I grew up reading. Reading lots. As a child, Mum would take me to the local library to borrow books; ten at a time. I read everything I could find, sci-fi, adventure, books on chess openings.

The genre I loved most was horror. It felt like I was being led into a world I wasn’t supposed to be in. A door left ajar, and I snuck in without anyone realizing. Authors like James Herbert, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King.

The book I’m reading now is a gripping story by Stephen King, On Writing. Not a fiction story, but rather a tale of how he became an author and how he writes his novels. Part autobiographical, part instruction, all interesting.

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.

This theory is one of the reasons I blog. It gives me a reason to practice writing. Often. The surprise is that it has also increased the amount I read, to the point of requiring investment in more shelf space for books.

On Writing is filled with gems of practical information and inspiration to get started. It helps that the book itself is well written, a good test for a tomb on the craft itself. What to leave out is mentioned; how to avoid too much detail.

Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.

It should be added however that some of the very best photography is useful only as juggling, theology, or pure mathematics is useful — that is to say, useless, except as nourishment for the human spirit.

- John Szarkowski, p204

Fear leads to uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to doubt. Doubt leads to theorem proving.

- monochrom in the Haskell Weekly News.

The Haskell Weekly News is my main source of new Haskell information, but the bit I love about it is the quotes section. Comedic gold, if you spend time thinking about type systems.

Remember, kids: if you program in a language with side effects, the terrorists win.

- Tommah in the Haskell Weekly News.

Career advice from Dilbert’s Scott Adams:

But if you want something extraordinary, you have two paths:

1. Become the best at one specific thing.
2. Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things.

The first strategy is difficult to the point of near impossibility.

Business advice from Chase Jarvis:

[shoot] what’s not out there.

- from this interview (about 41 minutes in)

Chase studies the photography landscape hunting for photos, not with the pack, but where the pack isn’t. It is this approach that led to his innovative portfolio and his continued success.

Bonus: Chase Jarvis videos on Strobist.

An interesting article in the NYTimes on reading habits of CEOs:

Serious leaders who are serious readers build personal libraries dedicated to how to think, not how to compete.

Perhaps that is why — more than their sex lives or bank accounts — chief executives keep their libraries private.

I’m in the midst of choosing some new bookcases. My book collection is starting to get out of hand. A good problem to have methinks.

Thanks to Brad for the link, and for a number of great book recommendations from his blog.