“A great book begins with an idea, a great life, with a determination.” – Louis L’Amour
For celebrated western writer Louis L’Amour, that determination was, from a young age, to give himself an education.
After leaving school at 15 to work odd jobs and explore the American West, the young wanderer made a commitment to reading and learning that would last through the rest of his life.
“Of the value of books I am myself the best example. If it were not for books, I should never have been more than a laborer, perhaps killed in a mine disaster, as some of my friends were.”
Over those early “knockabout years”, he’d go on to read hundreds of books, including many of what we call the classics, giving himself a foundational education upon which he could build for the rest of his life — one that would enable him to launch off in whatever direction he pleased.
Often, that direction was the history of the American frontier, which him helped write realistic novels grounded in truths about how the pioneers had lived and thought.
Today, I’d like to tell you a bit about why L’Amour’s life and autobiography are so inspiring for autodidacts and serious readers.
Then I’ll share seven key takeaways I had about self-education while reading it.
These tips should help you enhance your own self-study programs, and maybe even one day become as well-read as Louis.
Education of a Wandering Man: A window into a writer’s reading Life
Education of a Wandering Man is unique as far as autobiographies go. Louis L’Amour describes it as “an adventure in education, pursued not under the best conditions.”
While Louis does write about his travels in the American West and his trials becoming a professional writer, his main focus is detailing his self-education and reading habits while sharing his thoughts on education in general.
To me, this was like striking oil.
Often, I can find writers, thinkers, and autodidacts talking about the importance of education, but it’s rare I find one who also shares their journey in self-education in such intimate detail.
In this book, Louis does both. This approach makes it not only informative for building your philosophy of education, but also inspiring.
It’s even prescriptive if you’re looking for book recommendations from one of history’s most celebrated authors. In almost every chapter, you’ll find mentions of several books Louis read during that period of his life. In the back of the book there’s even a list of each book he read from 1930-1937 (over 100 per year, and very few of them beach reads…).
The book struck me as such a wise, original, and inspiring account that, after finishing it, I placed it on my desk rather than my bookshelf. And since then, I’ve consulted it regularly — especially in those moments when I feel unmotivated to read.
Ever since reading it I’ve been brimming with excitement about all there is out there to discover and explore. It feels like I’ve found another role model autodidact, someone worth emulating, someone to pat me firmly on the shoulder during a late night study session and say “keep at it good man!”
Or perhaps more accurately, stare me down and say “grab a book!” when I’m mindlessly scrolling YouTube.
While I highly recommend reading the book yourself, below are some of the major takeaways about education that will inspire and help you to learn deeply, read widely, and reach your learning goals.
1. Wear your learning like a pocket watch
No one likes a know-it-all.
Even I, who have a bit of a soft spot for the human search engine, tire quickly of the unsolicited lecture.
Lord Chesterfield, 18th century English diplomat and statesman, felt the same, writing the following to his illegitimate son in his famous collection of letters.
“Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket. Do not pull it out merely to show that you have one. If asked what o’clock it is, tell it; but do not proclaim it hourly and unasked, like the watchman.”
Louis L’Amour had read the classics, hundreds of books on American Western history, and plenty more on esoteric subjects. For much of his life, he averaged over a hundred books per year. He was an intelligent man by all accounts, not to mention a highly successful novelist.
And yet, he remained intellectually humble:
“Anyone who visited Louis in his private study with its sixteen foot high ceiling with walls of specially designed bookshelves will not be surprised. For the bookshelves that Louis designed were much like the man himself. Each tall row of shelves made a kind of book-covered door that could be swung open to reveal another sixteen-foot set of book-filled shelves fixed to the wall behind. Louis was a modest man, slow to reveal what he really knew.” — Daniel Boorstein, Introduction to Education of a Wandering Man
Even in his novels, where he tried to teach people about history and frontier life, he never slammed you over the head with facts. Instead, he embedded this knowledge into compelling stories that were entertaining first, educational second.
2. Avoid being overly systematic in your studies (especially at first)
Books never lost their charm over Louis.
And I imagine that’s because, in the majority of cases, the main reason he picked up a book was that it piqued his interest.
