March 6, 2020 • 12 mins
A book must be interesting to the particular reader at that particular time,” and other tips about reading from one of history's greatest bibliophiles.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
History Versus is a production of I Heart Radio and
Mental Flaws. Theodore Roosevelt once reportedly said that reading with
me is a disease, and indeed you could find the
twenty six president of the United States himself, the author
of more than thirty books, reading basically everywhere in front
(00:23):
of the fire, in bed, in his train car. On
hunting trips for a year long safari in Africa, for example,
he brought along a trunk of sixty books, and even
when pursuing both thieves in the Dakota bad Lands in
that case, he started with Anna Karenina and when he
finished that borrowed a dime novel from one of the thieves.
From an early age, he devoured almost any book he
(00:44):
could get his hands on, from main reads, adventure novels
and David Livingstone's missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa,
to James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans and
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, to poetry by
the likes of Samuel Taylor, Coleridge and Edwin Arlington. Robinson
as an adult, Tier read several books at a time
even when he was busy, usually finishing around a book
(01:07):
a day, and sometimes more, flicking through two to three
pages a minute. He was so absorbed when he was
reading that he wouldn't even hear his own name being called.
Biographer Edmund Morris writes that nothing short of a thump
on the back would regain his attention. Tr owned many
many books, and accounting of all the Roosevelt family's books
at Sagamore Hill with seventy seven pages long seventy seven
(01:31):
Tier acknowledged in his autobiography that books are everywhere. There
are as many in the north room and in the
parlor as in the library. The gun room at the
top of the house contains more books than any of
the other rooms. The books have overflowed into all the
other rooms too. In nineteen fifteen, Ladies Home Journal asked
the former president to pen a piece titled the Books
(01:52):
that I Read and When and How I do my reading.
This piece is a gift. It's so delightful. Roosevelt, who's
said that he didn't follow any plan when it came
to reading, caution that it would be impossible to try
to enumerate all the books I read, or even all
the kinds which given how quickly he could read, and
how curious he was doesn't seem to be hyperbole. That said,
(02:15):
he did have some practical advice for readers, And in
this bonus episode of History Verses, we're going to go
through a few of them. Some of them you might
want to follow, and some of you might want to disregard.
But they're all a fascinating glimpse into the mind of
one of the biggest bibliophiles in history. Okay, let's get started.
(02:38):
Tip number one train yourself to read the classics. Tr
wrote that if anyone finds that he never reads serious literature,
if all his reading is frothy and trashy, he would
do well to try to train himself to like books
that the general agreement of cultivated and sound thinking persons
has placed among the classics. Let man or woman, young
(02:58):
man or girl read some good author until sustained mental
effort brings power to enjoy the books worth enjoying. According
to tr only when this has been done can the
reader trust himself to pick out for himself the particular
good books which appeal to him. Tip number two, find
a few minutes to read every day. You think you're
(03:19):
too busy to read well. That was not an excuse
Theodore Roosevelt would have accepted. If he could make time well,
you can make time to Tier wrote that he typically
read for half an hour before bed, but he didn't
dream of limiting himself to just that short window. All
kinds of odd moments turn up during even a busy
day in which it is possible to enjoy a book,
(03:39):
he wrote. And then there are rainy afternoons in the
country in autumn, and stormy days in winter, when one's
work outdoors is finished, and after wet clothes have been
changed for dry, the rocking chair in front of the
open wood fire simply demands an accompanying book. It's hard
to disagree with him. There tip number three, don't read
which you don't like. When choosing a book to read,
(04:02):
Roosevelt noted that the reader's personal and individual taste must
be the guiding factor. He compared taste in books to
taste in food. He wrote that while he liked apples, pears,
and oranges, he disliked bananas and prunes, adding at times
and the tropics, I have been exceedingly sorry I could
not learn to like bananas, and on roundups in the
cow country in the old days, it was even more
(04:23):
unfortunate not to like prunes. But I simply could not
make myself like either, and that was all there was
to it. Roosevelt went on to say that of the
books he had most recently tried to read, he could
read Guy Mannering, The Antiquary Pen, Dennis Vanity Fair, Our
Mutual Friend, and the Pickwick Papers over and over, but
he did not care for Fortunes of Nigel Esmond, and
(04:45):
The Old Curiosity Shop. I have no question that the
latter three books are as good as the first six,
he wrote. Doubtless for other people they are better, but
I do not like them anymore than I like prunes
and bananas. He concluded that at my age, I might
will own up at least to myself, to my limitations,
and read the books I thoroughly enjoy. Tip number four,
(05:07):
don't look down on people who don't like the same
books as you. Books are almost as individual as friends,
Tire wrote in his autobiography, adding that some meet the
needs of one person and some of another, and each
person should be aware of the book lover's besetting sin
of what Mr Edgar Allan Poe calls the mad pride
of intellectuality, taking the shape of arrogant pity for the
(05:28):
man who does not like the same kind of books.
