The Read Well Podcast

Episode 124: Read Like Socrates – How to Choose Books That Actually Make You Better
Host: Eddy Hood
Date: February 9, 2026

Episode Overview

In this reflective and practical episode, Eddy Hood explores the philosophical foundations of reading well, applying Socratic principles from Plato's dialogue Protagoras to the modern reader's challenge: How do you choose books and teachers that actually improve your life? Through engaging storytelling, relatable examples, and thought experiments, Eddy guides listeners toward cultivating a more intentional and meaningful reading practice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Makes a Book "Good"? (00:00–02:14)

• Eddy questions the criteria for choosing quality books among countless options, expressing his aspiration to spend time only with the "best books."
• He introduces the central theme: How Socrates’ reasoning about choosing teachers from Protagoras can inform our approach to selecting books.

2. Plato's Protagoras & Socrates' Challenge (02:15–08:05)

• Background: Socrates counsels a young man, Hippocrates, eager (and cash-strapped) to pay for teachings from the sophist Protagoras.
• Socrates’ key line:

  “Once you have learned something, you must go your way, having been either harmed or benefited.”
  (Eddy quoting Socrates, 07:15)

• Main takeaways:
  • Learning isn’t neutral: All information, whether good or bad, impacts you.
  • Critical responsibility: Readers should approach books not as passive vessels but as active, discerning agents.

3. Books Can Help or Harm (08:06–10:34)

• Eddy provides a playful but pointed example: A health book promoting an all-strawberry diet could do more harm than good if accepted without skepticism.
• He asks listeners to interrogate every book: Why read it? Are the author’s claims backed up or pure opinion?

  • “All I’m asking is that when we pick books to read, that we understand that information will impact us either for the positive or the negative.” (09:45)

• Even the best, most researched books can be flawed.

4. Ownership of Your Education (10:35–13:20)

• Historical anecdote: Frederick Douglass, who seized his education in the face of slavery, serves as an exemplar of personal responsibility.
• Eddy’s call to action:

  • “The moment we acknowledge that my education is my responsibility, it becomes a moment of pride and we want to do it right.” (12:49)

• Listeners are urged to stop outsourcing their learning to others and to own their educational journey.

5. The Dinner Party Thought Experiment (13:21–20:28)

• Scenario: Imagine a dinner party with seven seats for the “teachers” (authors) who will shape the rest of your life.
  • Who do you choose?

    “If you had to pick only seven people to sit at your table, who would those people be and why?” (14:35)

• Eddy walks through his shelves, debating the merits of authors and philosophers:
  • Michel de Montaigne is a definite pick.
  • Henry David Thoreau—loved for his writing, but maybe too difficult in person.
  • Dostoevsky—essential for his breadth and depth.
  • Poetry as a necessity—mentions Walt Whitman, Billy Collins, and Maya Angelou as contenders.
  • Ray Bradbury—a creative and entertaining possibility.
  • Philosophers like Camus, Marcus Aurelius, and even Socrates or Nietzsche considered (though with hesitations!).
• Reflection: The process forces prioritization and clarity about personal learning goals.

  • “This process…really reminds me that I’ve only got so much time, and I can either read haphazardly or become a student of this stuff.” (19:30)

6. Choosing Teachers Based on Your Goals (20:29–23:10)

• The best teachers and books depend on your ambitions and the person you want to become. Eddy’s aspirations draw him to philosophers and essayists, but everyone’s “table” will look different.

  • “The teachers that you need in your life are going to be different than the teachers I need in my life…based on what we’re trying to accomplish, the people we’re trying to become.” (21:28)

• Tip: Your engagement with a book—and how much you remember—depends on genuine interest and the deliberate choice to study what matters to you.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Socratic standard in learning:

  “Socrates…is a stickler for definitions and getting at the root of what something means and why that even matters.” (04:51)

• On dangers of passive reading:

  “It is my responsibility to take care of my own education. I can’t outsource this education to this book and then just believe whatever it says and do whatever it says.” (11:10)

• A personal challenge:

  “If you get anything out of this episode…it is this: that right now you can make the decision to stop offshoring, outsourcing, delegating your education…instead acknowledge that it is your responsibility to educate yourself.” (12:00)

• On why we forget what we read:

  “A lot of people tell me that they struggle with remembering what they read. And…my honest response again, is, well, you don’t care enough about it to remember it.” (22:48)

• Book recommendation (see below):

  “It’s a dialogue that explores the importance of taking responsibility for what you learn, because it’ll either benefit you or harm you.” (25:15)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–02:14 – Episode introduction and theme: what makes a book “good”?
• 02:15–08:05 – Story of Hippocrates, Socrates, and Protagoras; Socratic wisdom on learning’s impact.
• 08:06–10:34 – The risk of bad books; the need to question claims and intentions.
• 10:35–13:20 – Taking full ownership of your education; Frederick Douglass example.
• 13:21–20:28 – The dinner party experiment; deciding on your most valued “teachers” and why.
• 20:29–23:10 – Aligning your reading—and remembering—with personal purpose.
• 25:00–26:00 – Book recommendation: Protagoras by Plato, with tips on approaching Socratic dialogues.

Eddy’s Book Recommendation

Plato’s Protagoras

• “Go read Plato’s dialogue, Protagoras. …It’s a dialogue that explores the importance of taking responsibility for what you learn, because it’ll either benefit you or harm you.” (25:15)
• Tips:
  • Free online or at a local library/bookstore.
  • Dialogue form; expect “Socratic fatigue,” but worth the effort.
  • Take notes, highlight, and reflect intentionally.

Closing Advice

• Be deliberate: Take responsibility for your learning.
• Curate your “dinner table” of books and teachers with purpose.
• Read slowly, annotate, and apply what you learn.
• “The moment we acknowledge that my education is my responsibility, it becomes a moment of pride and we want to do it right.” (12:49)

For further resources, notes, and reading tools:
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