“Louis was anything but a systematic reader. A spectacularly serendipitous reader, he enlists us in the joys of random reading.” — Daniel Boorstein.
Have you ever tried to create a rigid, structured reading plan that you expect yourself to follow book after book without deviation for a year?
I have, and it was brutal.
Brutal because I was barely reading and inevitably gave up then felt bad about my discipline. But I was doomed from the start.
I require a little room to breathe, to explore whatever I am interested in at the moment.
Reading strictly according to a predefined list is like being with your significant other or spouse 24/7 without spending any time doing your hobbies and hanging with friends. After a few weeks, you start to feel suffocated.
So, while systems can be helpful for accomplishing learning goals, these systems will break if you do not build some flexibility into them.
For example, you could alternate between one book on your economics reading plan with one random book that aligns with this week’s interests.
This will keep you from burning out by providing you with the fuel of self-learning: curiosity, which, in my experience at least, happens to be much more sustainable and powerful than ambition.
Let books lead you to other books
Often, Louis found the next book he wanted to read from the book he was currently reading.
“In my reading I was constantly coming upon the names of scholars, historians, or political leaders of whom I knew nothing at all, though often were names that I remembered from dinner-table talk at home. Reading Don Quixote was marvelous stuff, but I needed to know more about Cervantes himself and the world in which he lived.”
Following a book’s sources is a great way to go deep into a topic and become an expert. It’s a more sophisticated version of the Wikipedia wormhole.
If you love a book, flip to the bibliography, where you’ll discover books that informed the author. Then, read those.
3. Visit libraries and bookstores to discover new interests
Whenever I come across a bookstore I can’t help but go inside. And every time I do I find some new exciting subject, author, or topic that was beforehand totally invisible to me.
Louis did the same:
“Browsing through the shelves in bookstores or libraries, I was completely happy, dipping into a book here, another there, tasting, savoring, learning. Many books I would not read for years I first examined at this time.”
If you’re ever in a reading slump, or simply looking for a glimpse into your undiscovered interests, visit a library, scan the shelves, and dip into a book on a fascinating topic you didn’t even know existed until now.
As Louis wrote, “Upon the shelves of our libraries, the world’s greatest teachers await our questions.”
4. Talk with people about your reading
Great literary characters, classics of philosophy, historical interpretations — these treasures of the humanities are meant to be discussed.
That’s part of the fun.
Plus, it trains you on rhetoric, the third stage of the trivium, a key concept in classical education. The rhetoric phase is where you attempt to clearly articulate your thoughts about a book, topic, character, theme, etc.,
Louis, during his early years, was often deprived of this educational pleasure:
“I suppose I was lonely. I know that often I longed for someone with whom I could talk of books, writers, and things of the mind, but that was not to be for a long time, except here and there when I chanced on some other lost literary soul.”
Many autodidacts feel the same. We dream of returning to school and discussing the great book with intellectually curious people like ourselves.
But we forget that there are people in our inner circle or wider community capable of such dialogue, if only we’d proactively seek them out.
For all we know, our next door neighbor could share our affection for Shakespeare, our interest in philosophy, our overwhelming striving for an education.
We just have to be more open to striking up a conversation with a stranger, less isolationist — we have to be, well, more like Louis.
One evening, while out strolling around, looking for rabbits, and reading poetry, Louis came across a farmer. Louis greeted the farmer, who was quick to notice and ask about the book in Louis’ pocket. The two then began discussing their favorite books. And over the next few months this became a frequent event.
“During subsequent months we were to have many long conversations on books, writers, history, and all subjects pertaining to any of them. He was a gentle, thoughtful man, a pipe smoker and a good farmer who gave most of his produce away.”
Not all aspiring intellectuals and careful readers gather in the halls of academia, the bars of Brooklyn, the cafes of Paris. They might be right outside your door.
Find a reading buddy
Personally, I like to find reading buddies for some of my self-learning projects. Right now my friend and I are reading 7 classic novels in 2025, and discussing them once or twice a month.
