Used to skip the last 50 pages of every non-fiction book I read

I used to think the conclusion of a non-fiction book was just a recap and I could save time by skipping it. That changed last month when I read "The Art of Gathering" for my club and hit the last section. The author laid out a step by step plan for hosting better meetings that actually pulled everything together from the earlier chapters. Now I force myself to read every single page even if I want to rush to the next book. Has anyone else found a goldmine of practical tips buried at the end of a book they almost missed?

3 comments

3 Comments

averywilliams17d ago

I had this exact same thing happen with "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. Everyone talks about the first few chapters on cue-routines and rewards but the last section where he gets into how to keep going when you inevitably mess up was the real game changer for me. He talks about the "paper clip strategy" where you move a paper clip from one jar to another every time you do your habit. That little visual trick actually stuck with me way more than the big ideas. I was ready to close the book and then bam, there was this whole system for building momentum that I almost missed. Now I treat the last chapters like the dessert instead of an afterthought.

masonm7017d ago

Totally agree, that paper clip trick is genius (so simple it almost hurts).

gavin_kelly9113d ago

Wait the paper clip trick is from that book?