenge for Adults Locks in Future Jobs – Learn How!

Preparing for Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

To set yourself up for success, so that at the end of 2018 you have read 60 books, it is important that you adequately prepare. In this post, I will include some activities to perform before the reading challenge begins. A lot of the information is on note-taking, and remembering what you read.

As I was reviewing David Foster Wallace’s 1994 Syllabus: How to Teach Serious Literature with Lightweight Books, it occurred to me that there are a couple of books that participants in the 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge should read before they get to deep into it.

I would recommend that on top of the books you are reading, you also read books that teach you how to read. I have three books in mind for you:

1. How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines [Paperback] [2003] 1 Ed. Thomas C. Foster by Thomas C. Foster
2. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading (A Touchstone book) by Mortimer Adler and Charles van Doren
3. How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom

Before the 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

This week is all about preparing for the reading challenge. I know you are excited and ready to go. But there are a few things that I’d like you to do to get the most from the Read the World Extreme Reading Challenge.

1. Join the Read the World Facebook Group 
2. Get either the Livescribe Echo Smartpen or the Wacom Bamboo Spark, digital devices to take your notes by hand.
3. Effective Note Taking, Speed Reading, and How to Read are key to successfully completing the the Strategic Reading Challenge, so read the following blog posts.
   1. Most Effective Note Taking Techniques – My Experience
   2. Active Note Taking Strategies: Why Professionals Should Care
   3. Best Speed Reading Method? BrainRead by Göran Askeljung
   4. Learning How to Read Books: What's the Best Way to Read a Book?
   5. How to Analyze Information
   6. How to Problem Solve: Basic Problem Solving Model
   7. Cheat Sheet: Read Books to Hone Problem Solving Skills

Questions to Ask While Reading Books during the 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

1. Questions to ask while reading each book to increase your comprehension:
   1. What's the purpose for reading? (For the 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge, the purpose is to learn key workplace skills, develop cultural awareness, discover ideas that you can apply, to help you become more valuable in the workplace)
   2. What's the material about?
   3. What are some important themes?
   4. What are the key concepts?
   5. What do you already know about this topic?
   6. What does this remind me of?
   7. What past experiences have you had with this topic?
   8. How can you apply existing knowledge with past experiences to what you're reading?
   9. How can you rearrange the concepts?
   10. How are the concepts related?
   11. Can you picture in your mind what you're reading?
   12. What's the value of this information?
   13. Are there any patterns?
   14. What clues can you find?
   15. What is being implied but not explicitly stated?
   16. What did you learn?
   17. How has my thinking changed?
   18. How can I apply what I've learned in new contexts?
2. Create a template to record your notes from each book.

Note Taking Template

Have you read?

David Foster Wallace’s 1994 Syllabus: How to Teach Serious Literature with Lightweight Books
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Summer: The Time for Reading, and a Look at How to Read a Book
How to Read Novels to Get Ideas 

Key Takeaway: 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

A little bit of preparation goes a long way.

How to Apply the Information: 2018 Reading Around the World Strategic Reading Challenge

1. Read the related posts.
2. Purchase:
   1. How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines [Paperback] [2003] 1 Ed. Thomas C. Foster
   2. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading (A Touchstone book)
   3. How to Read and Why
3. Join the Strategic Reading Challenge Facebook Group
4. Choose the five books you are reading in January 2018 and post in the Strategic Reading Challenge Facebook Group.

How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading (A Touchstone book)How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines, Revised EditionHow to Read and Why