,
13 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
1/ A thread on how to get the MOST out of the BOOKS you read.
2/ First thing you should introspect is *why* you read. Do you read because of FOMO? While reading, do you worry about forgetting?
For me, the point of reading books is to not remember the facts but to form useful mental models that I can deploy in my future thinking.
For me, the point of reading books is to not remember the facts but to form useful mental models that I can deploy in my future thinking.
3/ Clarity on your reason for reading will help you guide on how to get most out of the time you invest in reading.
Rest of this thread will be from the point of view of using books to build new mental models or strengthen/modify existing ones.
Rest of this thread will be from the point of view of using books to build new mental models or strengthen/modify existing ones.
4/ The goal of gaining personal insights and building mental models suddenly vaporizes common anxieties with reading books:
- It's OK to drop books in between, if you're not gaining anything from it. Remember: the point is not to finish books, but to learn.
- It's OK to drop books in between, if you're not gaining anything from it. Remember: the point is not to finish books, but to learn.
5/ - It's OK to spoil books with pen and paper marks. In fact, I recommend marking anything of interest.
Underlining is a cue for brain to pay extra attention to the part that's being underlined.
E.g. from a book that I finished a couple of months ago.
Underlining is a cue for brain to pay extra attention to the part that's being underlined.
E.g. from a book that I finished a couple of months ago.
6/ It's easy to get fooled into thinking that you're learning when you're reading books.
Reading != learning.
Learning happens when you've digested and internalized the idea from many angles, and have made it your own. That takes an active effort beyond reading.
Reading != learning.
Learning happens when you've digested and internalized the idea from many angles, and have made it your own. That takes an active effort beyond reading.
7/ So what is to be done for learning from books?
What works for me: summarizing key insights and ideas from the book in my own words. Just copy-pasting or typing underlined sentences is not enough.
What works for me: summarizing key insights and ideas from the book in my own words. Just copy-pasting or typing underlined sentences is not enough.
8/ I feel I haven't learned from a book until I'm able to explain to myself and others the key concepts and mental models contained in it as well as the author.
It's a high-bar, but that's what I aspire to for each book that I read.
E.g. A page from many notebooks that I have.
It's a high-bar, but that's what I aspire to for each book that I read.
E.g. A page from many notebooks that I have.
9/ Do not wait until the end of the book to write down your notes. Do it after each major section or chapter. If you postpone till the end, either you'll get lazy or forget/miss a major idea.
Your notes create value for others too if you blog/tweet them:
Your notes create value for others too if you blog/tweet them:
10/ All this sounds like a lot of work, and it is.
But remember: the point is not to finish books but to build new mental models. As a thumb rule: spend as much time writing your notes (in your own words) from the book as you'd spend reading it.
But remember: the point is not to finish books but to build new mental models. As a thumb rule: spend as much time writing your notes (in your own words) from the book as you'd spend reading it.
11/ Last tip: with each new book, increase the difficulty level of the book.
It's damn convinient for the brain to chew on 'How to do XYZ' books one after another. Majority of books in the business section belong to the easy category. Know that they have diminishing returns.
It's damn convinient for the brain to chew on 'How to do XYZ' books one after another. Majority of books in the business section belong to the easy category. Know that they have diminishing returns.
12/ Take your time in searching for challenging books.
A simple heurestic to know whether a book was good: are you thinking differently about the world after reading it? If not, the book was mental junk food.
A simple heurestic to know whether a book was good: are you thinking differently about the world after reading it? If not, the book was mental junk food.
13/ That's it. This thread was sparked by a question from @mudit333 and @thawani_avijit on how to read books and take notes:
If there's any other question where you can use an additional perspective, let me know. I'll try offering my perspective.
If there's any other question where you can use an additional perspective, let me know. I'll try offering my perspective.
