It seems like I’ve seen several different websites post articles about how to read a book in the last few weeks. Many of them had some helpful suggestions; others didn’t make much sense to me. So I thought it might be nice to think through just how I read a book.
In the process of examining my method, I decided that others might benefit from my discoveries, and as a result, this article was written.
Some of the material I read had some interesting suggestions. One site instructed me to read the book through very quickly, scanning more than reading, looking for significant ideas. The next step was to follow that up with an in-depth read of the book. To finish, a third time through the book was necessary, reading only the sections I highlighted, underlined, or otherwise took notes about.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to read every book three times. That is simply not practical for my life. I understand the point that article was making, that this would help me to grasp a much larger portion of the material being read. But it just doesn’t seem workable for me.
Another blog suggested that I simply read the book, making no notes or highlights at all, allowing the material to sink into my mind on its own. This might work when I read fiction, but I won’t learn anything at all using this process. So that isn’t a practical way to read, either.
Here’s a brief look at how I read a book, the notes and symbols I use, and how it works for me. If this helps you, great. But just because I’ve found it to be useful, doesn’t mean that you will benefit from it just the same as I do.
