Been reading A Man Without Qualities, which is one of the brickiest books I’ve ever attempted. If I stop paying attention for even a second, it stops making sense. The book has forced me to reorganize my reading style.

And I’ve finally found the optimum reading style for me!

For years, I’ve done most of my reading while: a) lying in bed; b) reclining in my office chair; or c) laying horizontally on a couch.

However, I have noticed that there are times when I am a quixotically productive reader. For instance, when I am on an airplane or in an airport, I am frequently extremely irritated and tired and not at all in the right frame of mind for reading. However, these are exactly the times when I manage to get TONS of reading done (and have some of my most intense reading experiences).

And I think this is because when I am in these situations, there is no way for me to recline!

Yes, it turns out that it is much easier for me to pay attention when my back is rigid or slightly hunched and when I am leaning over the book. Not sure why, maybe something to do with blood flow. Maybe it’s neurological: it’s some kind of power posture. Or maybe it’s just psychological–years of being schooled in rigid desks have taught me that looking down at a desk is how work gets done!

But, in any case, the moment I started sitting up and sitting in slightly uncomfortable chairs, it became much easier to read this book!