There are numerous advantages to reading more books, but this one is perhaps my favourite: A good book may help you see your prior experiences in a new light.
Every time you pick up a new concept or mental model, it's as though your brain's “software” is updated. All of your previous data points may now be processed by a new software. You can draw fresh insights from past experiences. Reading, in the words of Patrick O'Shaughnessy, “changes the past.”
Of course, this is only true if you integrate and remember the information in the books you read. Knowledge only grows if it is kept. In other words, getting more out of each book you read is more important than merely reading more books.
Of course, learning isn't the only reason to read. Reading for enjoyment or entertainment may be a rewarding way to spend time, but this article is about reading to learn. With that in mind, I'd like to offer some of the most effective reading comprehension tactics that I've discovered.
1. Stop Reading More Books
It doesn't take long to determine whether or not something is worth reading. Writing skill and high-quality ideas stand out.
As a result, the majority of individuals should definitely start reading more books than they do. This does not imply that you must read each book from cover to cover. The table of contents, chapter names, and subheadings may all be skimmed. Choose an intriguing part and read for a few pages. Flip through the book and take a look at any highlighted points or tables. You'll get a fair notion of how excellent it is after ten minutes.
Then comes the essential step: Quit books as soon as possible and without regret or shame. Life is too short to squander on mediocre literature. The opportunity cost is prohibitively great. There are so many wonderful books to read. I believe Stripe creator Patrick Collison expressed it beautifully when he remarked, “Life is too short to not read the finest book you know right now.”
Here's my suggestion:
Begin more novels. Most of these should be avoided. The outstanding ones should be read twice.
2. Select Books That Can Be Used Right Away
Choosing books that you can instantly implement is one method to increase your reading comprehension. Putting the concepts you read into practice is one of the most effective methods to cement them in your mind. Practice is a highly efficient method of learning.
Picking a usable book also gives a strong motivation to pay attention and remember the content. This is especially true when something significant is at stake. If you're beginning a business, for example, you'll be motivated to get the most out of the sales book you're reading. Similarly, someone working in biology may study The Origin of Species more thoroughly than a casual reader since it is directly related to their everyday work.
Of course, not every book is a how-to manual that you can use right away, and that's good. Wisdom may be found in a variety of books. However, I find that novels that are relevant to my everyday life are more likely to be remembered.
3. Make Notes That Are Searchable
Keep track of what you read. You may do it whatever you want. It does not have to be a large production or a complex system. Simply do something to highlight the key points and sections.
I do this in various ways depending on the format I'm using. When reading on my Kindle, I mark passages. While listening to audiobooks, I write out intriguing quotations. When I read a print book, I dog-ear pages and transcribe notes.
The actual secret, though, is to save your notes hastily.
There is no reason to rely only on your recollection for reading comprehension. Evernote is where I save my notes. I like Evernote above other solutions since it is 1) instantly searchable, 2) simple to use across various devices, and 3) allows you to write and store notes even when you are not connected to the internet.
I enter my notes into Evernote using three methods:
I. Audiobook: For each book, I create a new Evernote file and then enter my notes directly into that file while I listen.
II. E-Book: I highlight passages on my Kindle Paper white and transfer all of my Kindle highlights directly into Evernote using a tool called Clippings. Then, before submitting it on my book summaries website, I add a synopsis of the book and any extra remarks.
III. Print: I type my notes as I read, similar to how I listen to audiobooks. If I come across a lengthy paragraph that I wish to transcribe, I put the book on a book stand and start typing. (Taking notes while reading a print book might be inconvenient since you have to constantly put the book down and pick it up again, but this is the best option I've discovered.)
To be “searchable,” your notes do not have to be digital. You may, for example, use Post-It Notes to label specific pages for future reference. Ryan Holiday proposes putting each note on an index card and classifying them by topic or book as another alternative.
The underlying concept remains the same: keeping searchable notes is critical for quickly returning to ideas. An idea is only helpful if it can be found when needed.
4. Integrate Knowledge Trees
A book may be compared to a knowledge tree, with a few essential principles constituting the trunk and the details making the branches. By “connecting branches” and combining your current book with other knowledge trees, you may learn more and increase your reading comprehension.
As an example:
- While reading The Tell-Tale Brain by V.S. Ramachandran, I noticed that one of his important arguments was related to a previous concept I heard from social work researcher Brené Brown.
