Read Chapter 1. Check for Goosebumps.

I have a lot of books at the house and office that I've collected over the years but haven't read.  In order to deal with the overwhelm, I'm developing a new strategy for separating the good stuff from the mediocre.

Read Chapter 1.

Check for Goosebumps.

The theory is this: If the author moves me in the introductory chapter, I'll continue.  If not, I'll move on.  I've found that -- at least for me -- the most life-altering books I've read have had an incredible Chapter 1.

Will I still miss some good information?  Sure.  But as I've read more and more books (particularly in the Business/Management/Leadership genre), I've determined that most of them borrow heavily from each other. 

There is a finite amount of time any of us has to read.  Even if we read 24 hours a day, no one could read everything written about even a single topic.  So here's my first shot at finding those titles that change something about how I think or act.  We'll see how it goes.