Free Resources for Readers

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Welcome to “Off the Clock,” a little something that lands somewhere between Timeless & Timely.

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“People who are curious and passionate read; people who are apathetic and indifferent don’t.”
— Nolan Bushnell

Recent reports announce, almost like reporting quarterly company performance, that the time Americans devote to reading has suffered a collapse — down forty percent in the last two decades among U.S. adults 15 years and older.¹

What once served as the quiet occupation of citizens in a republic of letters is now treated as the quaint pastime of antiquarians, as superfluous to modern life as the oil lamp or the fountain pen.

The rise of AI adds to the fuel of this conflagration of intellect, sparing us the trouble of sustained attention while entrusting the effort to some other entity that provides the erstwhile reader with summaries and interpretations, regurgitated as a mother bird does for her offspring.

The parallel to the mother bird regurgitating worms for her chicks is not accidental; it is the parable of our time. The difference, of course, is that the bird intends its sacrifice to nourish, whereas we seem content to be spoon-fed by devices whose interest lies not in our growth but in our sedation.²

As

John Dickerson

counsels, the defense against the algorithm is within our power if we begin each day with the simple act of reading:

Whether you choose to pick up a piece of fiction, a biography, a collection of essays or The Oxford Book of English Verse, the decision to eschew electrons for paper (or other electrons in an e-book reader) wards off brain rot.

More than keeping our most important organ from atrophying, reading gives us another power:

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The Real Reason to Read

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Ten Free Sites to Help with Your Reading Journey

1) Book Authority

It showcases the best books in over 4,000 categories including topics such as solopreneur, leadership, biography, folklore, language and writing, and much more. It is particularly useful for nonfiction readers.

2) The StoryGraph

This is a great Amazon-free alternative to Goodreads. It shares many more stats about the books you read and has a variety of features that you won’t find with Goodreads.

3) Hoopla

Hoopla is your public library at your fingertips. All you need is a library card and you'll get free access to audiobooks, ebooks, comics, movies, magazines, and even music.