This Woman Reads 100 Books In A Month (And How You Can Too)

This Woman Reads 100 Books In A Month (And How You Can Too) Last month, Therese embarked on a challenge to read 100 nonfiction titles with the Blinkist app. Here's how she did. by Sandra Wu |Therese Hi, I’m Therese, a business development manager living in Berlin, Germany. Last month, I managed to read over 100 nonfiction titles in psychology, politics, and leadership. I know it sounds crazy, but I really did. Here’s how. It started with a bet.
 A colleague challenged me to read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story Of Success in two hours. As determined as I was, I just couldn’t meet the deadline. I got through the first few chapters relatively quickly
but found it impossible to finish the book in the designated 2 hours. So, I lost the bet, but it gave me an idea! I needed to find a better way to consume nonfiction books. I found several websites, blogs and apps that transform books into ‘bite-sized’ content. But in the end, I opted for the Blinkist app.

I want to read more nonfiction books—I find it really useful to read the key takeaways from lots of books to help me get a feeling for what’s an absolute must for my to-read list! As one of the first services to condense nonfiction books into quick reads, the Blinkist app has 2,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles in its library (including Outliers: The Story of Success — aka, the book that defeated me!).

 To be honest, I was skeptical at first, but I learned some things that put my mind at ease. For example, I learned that in order to produce quality insights from every book, they have over 100 literary experts hard at work.
 I also loved that the app has an audio function which allows me to listen to great ideas throughout the day. businesstherese So, with this cool new sidekick, I set a fresh goal for myself — I’m very competitive like that!— to read the key insights from 100 books in just one month. So, how did I do? I did it! I read 102 titles to be exact. It might sound like a lot, but the Blinkist packs take only 10-15 minutes to read.

I read roughly 3 titles a day, mostly during commutes. And I learned so many cool new things. Here are som
e insights that I found the most interesting: Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely 15 min 125k reads on Blinkist Audio available Read it on Blinkist I learned that if I go out with a group of friends for dinner, I should order my meal first. This will make me happier with my choice. Sounds crazy, but it’s true! (Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely) Bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey Bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey 16 min 126k reads on Blinkist Audio available Read it on Blinkist I haven’t tried this one yet, but supposedly it’s better for my health to put butter in my coffee instead of milk. (Bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey) Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and

Cacilda Jethá Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá 16 min 96.5k reads on Blinkist Audio available Read it on Blinkist I learned that before the onset of agriculture, women used to have more sexual freedom than men. (Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha) The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben 16 min 17k reads on Blinkist Audio available Read it on Blinkist I can never look at trees the same way again.

Apparently, they have personalities and are able to learn. This is why every tree sheds their leaves differently! (The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben) And I found a new favorite author! While I really enjoyed Dale Carnegie’s books — they’re all self-help classics — and Richard Dawkins’ books about the human race are also very interesting, my new favorite author is definitely Dan Ariely. His book Predictably Irrational on human behavior has given me incredible insights that really help me in my job. I actually found myself reading more — often by accident! The app enabled me to not only search for books that I already knew I wanted to read, but to discover topics that I wouldn’t ever have thought about before. There are daily recommendations, frequently updated topical book lists, and personalized suggestions based on my reading history. This means that even without searching for a specific title, I regularly find content that tickles my fancy. If I didn’t have the app, I simply wouldn’t have made the effort to find these books, or even know that they exist! As a result, I would read a lot less. How and when I read has changed, too!

 I’m already the kind of person who usually has a book or two on the go. And that hasn’t changed. With BlinkList though, I tend to leave the heavy books at home for evening reading sessions and catch up on nonfiction ideas throughout the day. So, I tend to read more on the subway to work now, and if I have a few spare minutes, I know I can dip into the app and find out something new. I love that I can easily apply the tips I learn via BlinkList. I really believe it’s made me better at my job! I’m quite driven and goal-oriented so
 I make it my mission to try to apply the tips I learn via BlinkList to my day-to-day. Because of that, I specifically seek out titles that I think will benefit me during my work day. As well, because I end up reading lots of different titles that I didn’t necessarily plan on reading, I tend to be generally more knowledgeable and can connect dots more easily. It’s kind of an addictive feeling! Now, I want you to take on the challenge! Yes, you heard me! I used to burn a lot of time on social media and Netflix. My job is exhausting, so by the time I leave work, my brain is pretty much useless.

Reading a book on the BlinkList app however, is like a snack for my brain. I’m able to get the main learning from a 400-page book in minutes. I’m happy that I’m doing something productive with my time. Everyday, I wake up wiser than the day before. If you want to get wiser, too, then I challenge you to try and beat my 102-title record! Check out the BlinkList app and start your reading adventure!