Given this mindset, it's no surprise that Tier had what
he described as no sympathy for concepts like one hundred
best Books in the five foot library, the concept created
by a Harvard president that a person could get a
liberal education by reading fifty one set books that fit
on a five foot shelf. Tr wrote in his autobiography
(05:49):
that it is all right for a man to amuse
himself by composing a list of a hundred very good books.
But there is no such thing as a hundred books
that are best for all men, or for the majority
of men, or for one and at all times. And
there is no such thing as a five foot library
which will satisfy the needs of even one particular man
on different occasions extending over a number of years. Tip
(06:10):
number five, you don't have to read books that are
recommended to you. As we've discussed, Tear found reading and
choosing books to be a highly personal pursuit. He wrote
in his autobiography that the reader, the book lover, must
meet his own needs without paying too much attention to
what his neighbors say those needs should be. In his
Ladies Home Journal piece, he noted that suggestions of a
(06:32):
possibly helpful character can be made by outsiders, but only suggestions,
and they will probably be helpful about in proportion to
the outsider's knowledge of the mind and soul of the
person to be helped. In other words, you're the best
person to choose the books you want to read, So
if a friend recommends a book that doesn't seem like
your thing, don't feel guilty for not picking it up.
(06:54):
We'll be right back. So far, Theodore Roosevelt has advised
us to read the classics and pay no mind to
book recommendations. Ready for some more reading tips from tr
Here we go Tip number six, read what you're in
the mood for. Tire wrote in his autobiography that a
(07:15):
book must be interesting to the particular reader at that
particular time, and in the Ladies Home Journal piece, he
noted that a man with a real fondness for books
of various kinds will find that his varying moods determine
which of these books he at the moment needs. He
certainly followed his own advice, reading widely on many, many,
many topics, Tip number seven Read in streaks. Roosevelt was
(07:39):
a fan of reading in what he called streaks, wherein
he would get interested in a particular subject and then
read about it in book after book, and then in
other subjects suggested by his reading. Even in pure literature
having nothing to do with history, philosophy, sociology, or economy,
one book will often suggest another, so that one finds
one has unconsciously followed a regular course of reading. He
(08:01):
wrote Tip number eight avoid trashy and vicious books. So
Tira had a lot to say about letting your mood
and your preference guide your choice in books. But let's
be clear. He's talking about good books, things like the classics,
which he deemed books worth reading. He did not condone
the reading of trashy or frothy books his words. By
(08:24):
the way, personal preference, according to Theodore Roosevelt, is no
excuse for permitting oneself to like what is vicious or
even simply worthless. What is a vicious book? You may
ask well. Tr gave us a few examples. If a
man read and enjoyed Bellamy, Tire said that he will
do well to keep a watch on the reflex centers
(08:45):
of his moral nature, and should pick up books by
Eugene Brio and Henry Bordeaux instead. If this reader enjoyed
Leo Tolstoy's Anna, Karenina and more in Peace, great, But
if the reader preferred the authors e ninety novella The
Chritzer Sonata, which, like Bellamy, dealt very frankly with adultery
and sex, Tier wrote that he had better make up
(09:06):
his mind that, for pathological reasons, he will be wise
thereafter to avoid Tolstoy entirely. Tolstoy is an exceedingly interesting
and stimulating writer, but an exceedingly unsafe moral advisor. That's
putting it nicely. In the Outlook, tr wrote that Sonata
was revolting, and that Tolstoy was a man who, however
(09:26):
high he may stand in certain respects, has in him
certain dreadful qualities of the moral pervert. Ultimately, Tier concluded
that the reading of vicious books for pleasures should be eliminated.
It is no less clear that trivial and vulgar books
do more damage than can possibly be offset by any
entertainment they yield. Tip number nine, bring big books on
(09:48):
vacation if you've ever packed a beet read. You have
a little something in common with tr who brought books
with him wherever he went. Railway and steamboat journeys were,
of course predestined through the ages as aids to the
enjoyment of reading. He wrote, I have always taken books
with me when on hunting and exploring trips. He recommended
bringing reasonably heavy books on long trips, which he said
(10:10):
would allow the reader to tackle more ambitious books and authors,
as you never would if surrounded by less formidable authors
in your own library. And when you do reach the
journey's end, you grasp with eager appetite at old magazines
or at the lightest of literature. Tip number ten, use
reading to escape look. The real world can be a bummer.
