Deep Learning with Books and Reading

[LukeZ]

To those who read a lot and feel that you have a lot of comprehension, can apply the knowledge in new ways, and feel that the knowledge is fluid:

What is your process for going about reading and thinking about the material?

Do you read it linearly or non-linearly? Like jump from page to page or skip chapter to chapter back and forth?

How do you revise the material and take notes?

I read Leo's blog post about the books he's been reading and it seems like he reads quite efficiently while maintaining good knowledge mastery. I've been wanting to refine my own processes and techniques. I usually get through books pretty slowly.

My sense is that contemplation is important to the whole process. Reading from a critical frame I've learned helps not just with the application of the knowledge in new ways, but also long-term memory. Just reading a book linearly with no goal isn't going to help with understanding or memory of it. 

[lostingenosmaze]

"How to Read a Book" by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren is a good book for this, I have it myself and I recommend it. I usually skim the beginning and end of the book, those sections plus the Table of Contents can give you a good idea of what the book is like. Then I decide whether it's worth it to read cover to cover or just the relevant information I need. I also use a highlighter to highlight key sentences as I read, and there are times I take notes on the book itself in the margins.

[Brandon Nankivell]

On 9/27/2024 at 1:41 PM, LukeZ said:

To those who read a lot and feel that you have a lot of comprehension, can apply the knowledge in new ways, and feel that the knowledge is fluid:

What is your process for going about reading and thinking about the material?

Do you read it linearly or non-linearly? Like jump from page to page or skip chapter to chapter back and forth?

How do you revise the material and take notes?

I read Leo's blog post about the books he's been reading and it seems like he reads quite efficiently while maintaining good knowledge mastery. I've been wanting to refine my own processes and techniques. I usually get through books pretty slowly.

My sense is that contemplation is important to the whole process. Reading from a critical frame I've learned helps not just with the application of the knowledge in new ways, but also long-term memory. Just reading a book linearly with no goal isn't going to help with understanding or memory of it. 

I'm a huge advocate of 'the good shit sticks' which I heard from Tim Ferriss.

So basically no process whatsoever apart from simply reading until I get to the end, and the good shit will stick.

I do highlight stuff that evokes a significant 'oooh' or 'ahhh' in me.

I do on-the-fly internet research or put-the-book-down-and-think if I I feel it's something important to digest so I fully comprehend.

This is for most topics I am reading out of general interest.

If I were studying for an exam, doing school work, or writing for a work project - I would be more intentional about using processes like copy and pasting to a doc, deeper internet research on stuff I don't understand, cross-comparing highlights with stuff I've highlighted in other books.

I often do a general 'book scan' for the nuggets or point of interest by examining the table of contents and reading the first and last bits of each chapter.

[Leo Gura]

I read 5-10 books at a time. Linear, not jumping around. But I will skip intros and irrelevant or useless parts. No notes. If a book is bad or low info, I stop reading it and look for a better one.

Edited September 30 by Leo Gura

[gettoefl]

Reading opens doors

Writing cements ideas

Only what comes out of your own head is worth a lick

That's why forum participation is useful

And needless to say, writing > speaking > thinking

 

[CARDOZZO]

Search for a book called "Building a Second Brain" by Tiago Forte.

[Terell Kirby]

6 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I read 5-10 books at a time. Linear, not jumping around. But I will skip intros and irrelevant or useless parts. No notes. If a book is bad or low info, I stop reading it and look for a better one.

I recall somewhere on your booklist page you recommended reading with a pen and annotating, then writing out top insights from books and where to apply in life. Do you still use a pen when reading?

[QandC]

Non-linear. My intuiton always guides me to the right pages lol. Just roll with it. 

By the way Leo, we need a NEW BOOK LIST (Society stuff)

[Ash55]

I listen to audiobooks 90% of the time, when something important i take note other wise i might repeat the book 2nd or third time while cleaning working cooking traveling etc, just so i can get high value from great books, sometime i only listen to small portion of the book and drop it or half of it

[chess_king]

8 minutes ago, Ash55 said:

I listen to audiobooks 90% of the time, when something important i take note other wise i might repeat the book 2nd or third time while cleaning working cooking traveling etc, just so i can get high value from great books, sometime i only listen to small portion of the book and drop it or half of it

 

Naval says that audiobooks are useless , better to read texts 

[chess_king]

You need to know why you are reading what is your end goal , reading for the sake of reading or "acquiring knowledge" is a waste of time imo 

[Ash55]

4 minutes ago, chess_king said:

Naval says that audiobooks are useless

who tf is Naval lol, for me there are entire courses as audiobook format insanely insightful, but everyone is different
i concentrate on audiobook better than physical ones, and i listen to ones packed with wisdom

[chess_king]

6 minutes ago, Ash55 said:

i concentrate on audiobook better than physical ones

This is literally impossible , when reading all your focus is on the book you cant multitask while listening your focus is scattered, it's not a preference thing its a scientific fact.

Edited September 30 by chess_king

[Something Funny]

8 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I read 5-10 books at a time. Linear, not jumping around. But I will skip intros and irrelevant or useless parts. No notes. If a book is bad or low info, I stop reading it and look for a better one.

Do you find time spent making notes not worth it?

I've noticed that when I try to take notes it slows me down a lot and I don't use them much afterwards.

[Leo Gura]

4 hours ago, Terell Kirby said:

I recall somewhere on your booklist page you recommended reading with a pen and annotating, then writing out top insights from books and where to apply in life. Do you still use a pen when reading?

I underline if I have a physical book. But 95% of my "reading" is audio books now.

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, Something Funny said:

Do you find time spent making notes not worth it?

I've noticed that when I try to take notes it slows me down a lot and I don't use them much afterwards.

It mostly takes too much time.

You can make a small list of top take-aways at the end of each book.

[Something Funny]

@Leo Gura do you have a "workflow" for learning things?

Do you just consume content about it and then whatever sticks - sticks?

I feel like I am kind of bad at making useful notes and somehow using the commonplace book productively when learning.

[Leo Gura]

7 minutes ago, Something Funny said:

do you have a "workflow" for learning things?

At this point, no. It's all just pure intuition for me now. I rapidly flip through videos, websites, news, books, audio books, speeches, podcasts -- and rapidly and intuitively sort the crap from the gold. It's all about finding the gold in a ocean of crap.

I used to hold books and people in high regard. Now I just pick through their bones like a vulture looking for the organ meat. If I see no organ meat I fly off to the next carcass.

#EpistemicVulture

Edited September 30 by Leo Gura

[Something Funny]

@Leo Gura 

 

Ok, thanks for sharing.

[Nemra]

@Leo Gura, don't steal my method! 😁