- I observed how Mark Manson's concept of “dying oneself” coincides with Paul Graham's article on keeping your identity tiny in my notes for The Subtle Art of Not Giving an F*ck.
- While reading George Leonard's Mastery, I discovered that while the book was about the process of progress, it also provided some light on the relationship between heredity and performance.
Each insight was put to my notes for that particular book.
These kinds of connections help you remember what you read by “hooking” fresh information onto concepts and ideas you already know. “If you get into the mental habit of linking what you're reading to the basic structure of the underlying ideas being illustrated, you gradually accrue some knowledge.” Charlie Munger explains.
When you read anything that quickly reminds you of another issue or creates a link or idea, don't let that concept pass you by. Write about what you've discovered and how it relates to other concepts.
5. Create a concise summary
As soon as I finish a book, I push myself to summarize it in three phrases or fewer. Of course, this limitation is simply a game, but it compels me to analyze what was truly significant about the book.
When summarizing a book, I examine the following questions:
- What are the key concepts?
- Which of the following ideas from this book would I put into action right now?
- What would I say to a friend about the book?
In many situations, I find that reading my one-paragraph summary and rereading my notes provides just as much helpful information as reading the full book again.
If you can't fit the entire book into three phrases, consider adopting the Feynman Technique.
The Feynman Technique is a note-taking approach named after physicist Richard Feynman, who won the Nobel Prize in physics. It's rather simple: At the top of a blank page of paper, write the title of the book, followed by how you'd describe it to someone who has never heard of it.
If you are stuck or see gaps in your knowledge, read back over your notes or go back to the text and try again. Continue writing until you have a firm grasp on the essential points and are secure in your explanation.
I've discovered that writing about a topic as if I were presenting it to a novice exposes absolutely no holes in my thinking. “I feel the greatest approach to figure out what I've learnt from a book is to write something about it.” says Ben Carlson, a financial analyst.
6. Contextualize the Topic
I'm reminded of Thomas Aquinas's adage, “Beware the man of a single book.”
How sound are your opinions if you just read one book on a topic and base them on it for an entire category of life? How precise and comprehensive is your knowledge?
Reading a book requires work, yet far too frequently, individuals base their whole belief system on a single book or article. This is more true (and more difficult to overcome) when we base our ideas on our own, individual experience. “ Your own experiences make up maybe 0.00000001% of what's happened in the world, but maybe 80% of how you think the world works.” Morgan Housel observed. We're all influenced by our own personal histories.
One approach to addressing this issue is to read a range of books on the same subject. Examine the same topic from several perspectives, and strive to get beyond the boundaries of your own experience.
7. Read it several times.
I'd want to conclude by returning to a notion I expressed towards the beginning of this article: read the best novels twice. "Anything worth reading is not just worth reading twice, but worth reading again and again," philosopher Karl Popper stated. If a book is valuable, you will always be able to make new discoveries and uncover things in it that you did not notice before, even if you have read it many times."
Furthermore, rereading excellent works is beneficial since the issues you face change with time. Sure, if you read a book again, you could notice something you missed the first time, but it's more probable that you'll pick up on fresh sections and concepts. Different lines will naturally jump out at you based on where you are in life.
You read the same book again and over, but never in the same way. "I usually return home to the same few writers," Charles Chu said. And every time I return, they have something new to say."
Of course, even if you didn't learn anything new from each reading, it's still beneficial to return to outstanding literature since concepts must be repeated in order to be remembered. "When we only learn something once, we don't actually learn it—at least not well enough for it to affect us much," writes author David Cain. It may inspire for a brief while, but it is rapidly overwhelmed by the decades of habits and training that came before it." Returning to brilliant ideas cements them in your memory.
Nassim Taleb summarizes the situation as follows: "A good book grows better on the second reading. At third, a great book. Any book that isn't worth reading again isn't worth reading."
What Happens Next?
Knowledge accumulates with time.
"Learning one new thought will not make you a genius," I wrote in Chapter 1 of Atomic Habits, "but a dedication to ongoing learning may be revolutionary."
Even if it provides a lightning moment of enlightenment, one book will seldom alter your life. The idea is to learn something new every day.
You might be seeking for some reading recommendations now that you know how to get the most out of each book you read. Please feel free to peruse my book summaries or my public reading list.
Tags
Tips