It was unsurprising to learn of Bill Gates’ reading habit in the Netflix documentary, Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates.

But it was astonishing to discover that he reads at a rate of 150 pages/hour with 90%+ comprehension and a portable library of 30+ books accompanies him wherever he goes.

Almost every built environment professional I know is an avid reader. But reading beyond the mountain of mandatory vocational or technical material isn’t easy.

Yet it’s necessary for creatives to make the effort. So if you want to read more, and more widely, check out Standard Ebooks.

They take public domain texts (by authors such as Robert E. Howard, Edith Wharton, Sarah Orne Jewett, Bertrand Russell), scour them for typographical errors, add excellent cover art, and format them for Kindle and other e-readers.

The online catalog is a pleasure to browse, and includes a synopsis for each book. The latest entries include The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Time Traders by Andre Norton, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll, The Marvelous Land of Oz by L Frank Baum, and Villette by Charlotte Brontë.

Join the mailing list or subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on new books added to the catalog.

Get the Builtworks Letter

In every edition of the Builtworks Letter, you’ll get the behind-the-scenes backstory as to how buildings are designed, built, and brought to life.

You’ll hear compelling stories, learn surprising ideas, meet engaging characters, and discover unique voices.