(10:32):
Theodore Roosevelt, who lost family members dear to him and
worked in the stressful world of politics, knew that all
too well. So even though critics would score and happy
endings in books, he actually liked them. There are enough
horror and grimness and sordid squalor in real life with
which an active man has to grapple, he wrote. When
I turned to the world of literature, I do not
(10:53):
care to study suffering unless for some sufficient purpose. It
is only a very exceptional novel which I will read
if he does not marry her. And even in exceptional novels,
I much prefer this consummation. I am not defending my attitude.
I am merely stating it. And perhaps he was speaking
from personal experience when he wrote, if one is worried
(11:13):
by all kinds of men and events during critical periods
in administrative office, or at national conventions, or during congressional investigations,
or in hard fought political campaigns, it is the greatest
relief and unalloyed delight to take up some really good,
really enthralling book and lose all memory of everything grimy
and of the baseness that must be parried or conquered.
(11:38):
There are plenty more tier reading tips where these came from,
so if you're interested, you can find them at mental
flaws dot com. Slash History Versus. Thanks for listening to
this bonus episode of History Versus. We'll be back in
a couple of weeks with another episode. History Versus is
hosted by me Aaron McCarthy. The executive producers are Aaron McCarthy,
Julie Douglas, and Tyler Klang. The super revising producer is
(12:00):
Dylan Fagan. The show is edited by Dylan Fagan and Loberlante.
If you want to find out more about this episode
and Theodore Roosevelt, visit Mental Flash dot com, slash History Versus.
That's Mental flaws dot com slash h I S t
O R y vs. History Versus is a production of
I Heart Radio and Mental Flaws. For more podcasts for
(12:34):
my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
History Versus is a production of I Heart Radio and
Mental Flaws. Theodore Roosevelt once reportedly said that reading with
me is a disease, and indeed you could find the
twenty six president of the United States himself, the author
of more than thirty books, reading basically everywhere in front
(00:23):
of the fire, in bed, in his train car. On
hunting trips for a year long safari in Africa, for example,
he brought along a trunk of sixty books, and even
when pursuing both thieves in the Dakota bad Lands in
that case, he started with Anna Karenina and when he
finished that borrowed a dime novel from one of the thieves.
From an early age, he devoured almost any book he
(00:44):
could get his hands on, from main reads, adventure novels
and David Livingstone's missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa,
to James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans and
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, to poetry by
the likes of Samuel Taylor, Coleridge and Edwin Arlington. Robinson
as an adult, Tier read several books at a time
even when he was busy, usually finishing around a book
(01:07):
a day, and sometimes more, flicking through two to three
pages a minute. He was so absorbed when he was
reading that he wouldn't even hear his own name being called.
Biographer Edmund Morris writes that nothing short of a thump
on the back would regain his attention. Tr owned many
many books, and accounting of all the Roosevelt family's books
at Sagamore Hill with seventy seven pages long seventy seven
(01:31):
Tier acknowledged in his autobiography that books are everywhere. There
are as many in the north room and in the
parlor as in the library. The gun room at the
top of the house contains more books than any of
the other rooms. The books have overflowed into all the
other rooms too. In nineteen fifteen, Ladies Home Journal asked
the former president to pen a piece titled the Books
(01:52):
that I Read and When and How I do my reading.
This piece is a gift. It's so delightful. Roosevelt, who's
said that he didn't follow any plan when it came
to reading, caution that it would be impossible to try
to enumerate all the books I read, or even all
the kinds which given how quickly he could read, and
how curious he was doesn't seem to be hyperbole. That said,
(02:15):
he did have some practical advice for readers, And in
this bonus episode of History Verses, we're going to go
through a few of them. Some of them you might
want to follow, and some of you might want to disregard.
But they're all a fascinating glimpse into the mind of
one of the biggest bibliophiles in history. Okay, let's get started.
