From Podcasts to Pages: Why I Reclaimed the Power of Deep Reading

Hello everyone, I am Henry. Today, I want to share some personal reflections after finishing a truly thought-provoking book.

Yesterday, I finished a book with quite a profound title: Civilization, Modernization, Value Investing and China. It certainly sounds ambitious, doesn't it? The author is Li Lu.

A Trilogy of Insights

This was an interesting experience because I actually ended up reading three interconnected books recently.

First, I reread Charlie Munger’s Poor Charlie’s Almanack. The first time I read it, I found it a bit dry and didn't fully grasp its depth. But I realized that if a globally respected figure like Munger is so universally admired, my lack of appreciation was likely due to my own limitations. So, I read it again.

After finishing it, I noticed how much Munger admired Benjamin Franklin. That led me to Walter Isaacson's biography of Franklin, as I wanted to understand why someone of Munger’s caliber held him in such high regard.

This brings us to Li Lu, a prominent investor and the external manager of Charlie Munger’s family wealth—a man Munger implicitly trusts to manage his capital. Knowing how deeply he aligns with Munger's philosophy, I decided to read his book as well.

It turned out to be a fascinating read. The first half reads like a history of human civilization, somewhat reminiscent of Guns, Germs, and Steel. But in the second half, he delves into his personal worldview and explains how his values are intrinsically linked to his investment methodologies.

Reading the second half made me realize why these three individuals resonate with each other so strongly. They are all profound, long-term thinkers. Like great historical figures such as George Washington, they see the world with exceptional clarity and operate with a sweeping, long-term vision. They live almost like Puritans—highly disciplined, guided by their own robust methodologies, and completely undisturbed by external noise. While "success" is subjective, in the secular sense, all three have achieved it undeniably.

Tracing My Own Reading Journey

I am sharing this not just to review a book, but to use this moment to reflect on my own reading habits over the years.

I have always been an avid reader. In the past, I set a strict goal for myself to read between 50 and 100 books a year, and I would track my progress diligently to avoid getting lazy. During certain years, I easily hit that 100-book milestone. Later, as I wanted to improve my English without taking formal classes, I dedicated a significant amount of effort to reading English literature.

However, over the past year, my reading volume dropped drastically. The main culprit? Podcasts.

For the last 12 months, I have been heavily consuming long-form podcasts, typically ranging from one to three hours. Initially, I exclusively listened to English podcasts. As Globevisa continues its global expansion, I wanted to internationalize my own mindset and improve my English, which serves as the global lingua franca. Moreover, the English-language podcast ecosystem was incredibly rich, covering every imaginable topic.

Recently, though, the quality of regional and Chinese-language podcasts has skyrocketed. On various platforms, there is now an abundance of high-quality, long-form content. I found myself listening to a wide variety of topics, including many female-led shows, which often excel at deep, narrative sharing.

Listening to podcasts took up a massive portion of my time, especially during long training sessions for trail running. I subconsciously began to justify this shift: Isn't listening to a three-hour deep-dive interview basically the same as reading a book? Convinced that "audio learning" was a valid modern substitute and that I shouldn't be overly traditional in my media consumption, I let my reading habits slide.

A Sudden Realization: I Had Lost My Ability to Read Deeply

An incident about a month ago served as a wake-up call.

I wanted to dive deep into specific immigration programs—not by watching short summary videos, but by thoroughly studying the complex immigration laws and policy criteria. To my dismay, I found my mind wandering after just five minutes of reading the dry legal texts. It took me a full day of struggling before I could break out of that scattered mindset and enter a state of deep focus.

I realized that, without noticing, I had been completely conditioned by the fast-paced nature of modern society. Don't get me wrong; I believe in adapting to the times. To better understand modern marketing, I spend time observing short-form video platforms like TikTok and Xiaohongshu (RED). I even downloaded apps specifically to watch AI-generated short series, just to understand the latest trends. We use AI tools daily to get instantaneous answers.

But this constant diet of fast-paced content had rewired my brain. I reached a point where I wanted to fast-forward through The Godfather Part II because the pacing felt too slow. When you find yourself wanting to speed through a cinematic masterpiece, you know a line has been crossed.

Reading Li Lu’s book yesterday finally brought me back. As I resonated with his experiences and took notes, I felt like I was engaging in a profound conversation with a wise friend. I finally re-entered that state of deep, uninterrupted intellectual immersion that I hadn't experienced in far too long.

Three Commitments to Myself

Standing at the midpoint of my life, I realize I need to strike a deliberate balance. I must embrace the speed and innovation of the modern world, but I also need to aggressively protect my inner calm and long-term thinking, keeping myself insulated from the daily noise.

This week, my daughter graduated, and our family is heading to Italy for her graduation trip. Normally, when I travel globally—especially to Europe—I maintain my regular working hours by syncing with our Asian headquarters. I wake up early and work intensely until noon. Once the Asian offices close, my afternoons and evenings in Europe free up.

I plan to use this upcoming pocket of free time to commit to three things:

● Reclaim my reading time: I want to dedicate at least 30 minutes to an hour purely to reading every night before bed. I need to protect this habit.

● Dive deep into the details: Globevisa manages an extensive portfolio of global mobility programs. I want to sit down and thoroughly study the intricate legal and operational details of these programs, essentially doing the operational homework I've overlooked in recent years.

● Elevate my English proficiency: My English is currently in a functional middle ground—good enough for business communication, but still a second language that I subconsciously resist when I am tired. Rather than staying at this plateau, I want to push through and elevate it to the next level of fluency.

Writing and speaking have always been my ways of organizing my thoughts. Recording this helps me clarify the kind of life I want to lead moving forward.

A Final Recommendation: The Power of E-Readers

Before I wrap up, I want to share a small piece of practical advice.

While many purists prefer physical books, I transitioned to e-ink readers years ago. I highly recommend investing in a high-quality e-ink device, like the larger 10-inch Kindle models.

If you are skeptical, just commit to reading three books on it. The experience is phenomenal. It is highly portable, purchasing books is effortless, and the low-glare screen protects your vision. I can read on an e-reader for six or seven hours without eye strain, compared to just three hours with a paper book. Plus, the ability to highlight, take notes, and review others' annotations is incredibly efficient.

Most importantly, an e-reader serves a single purpose: reading. It completely removes the constant distractions of a smartphone or tablet. It is largely because of this device that I have been able to sustain long reading sessions over the years.

If you are also interested in global expansion, alternative residency planning, or business management, I invite you to follow along for the next article.

How many books have you read this year? Is there a specific book that helped you rediscover your deep focus? Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you for reading, and we will talk again soon.