About this quote

Pick books that change what you do tomorrow. Reading can do more than entertain or fill your head with facts; it can alter how you act at work, how you raise your kids, and how you spend your mornings. Try a simple test: after a chapter, name one thing you will do differently and try it for a week. If a book only amuses you or piles up facts, move on and find one that asks you to act.

When to use it

• Work — Before my quarterly presentation I read a short chapter on storytelling and practiced the new opening until it sounded like my voice.
• Study — Studying for finals, I picked one method from a statistics book and used it on every practice problem for five days straight.
• Family — When bedtime became chaotic, I read a parenting book and tried one calming phrase every night to reset our routine.
• Health — Training for a 10K, I followed a coach's pacing rule on four runs, then made it my default for long runs.