Reading Books 101: Ultimate Way to Read for Maximum Understanding

[Ayham]

The big picture

I am presenting a way to read books that will increase your understanding and comprehension of books to the maximum you can go while not spending too much time, there are 6 steps in this process.

internalize the structure of the book and the table of contents

First, get an idea of the book, read the back of the book, introduction, etc.
then internalize the table of contents, you need to almost have it memorized.

Skim the chapter

Once you start a chapter you want to go through it quickly by reading the headings, bolded text, and whatever catches your attention, shouldnt take long.

Identify main points

After skimming, identify the main points in the chapter, these will be propostions of the author, not the arguments, not the examples, not the elaborations.
underline these main points and give them a special symbol (a star, a number, etc.)

Read the chapter 

Now, you have the big picture of the chapter, you have the ideas, now you will read for details, read and capture your thoughts on the margins of the book, and also underline other stuff (why you needed the symbol earlier) that give you insights or make you go "aha"

Summarize

After completing the chapter, summarize it in your own words, use the blank pages after the chapter or at the end of the book if available, before you summarize it, go through the big picture again by rereading the main points underlined.

Capture (optional)

Make a digital summary in your commonplace book, whether its obsidian, evernote, onenote, notion, etc.

"But that takes a lot of time!"

Yes i hear your concern.
To make up for that, use a speed reading techinque when reading, i am against speed reading since it makes you focus on completion rather than understanding, but if you are doing all this, you need to balance it, and I will give you a good and simple speed reading technique:
dont read word to word, group words (3-5 words), and use a pencil while you read (dont move it linearly, move it under each group of words), it might be hard at first, but if you master it you can go through pages extremely fast.

But still, dont focus on speed, reading a book a week is a bad idea since you will rememeber nothing and it will not transform you.
I personally read a book a month, but i go through it with this process so it is worth it.

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Ayham

[RobertZ]

It’s a good reminder. I’ll try skimming the chapter and conceptualizing the contents first.

 

I suppose a chapter summarization would help me to remember what I read and get more out of it (instead of forgetting most everything). However, then there is still something to be said for the habit of reading. The thought, ‘I can only read if I summarize’ might deter me from reading. 

[Ayham]

@RobertZ

yes i get what you are saying, that summarizing might make it hard to start reading since you feel friction. 

the benefit of summarizing and doing all of this is that once you finish a book this way, you have digested it. 

the negative can be time spent and maybe it can suck the joy (for me though, i have more fun this way) 

maybe try to do this only for the best of books?