How to Retain More

“Finishing a book is easy. Understanding it is harder.”

In recent years, I have focused on building good reading habits and learned how to read more. But the key is not simply to read more, but to read better. For most people, the ultimate goal of reading a nonfiction book is to actually improve your life by learning a new skill, understanding an important problem, or looking at the world in a new way. It's important to read books, but it is just as important to remember what you read and put it to good use.

With that in mind, there are three reading comprehension strategies that can be used to make reading more productive.

1. Make all of your notes searchable.

Having searchable book notes is essential for returning to ideas easily. It increases the odds that you will apply what you read in real life. An idea is only useful if you can find it when you need it. There is no need to leave the task of reading comprehension solely up to your memory.

2. Integrate thoughts as you read.

When you go to the library, all of the books will be divided into different categories: engineering, management, science, psychology etc. In the real world, of course, knowledge is not separated into neatly defined boxes. Topics overlap and bleed into one another. All knowledge is interconnected.

Te most useful insights are often found at the intersection of ideas.

The most useful insights are often found at the intersection of ideas. For that reason, I try to consider how the book I'm reading connects with all of the ideas that are already knocking around inside my head. Whenever possible, I try to integrate the lessons I'm learning with previous ideas.

3. Summarize the book in one paragraph.

As soon as you finish a book, challenge yourself to summarize the entire text in just three sentences. This constraint is just a game, of course, but I do find it to be a useful exercise because it forces me also to review my notes and consider what was really important about the book.

Happy reading!