I’m terrible at reading books. I’m great at buying them, but I never get round to actually reading them. They form dusty towers on my desk and bedside table. Until recently I also had “slightly raised” cholesterol which, apparently, increases my risk of heart disease. I think I may have found a cure for both.

A friend of mine recommended that I read Richard Branson’s autobiography which, he said, would help put my recent legal struggles into perspective. This surprised me; my friend is the furthest from the self-CEO “wantrepreneurs” that I had come to associate with this particular title. Not wanting to add it to one of the piles, I devised a plan to download the audiobook and walk to meetings in town (usually 1-1.5 hours from my home) until I had it read.

That I did, and then another, and another. I was spending twice as long getting to meetings, but by mid-March I had read more books than I had in the last decade, and I’m now regularly searching for the next title, like I do TV Boxsets. Not only that—my latest Thriva test showed that my cholesterol had settled back into the “normal” range.

So there you go. Reading with your ears is good for your heart… Ok, this is not a scientific study. It could have been a number of things that caused my health improvement, and you really shouldn’t take it as advice. But why not try it? Most people agree that reading and walking are good for you, not to mention how nice it is to get out and breathe some fresh air (even in the city).

Audible is the easiest way of trying it for yourself, since they offer a 50% discount for the first three months. You’ll also get £4 PMP Bonus  👍

Of course, to pre-empt the comments, I know this isn’t for everyone. Lots of you can read just fine. I’m jealous.

Also, Sir Richard’s book was very helpful. Thanks to both him and my friend.

Happy ear-reading.

Chris 🙂