How Reading Changed My Life and How It Can Change Yours

Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here.

In this episode of Simple Joe for Saturday, December 6th, 2025, I start with the world’s quietest room at Microsoft’s headquarters and use it as a springboard to think about how much noise we live with and how strange real silence would feel. After a look at the weather in Auckland, New Zealand, and my hometown Cincinnati, along with a quick pass through a few birthdays, historic moments, and today’s observances, I dive into a personal development conversation about reading, how I grew up not really loving books, struggled with comprehension, and then had my life changed when I discovered personal development books like Unlimited Power and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I share how reading has become one of the most powerful tools in my life for wisdom, encouragement, and self-education, how I build a simple daily habit with my Kindle, a comfy brown chair, and a 20 minute timer, and how books like The Bible, The Rhythm of Life, Essentialism, Supercoach, The Psychology of Money, and Atomic Habits have all left fingerprints on my life. I talk about reading as nourishment instead of homework, about choosing books that excite you, and about how both nonfiction and fiction can help you understand yourself and the world better. I invite you to start your own small reading habit today, connect with me on Goodreads, maybe even read alongside me, and use books as a way to make your life better, deepen your conversations, and create great memories with the people you love, because memories are better than stuff.

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