(02:38):
Tip number one train yourself to read the classics. Tr
wrote that if anyone finds that he never reads serious literature,
if all his reading is frothy and trashy, he would
do well to try to train himself to like books
that the general agreement of cultivated and sound thinking persons
has placed among the classics. Let man or woman, young
(02:58):
man or girl read some good author until sustained mental
effort brings power to enjoy the books worth enjoying. According
to tr only when this has been done can the
reader trust himself to pick out for himself the particular
good books which appeal to him. Tip number two, find
a few minutes to read every day. You think you're
(03:19):
too busy to read well. That was not an excuse
Theodore Roosevelt would have accepted. If he could make time well,
you can make time to Tier wrote that he typically
read for half an hour before bed, but he didn't
dream of limiting himself to just that short window. All
kinds of odd moments turn up during even a busy
day in which it is possible to enjoy a book,
(03:39):
he wrote. And then there are rainy afternoons in the
country in autumn, and stormy days in winter, when one's
work outdoors is finished, and after wet clothes have been
changed for dry, the rocking chair in front of the
open wood fire simply demands an accompanying book. It's hard
to disagree with him. There tip number three, don't read
which you don't like. When choosing a book to read,
(04:02):
Roosevelt noted that the reader's personal and individual taste must
be the guiding factor. He compared taste in books to
taste in food. He wrote that while he liked apples, pears,
and oranges, he disliked bananas and prunes, adding at times
and the tropics, I have been exceedingly sorry I could
not learn to like bananas, and on roundups in the
cow country in the old days, it was even more
(04:23):
unfortunate not to like prunes. But I simply could not
make myself like either, and that was all there was
to it. Roosevelt went on to say that of the
books he had most recently tried to read, he could
read Guy Mannering, The Antiquary Pen, Dennis Vanity Fair, Our
Mutual Friend, and the Pickwick Papers over and over, but
he did not care for Fortunes of Nigel Esmond, and
(04:45):
The Old Curiosity Shop. I have no question that the
latter three books are as good as the first six,
he wrote. Doubtless for other people they are better, but
I do not like them anymore than I like prunes
and bananas. He concluded that at my age, I might
will own up at least to myself, to my limitations,
and read the books I thoroughly enjoy. Tip number four,
(05:07):
don't look down on people who don't like the same
books as you. Books are almost as individual as friends,
Tire wrote in his autobiography, adding that some meet the
needs of one person and some of another, and each
person should be aware of the book lover's besetting sin
of what Mr Edgar Allan Poe calls the mad pride
of intellectuality, taking the shape of arrogant pity for the
(05:28):
man who does not like the same kind of books.
Given this mindset, it's no surprise that Tier had what
he described as no sympathy for concepts like one hundred
best Books in the five foot library, the concept created
by a Harvard president that a person could get a
liberal education by reading fifty one set books that fit
on a five foot shelf. Tr wrote in his autobiography
(05:49):
that it is all right for a man to amuse
himself by composing a list of a hundred very good books.
But there is no such thing as a hundred books
that are best for all men, or for the majority
of men, or for one and at all times. And
there is no such thing as a five foot library
which will satisfy the needs of even one particular man
on different occasions extending over a number of years. Tip
(06:10):
number five, you don't have to read books that are
recommended to you. As we've discussed, Tear found reading and
choosing books to be a highly personal pursuit. He wrote
in his autobiography that the reader, the book lover, must
meet his own needs without paying too much attention to
what his neighbors say those needs should be. In his
Ladies Home Journal piece, he noted that suggestions of a
(06:32):
possibly helpful character can be made by outsiders, but only suggestions,
and they will probably be helpful about in proportion to
the outsider's knowledge of the mind and soul of the
person to be helped. In other words, you're the best
person to choose the books you want to read, So
if a friend recommends a book that doesn't seem like
your thing, don't feel guilty for not picking it up.