- Dracula
- Great Expectations
- Anna Karenina
- The Trial
- Native Son
- East of Eden
- Herzog
I’ve found that when I know I’ll have to discuss what I’m reading to a friend, I’m more consistent and diligent in my reading. I take more notes. I engage more deeply with the text. I have to, after all, convince my friend that I’m better than him in every way 🙂
What if I’m anxious about book talk?
Talking books might sound scary.
It certainly is for me at times, especially when I feel strongly about some aspect of the book. It’s as if the more I care about my literary argument, the more I worry about failing to transmit it to the other person.
But, the more you talk about your reading the more you realize whatever you say will likely land. Besides, even the best of reading buddies are often barely listening. Instead, they’re waiting to make their own point before it fades from their memory.
Also, fumbling around for the right words in the conversation is part of the exercise.
In the same way bringing your wandering attention back to your breath in meditation is a rep for your mind, so is the effort of speaking clearly and accurately about a complex topic, story, or idea.
Here’s a simple hack to perform well in book talk: come prepared with two points you’d like to make. Rehearse saying them to an empty chair. That way at least you have two wins under your belt.
5. Read widely, but also form areas of expertise
Louis’ reading started out like most aspiring thinkers and writers.
He read widely and explored various subjects and authors. He was highly unstructured, following no plan, following primarily his own curiosity and slight preference for the classics.
This mirrors my own experience.
As I outline in How to Use Reading to Find Your Calling, the benefit of doing this is not just to form a general knowledge base.
By reading widely, you also start to notice what interests you most.
From there, you can start to build expertise. For example, four years ago I found I loved classic novels and political philosophy, and have been reading them since.
This is exactly what happened to Louis. At some point he found himself drawn to histories, fictional stories, and first-hand accounts of people settling and living on the frontier, especially in the American West.
From then on, he built up his knowledge of this subject, and was soon writing his own stories that were deeply grounded in history.
At this point in his career, he became more focused in his reading, trying to devote 30 of his 100+ books per year to the history of the American West.
“Although involved with studying the Far East, I at no time neglected my study of the American West. Much of what I was writing concerned the West and it was my duty as a writer to present as honest a portrayal as possible. To that end I was not only traveling the country but reading approximately thirty books a year on the West in many aspects.”
His dedication to a subject has inspired me to start increasing my reading on all aspects of learning and education, devoting at least one book a month to this pursuit of expertise. Right now, I’m re-reading The Well Educated Mind, Susan Wise Bauer’s guide to a self-directed classical education.
Which subjects are you most drawn to?
Pick a couple to start building expertise in, while continuing to expand outwards as well.
For example, maybe this is your annual reading plan:
- 10 books I choose based on my current interests / intuition
- 5 books on the Russian Revolution
- 5 books on ecology.
Afterwards, you’ll have gained tremendous depth in the Russian Revolutionary Period (if you do that please start a YouTube channel or newsletter I can follow to learn about it).
And you’ll be able to see the environment in a whole new way, all without sacrificing breadth of study and the benefits of polymathy.
If you’re new to reading, here’s Louis’ advice on what books to read:
“For those who have not been readers, my advice is to read what entertains you. Reading is fun. Reading is adventure. It is not important what you read at first, only that you read.”
6. Read the classics
Should you spend your time reading old books? I outline my answer in 6 practical reasons to consult the past.
Here’s what Louis had to say:
“…many of the great books of the past were written for a more leisurely time, when people could sit and read by the fire, or comfortably in some great country house or cottage. Despite the fact that they were written for a different time and different audience, they have much to offer: great stories, brilliant characterizations, interesting ideas. Someone has said that one has no right to read the new books unless one has read the old. I do not agree, yet one should read the old books also.”
He certainly lived according to this advice.
In reviewing A’mour’s reading lists in the back of the book, I was somewhat stunned at the sheer number of classic works of literature, history, and philosophy Louis read each year.
In writing about just a couple of months, Louis says:
“I also read books by Lion Feuchtwanger, D.H. Lawrence, Maxim Gorky, Nietzsche, Whitehead, and Freud, by Moliere, Fance, Turgenev, Victor Hugo, Wilde, Poe, Thoreau, Emerson, George Eliot, and Goethe.”
