Is It Really Beneficial To Read Full Books?

[GigaWiser78]

So let me just introduce myself here as GigaWiser, hello everyone on the forum! (I hope this is the correct sub-forum for this topic)

I am very new and fresh to this forum here on actualized.org, so please forgive me if it shows and let me know if I do anything wrong and i'll try to correct it as best i can(Note that I have read through the guidelines and i'll do my best to follow them, but there was quite a bit there to remember)

Ok so, I have been thinking a little lately as I am reading my books on personal development and such, and it struck me that there are actually places on the web you can go to get summarized notes of the content in many said self growth books. And so, I started contemplating as to what the true value of reading so many books from start to finish really is. if it is true that I can easily access high quality crafted summaries of these books and therefore be able to digest the wisdom in a fraction of the time it would take to read a 100-300+ page book, then I suppose my question of the day is whether the value of consuming a full out text is still worth all the time put into it just to absorb the smaller details contained within? I feel as though much time can be saved by avoiding reading dozens of books in favor of notes. But what do you guys think about this?

Any insights into this is certainly welcome and appreciated! I'll be interested in hearing your replies

I am only just now starting my personal development journey, and I am rather bad at it right now, but i am hoping to grow in time, thank you!

[Pav]

I find that summaries just aren't enough to give you the full, in depth, rich understanding of the topic. A summary will leave out a lot of valuable information. You will also be relying on someone else's interpretation on the text, I believe it to be much more beneficial to read the book for your self and form your own interpretation and see how it merges with your experiences and existing knowledge.

One thing I've noticed is how there is really no decent summary of the concept of self-actualisation, peak experiences, or Being-cognition. Most don't even come close. Even Leo's video don't give a full understanding. The only way I've found to gain a rich understanding of these topic has been to read Maslow's books for my self.

Also reading is enjoyable.

[ChimpBrain]

I use the audio book versions. I've knocked out three 6-11hr books this week already ,not sure what that'd amount to in pages. I listen while driving, sitting at my computer, washing dishes, cooking, eating, or just sitting on my couch winding down before bed. Download the audible app and get the books on your phone so you can take them anywhere. Multitasking

[GigaWiser78]

Mat Pav

Interesting, so your saying that some of these growth books are so packed with wisdom that a summary can't do it justice? In that case, I suppose i'll go on to read the full text then

I also find it interesting that you say to compare your existing insights and findings with the wisdom in the books, and I agree with that too, I think it's very practical to line up what you know and have experimented with on a personal level with said wisdom, which in turn reinforces the validity of the text if things are in fact lining up properly

Of course, Leo's videos can only scratch the surface with at most 1 hour a pop, but I think they serve more as an introduction to important concepts that can inspire a person to inquire further on his own

By the way, thanks for the post! Feel free to add any more should you wish