(06:54):
We'll be right back. So far, Theodore Roosevelt has advised
us to read the classics and pay no mind to
book recommendations. Ready for some more reading tips from tr
Here we go Tip number six, read what you're in
the mood for. Tire wrote in his autobiography that a
(07:15):
book must be interesting to the particular reader at that
particular time, and in the Ladies Home Journal piece, he
noted that a man with a real fondness for books
of various kinds will find that his varying moods determine
which of these books he at the moment needs. He
certainly followed his own advice, reading widely on many, many,
many topics, Tip number seven Read in streaks. Roosevelt was
(07:39):
a fan of reading in what he called streaks, wherein
he would get interested in a particular subject and then
read about it in book after book, and then in
other subjects suggested by his reading. Even in pure literature
having nothing to do with history, philosophy, sociology, or economy,
one book will often suggest another, so that one finds
one has unconsciously followed a regular course of reading. He
(08:01):
wrote Tip number eight avoid trashy and vicious books. So
Tira had a lot to say about letting your mood
and your preference guide your choice in books. But let's
be clear. He's talking about good books, things like the classics,
which he deemed books worth reading. He did not condone
the reading of trashy or frothy books his words. By
(08:24):
the way, personal preference, according to Theodore Roosevelt, is no
excuse for permitting oneself to like what is vicious or
even simply worthless. What is a vicious book? You may
ask well. Tr gave us a few examples. If a
man read and enjoyed Bellamy, Tire said that he will
do well to keep a watch on the reflex centers
(08:45):
of his moral nature, and should pick up books by
Eugene Brio and Henry Bordeaux instead. If this reader enjoyed
Leo Tolstoy's Anna, Karenina and more in Peace, great, But
if the reader preferred the authors e ninety novella The
Chritzer Sonata, which, like Bellamy, dealt very frankly with adultery
and sex, Tier wrote that he had better make up
(09:06):
his mind that, for pathological reasons, he will be wise
thereafter to avoid Tolstoy entirely. Tolstoy is an exceedingly interesting
and stimulating writer, but an exceedingly unsafe moral advisor. That's
putting it nicely. In the Outlook, tr wrote that Sonata
was revolting, and that Tolstoy was a man who, however
(09:26):
high he may stand in certain respects, has in him
certain dreadful qualities of the moral pervert. Ultimately, Tier concluded
that the reading of vicious books for pleasures should be eliminated.
It is no less clear that trivial and vulgar books
do more damage than can possibly be offset by any
entertainment they yield. Tip number nine, bring big books on
(09:48):
vacation if you've ever packed a beet read. You have
a little something in common with tr who brought books
with him wherever he went. Railway and steamboat journeys were,
of course predestined through the ages as aids to the
enjoyment of reading. He wrote, I have always taken books
with me when on hunting and exploring trips. He recommended
bringing reasonably heavy books on long trips, which he said
(10:10):
would allow the reader to tackle more ambitious books and authors,
as you never would if surrounded by less formidable authors
in your own library. And when you do reach the
journey's end, you grasp with eager appetite at old magazines
or at the lightest of literature. Tip number ten, use
reading to escape look. The real world can be a bummer.
(10:32):
Theodore Roosevelt, who lost family members dear to him and
worked in the stressful world of politics, knew that all
too well. So even though critics would score and happy
endings in books, he actually liked them. There are enough
horror and grimness and sordid squalor in real life with
which an active man has to grapple, he wrote. When
I turned to the world of literature, I do not
(10:53):
care to study suffering unless for some sufficient purpose. It
is only a very exceptional novel which I will read
if he does not marry her. And even in exceptional novels,
I much prefer this consummation. I am not defending my attitude.
I am merely stating it. And perhaps he was speaking
from personal experience when he wrote, if one is worried
(11:13):
by all kinds of men and events during critical periods
in administrative office, or at national conventions, or during congressional investigations,
or in hard fought political campaigns, it is the greatest
relief and unalloyed delight to take up some really good,
really enthralling book and lose all memory of everything grimy
and of the baseness that must be parried or conquered.
(11:38):
There are plenty more tier reading tips where these came from,
so if you're interested, you can find them at mental
flaws dot com. Slash History Versus. Thanks for listening to
this bonus episode of History Versus. We'll be back in
a couple of weeks with another episode. History Versus is
hosted by me Aaron McCarthy. The executive producers are Aaron McCarthy,
Julie Douglas, and Tyler Klang. The super revising producer is
(12:00):
Dylan Fagan. The show is edited by Dylan Fagan and Loberlante.
If you want to find out more about this episode
and Theodore Roosevelt, visit Mental Flash dot com, slash History Versus.
That's Mental flaws dot com slash h I S t
O R y vs. History Versus is a production of
I Heart Radio and Mental Flaws. For more podcasts for
(12:34):
my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Monster: BTK
'Monster: BTK', the newest installment in the 'Monster' franchise, reveals the true story of the Wichita, Kansas serial killer who murdered at least 10 people between 1974 and 1991. Known by the moniker, BTK – Bind Torture Kill, his notoriety was bolstered by the taunting letters he sent to police, and the chilling phone calls he made to media outlets. BTK's identity was finally revealed in 2005 to the shock of his family, his community, and the world. He was the serial killer next door. From Tenderfoot TV & iHeartPodcasts, this is 'Monster: BTK'.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.