Loving to Read is a Superpower with Alex and Books

My guest is Alex Wieckowski. He’s the man behind the Alex & Books Instagram & website, where he shares book recommendations, summaries, and tips from reading 130+ books.

Alex is also the host of The Reader’s Journey podcast. As host of the show, he interviews amazing authors, discusses brilliant books, and learns valuable lessons along the way. He says his end goal in life is to make a full-time living just reading and writing books.

In this episode, we discuss how reading is a superpower. Alex says there’s more access to knowledge than ever before on the Internet. And if you can make reading fun and enjoyable for yourself, you become unstoppable. He adds that you cant compete with someone who finds reading fun, since they’re just going to keep on growing and getting better at their craft.

We also talk about how Alex started loving to read. He says he had already enjoyed reading different novel series’ as a kid, but he stopped when he was forced to read classic books in middle school—he didn’t find them enjoyable to read. It wasn’t until later in college when he discovered self-help books that ultimately revitalized his passion for reading.

This is a great discussion with a sharp and insightful guest! Please enjoy!

Questions asked:

Did you watch the presidential debate last night?
Do you think Trump has any chance of winning the state of New York?
Do you invest in real estate?
Why stay in New York City, given that all your work is online?
Do you agree with the quote “The genuine love for reading itself, when cultivated, is a superpower?”
When did you start loving to read?
How did you get your start in self-help books?
Is knowledge power?
Do you think it’s better to read half as many books twice?
Any book recommendations for improving personality?
Would you agree that New York City is the best place in the world to be single?
How much do you think Twitter and Instagram has cut into your reading time?
Could you date somebody who isn’t a reader?
Do you read aloud occasionally?
What is the Instagram feature that you’ve used the most lately?
Are you a fan of note taking apps?
Can you tell me more about active reading?
Why is it so important to read old books?
When does your book [The Reader’s Journey] come out?
Have you had trouble niching down?
What was your biggest takeaway from How to Read a Book?
Which do you prefer to read – physical book or on Kindle?
What was your biggest takeaway from The Psychology of Money?
Have you had anyone that’s wanted to be paid to come on your show?
Do you have a goal to be wealthy someday so you can spend all your time reading and learning?
Do you save and invest some of your money?
Is Bitcoin more likely to go to $100,000 than it is to zero?
[Question to Brad] When you’re young, how do you balance saving & investing your money versus investing/spending it to grow your business?
[Question to Brad] From your perspective, is there something that you wish you did earlier in your 20s or anything you could see I could optimize or improve on?

Fun questions:

Social media – net negative or net positive for society?
Do you think not wanting something is as good as having it?
If you could go to the moon for $25,000, but you must go alone and be gone for four months, would you go on that trip?
If somebody gave you $100,000 and forced you to invest it in 3 companies: Apple, Amazon, and Tesla — how would you allocate the money?
If you had agreed to go to the moon and you could bring three books with you, which three would they be?
If somebody dropped $1 million in your lap tomorrow, what would you do with it?
Overrated/Underrated: Maria Bartiromo, Taylor Swift, Malcolm Gladwell, Ryan Holiday, Anthony de Mello, Arthur Schopenhauer, Michael Lewis, Joe Rogan, Will Durant

Listen here:

Books mentioned:

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel
Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free from Self‑Limiting by Benjamin Hardy
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday
Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason
The Reader’s Journey by Alex Wieckowski (currently on hold)
How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
The Pyschology of Money by Morgan Housel
The Millionaire Fastlane by M. J. DeMarco
Bible
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
Beyond Mere Order by Jordan Peterson
Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il by Michael Malice
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Loving to Read is a Superpower with Alex and Books

Other topics discussed:

Questions asked:

Fun questions:

Listen here:

Books mentioned:

Connect with Alex:

Other topics discussed:

Questions asked:

Fun questions:

Listen here:

Books mentioned:

Connect with Alex:

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