On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question asking if the teen years are too late to get kids to start reading.

 

I am dealing with this every day with adults.

• I was 23 when Jones found me under the pier and gave me biographies.
• Nobody ever told me, “Let me tell you why you want to read this.”
• We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher, but I think somebody else’s experience is the best teacher. This is why reading biographies is so important.

 

While living under the pier, I went through periods of fear and periods of boredom.

• Jones told me that the books weren’t biographies but rather tales of romance, mystery, and adventure.
• I grew up hating history, but it’s a passion of mine now.
• I believe that sometimes people do not think things through to their foundation; many have surface-level thoughts about what they do and don’t like.

 

It’s amazing to me how many people will say, “Well, I don’t like to read.”

• You mean you’ve never read something that made you laugh out loud, or cry?
• I’ll ask just a couple questions, and it turns out that there is something they’ve read, whether it’s a magazine, newspaper, etc., that deeply affected them somehow.
• So what you’re telling me is that the other books you’ve picked up are boring!
• Find something you like to read!
• Whatever your interest is—whether you’re a teen or a retiree—many have probably written about it, and someone has probably written about it well.
• Regardless of their age, find your children a book or article they’re interested in, and they’ll want to read it.

 

In the full episode, I reveal the trick I use to get my kids to read whatever I want them to read.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

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