His list of books and plays read in 1930 include works by the following authors:
- George Santanaya
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Joseph Conrad
- Voltaire
- H.G. Wells
- William James
- Arthur Schopenhaur
- Jean Racine
- Moliere
- Anton Chekhov
- Oscar Wilde
- Christopher Marlowe
- Niccolo Machievelli
- Robert Louis Stevenson
He even made a lot of his fictional characters avid readers of the classics.
“In several of my western novels I have had characters reading Plutarch. I believe more great men have read his Lives than any other book, except possibly the Bible.”
Don’t let these lists make you feel inadequate.
We all have different obligations and amounts of free time. Louis was in a position where he was roaming the American West, often with little to do but read.
Plus, some of us like to read the classics more deeply and slowly than others.
Instead, let these lists inspire you to read more of the best that has been thought and written.
Think along the lines of “If he could do that in a year, I can certainly knock off these 3 classics that have been staring at me from my bookshelf for years.”
Just 3 books by Jane Austen or James Baldwin can deliver a tremendous amount of timeless wisdom, insight into the human condition, and opportunities for reflection and personal growth.
Learn 9 superpowers I’ve gained from reading classic books.
7. Learn from people, not just books
It’s easy to fall prey to the romantic notion that all education occurs in books.
While books are a fantastic medium for gaining wisdom, knowledge, and skills, you must not forget that life itself is full of teachable moments.
- The conversational skills a waitress used to make you feel at home.
- The mindset your manager used to handle a complicated situation under pressure.
- That half-baked yet oddly profound idea your mildly inebriated friend has about what it means to live a good life.
Remember Emerson’s quote: “In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.”
Louis, who spent much of his time talking to strangers in bars and cafes to learn about the American West, knew this all too well:
“Education, as I have said, takes many forms and there are many ways to gain knowledge and awareness. From the very beginning of my knocking about, I tried to learn about the country I was seeing, and soon discovered that in any hamburger stand or restaurant, in any barbershop or filling station, there is somebody who knows the area, or can direct you to somebody who does.”
Are we losing this ancient form of education?
I fear that in the information age, where the answer to any question is at our fingertips, we have started to forget this practice of learning from people.
I’m guilty of this.
The other day, I was writing an article reviewing Zendesk, a customer service software platform, for a client’s blog.
I read article after article, online review after review, trying to wrap my head around how to express the tool’s strengths and weaknesses in one succinct paragraph.
Later that day I met up with my brother in law for dinner, and it dawned on me that he’s a customer service leader at his company.
Why hadn’t I asked him? Given him a call?
In the car, I asked if he knew anything about Zendesk. It turned out that he had used it for many years. I asked him for his review, and what came out of his mouth was exactly what I needed — a perfect summary of the platform, which I used almost verbatim in my article.
He was also able to give me real-world examples about what it was like to use the software, along with nuanced answers to my highly specific questions.
Most of all, it was fun talking with someone about something I’m researching, a relief from sticking my face into the computer screen.
Action Item: Think about a topic or skills one of your friends is an expert on, then ask them some questions about it. You’ll likely be amazed at just how much they know.
An adventurer’s perspective on books
One might think that traveling the West for several years, boxing, working odd jobs, writing, and hanging out with former pioneers is enough adventure already.
But these external events were only half of the adventure Louis experienced. The other half occurred in his mind and imagination.
During those “knockabout years”, and throughout the rest of his life, Louis spent much of his time exploring new places, ideas, times, people, and cultures through books.
“It is often said that one has but one life to live, but that is nonsense. For one who reads, there is no limit to the number of lives that may be lived, for fiction, biography, and history offer an inexhaustible number of lives in many parts of the world, in all periods of time.”
If there’s one thing to take away from this wonderful book, it’s Louis’ adventurous spirit.
Whenever you pick up a book, believe fully that you’re about to find something profound in those pages, perhaps even life changing. For all you know, you might be on the start of some great adventure.
Grab Louis’ autobiography, Education of a Wandering Man, for more insight into his reading life, advice on self-education, and journey to become a great writer.