This article by @briantobal is the perfect tutorial for those who want to learn from books, FAST.
He talks about how he distills and extracts the knowledge nuggets in small steps. I call it Just-In-Time reading.
A thread with key takeaways.
superorganizers.substack.com/p/surgical-rea…
He talks about how he distills and extracts the knowledge nuggets in small steps. I call it Just-In-Time reading.
A thread with key takeaways.
superorganizers.substack.com/p/surgical-rea…
Use the book as a reading map.
Ask:
• Why is the book relevant?
• What does the title mean?
• What draws my attention in the index?
• How does the ToC match with my items from the index?
• Does the preface confirm my understanding?
• Do I care enough to read it?
Ask:
• Why is the book relevant?
• What does the title mean?
• What draws my attention in the index?
• How does the ToC match with my items from the index?
• Does the preface confirm my understanding?
• Do I care enough to read it?
Judge books by their cover.
Authors spend a lot of time thinking about their title and subtitle. Ponder on them and think about what the author is trying to communicate.
Authors spend a lot of time thinking about their title and subtitle. Ponder on them and think about what the author is trying to communicate.
Book indexes are everything.
• Look at what topics are covered most. What stands out?
• Look at the sequence of topics. Can you discern a thread?
• What interests you? Write it down on a note-card with the page number.
• Finally, what is this book trying to get across?
• Look at what topics are covered most. What stands out?
• Look at the sequence of topics. Can you discern a thread?
• What interests you? Write it down on a note-card with the page number.
• Finally, what is this book trying to get across?
The Table of Contents is the skeleton of a book.
The ToC tells you how the author wants you to understand the book; it gives the big picture.
Take your list of index items and compare them with the ToC. Do you get a sense of the author's points?
The ToC tells you how the author wants you to understand the book; it gives the big picture.
Take your list of index items and compare them with the ToC. Do you get a sense of the author's points?
Check your understanding of the book with the preface.
Often, authors will tell you in the preface what the book is about and what points it's making. Check if your understanding from the index and ToC is correct.
Book prefaces are like movie trailers. Ask: do I care?
Often, authors will tell you in the preface what the book is about and what points it's making. Check if your understanding from the index and ToC is correct.
Book prefaces are like movie trailers. Ask: do I care?
After skimming a book and creating a map, do you care enough to read it?
We often care about what's relevant. If the book does not address a challenge you currently have, it's unlikely to interest you.
Put the book away and return to it later.
We often care about what's relevant. If the book does not address a challenge you currently have, it's unlikely to interest you.
Put the book away and return to it later.
How to extract knowledge nuggets from books:
• Interact with the book.
• Only read what interests you.
• Read, review, read, review.
• Read several books at once around one topic.
• Interact with the book.
• Only read what interests you.
• Read, review, read, review.
• Read several books at once around one topic.
Interact with the books you read.
• Highlight.
• Write in the margins.
• Take notes.
By writing in the books you read, you can see your thinking develop over time. What you write now will benefit your future self.
• Highlight.
• Write in the margins.
• Take notes.
By writing in the books you read, you can see your thinking develop over time. What you write now will benefit your future self.
Only read the interesting parts of books.
• Pick topics from the index that you find interesting.
• Read until you lose interest.
• Save truly useful information to @readwiseio or Anki.
• Make sure you can locate the interesting parts in the future.
• Pick topics from the index that you find interesting.
• Read until you lose interest.
• Save truly useful information to @readwiseio or Anki.
• Make sure you can locate the interesting parts in the future.
Only read books from front to back that you cannot put down.
• Write down key points after reading a chapter.
• Review key points from the previous chapter before starting the next one.
• The system: read, review, read, review.
• Write down key points after reading a chapter.
• Review key points from the previous chapter before starting the next one.
• The system: read, review, read, review.
Read several books at a time.
• Read books that cover a topic of your interest.
• Focus on your topic in each book.
• Distill the common thread from several books.
• Translate terms in your own words so you can compare and contrast ideas.
• Read books that cover a topic of your interest.
• Focus on your topic in each book.
• Distill the common thread from several books.
• Translate terms in your own words so you can compare and contrast ideas.
