How to read a book you will finish and remember.
We all have read books that we did not finish. Maybe you got bored or disinterested. Perhaps the writing style did not suit you. This is a method I use to finish and remember books. This method is mostly for non-fiction books. This is my personal version of How to read a book by Philosopher Mortimer J. Adler. There are five steps to the process.
- What are you trying to get out of the book? Why?
What is the reason you want to read? I read to better grasp a topic I am not knowledgable about. My aim is to find a author that is an expert in that field or has a proven track record.
2. Research using Goodreads and YouTube
Once I chose I specific topic, I go on Goodreads and check the reviews. I read the good, the bad the ugly. The general rule of thumb that I use is 3.9 star reviews for the potential book. Ideally, the book should have a couple of thousand reviews. Subsequently, I go on YouTube and watch a lecture by the author on the book. What is the premise of the book? What message is trying to convey to me? What are his sources? Is the author a credible source on this topic? Don’t waste your time on those 10 minute YouTube videos explaining the book, there are seldom good ones. There are also apps like Blinkist that summarise books. The fact of the matter is that a book will resonate with every reader differently. I may get a different perspective and find certain topics more appealing than you. The way I highlight a book may be different to you. Therefore, my 10 minute highlight of the book will differ to yours. Neither of us are wrong. The message is the same but the way it effects you is different.
3. Read and Highlight
If it successfully made it through the previous steps, I buy the book! I buy soft cover physical books. Some may like the notion of audiobooks or using the kindle. Whatever floats your boat. I personally like physical copies. There is something special about the smell of a fresh book. I love it. (Side-note: If you buy physical books, support your local bookstore! I know Amazon is cheaper by a pound or two but buying it locally will help the bookstore and your local community.)
Anyway, the way I highlight non-fiction books is simple. Almost all non-fiction books I read follow a similar format. They tell a story of someone doing something extraordinary backed by research material and then conclude with a point. I highlight the point. I seldom highlight the the story or research phase unless its very intriguing. I highlight quotes that resonate or inspire me too. Don’t be afraid of writing and scribbling in the book. I write notes and leave references as to what I was thinking in that moment in time. This will help in the last phase. I make the book uniquely mine. Lastly, I love listening to classical music whilst reading. It allows me to follow a rhythm and keeps me focused.
4. Marinate
The easiest phase. Once finished, I leave the book on the shelf for a month or so. I start a new one. I let it marinate like I do with chicken when preparing for a barbecue. Not this month though, mans a vegan.
5. Summarise and dissect
This is the most important step. You read, highlighted, finished and marinated the book. Now what? Since I let the book marinate, I usually go through the highlighted bits and revise it to freshen up my memory. I have a table on Notion where I record the following information:
a) Summarising the book in one paragraph
b) What is the premise of the book? What are the main points?
c) What is the author trying to solve? What is the issue at hand?
d) 5 quotes that resonated with me.
e) Review out of 5.
I also make a page where I store all my highlighted points which is usually a page long and attach it to table. I also answer questions like How can I apply this knowledge to my life. Were there moments in the past where this information could have been applied to?
This way, I stripped the book to its barebones. If I want to revise the book and remember the points that resonated with me in detail, I look at my highlighted page. If I want a quick overview, I look at the questions I have answered.
