It's Not Just What You Read, but Also How You Read It

Oilman was recently contacted by Anthony Noto, the world renowned stock analyst and phone spammer.

A while ago Randy Ray pointed at a post called The Ultimate Secret to Winning Poker, where Bill Rini posted about how he failed at being a stock broker because he did not cold call enough people. He spent too much time trying to study the market and perfect the craft. He did not read or understand that just calling calling calling was the most important step until it was too late.

That post also mentions that if people read many books on a subject and still do not understand the subject then the answer does not necessarily rest in some obscure passage they will one day cross, but more likely in a book they already read, but did not read closely with enough attention and an open mind.

Published: December 1, 2005 by Aaron Wall in book reviews

Comments

December 1, 2005 - 4:31am

Reminds me of one of the greatest lessons I learned from an elementary school Latin Teacher: "Stop thinking about it and just learn it." That has stuck with me my entire life and still remains true.

Natasha "That Girl From Marketing" Robinson

December 1, 2005 - 4:51am

maybe the books they read on the subject just weren't well written?

A Reader
December 1, 2005 - 7:45am

I dropped out of college cause I wanted to learn what they don't teach in college. What's funny is now I am an employer and I know guys with 8 degrees that cant find employment. Bottom line, they don't teach you jack in college. Sometimes life is like cancer, you can't just study yourself back to normal. You gotta take action. UNTIL NEXT TIME... LIVE WITH PASSION!!! (..let's see who get's that line)

December 1, 2005 - 2:33pm

Guess it also has something to do with "reading between the lines"... Or sometimes reading stuff can suggest ideas not even mentioned by the author. Or sometimes you think you understand something you read until maybe a long time after it dawns on you what it really means.

December 1, 2005 - 3:36pm

As it relates to sites. Many times I've seen a lesser site achieve more than a site which has had much more effort put into it, just because the lesser site spent more effort on gathering evangelics to promote it.
So there are two lessons here. One you don't want to spend too much time on polishing the site. Second , you can't do it alone.

Indian Embassy ...
December 1, 2005 - 3:45pm

We are an Embassy of India School in Moscow, Russia and requested per your post "If you are a certified non profit, charity, church, open software developer, or school I can provide you with a free copy." for a free copy. It is now more than a week and we are still waiting. If you don't intend to send for free, than do not post the crap about sending free on your site.

December 1, 2005 - 10:48pm

Wow! I feel like I've made it, now that I've been mentioned in SEO Book. Thanks, Aaron. I'll smoke a cigar tonight to celebrate.

December 3, 2005 - 11:20pm

So true: it's the numbers. Spammers know that.

My favourite acronymn is DDT -- Do, Don't Think. I prefer reading to writing. :-)

I used to think that the read, read, read and read some more habit was a good thing. Now I know it's just a failure of confidence and will. Wasn't it Woody Allen who said that 80 per cent of success is just showing up?

Excellen post -- and blog. Thank you.

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