I'm wondering if your process is the same for nonfiction books as it is for fiction? Are you taking notes and using retrieval practice on themes/plots of novels you feel tell an important truth? Or do you tend to let fiction be something more leisurely?
Thanks for asking this :) I don't use to read fiction a lot. But when I do I only take a few notes about something that really resonated with me. This could be a phrase, a story, etc. Fiction inspires me to do science and to write.
I always read to get new ideas to apply them in research or to complement my knowledge.
Plus, if I really enjoyed the book, I like to chat in groups, forums, or comment in social media about it. This is another kind of retrieval practice :) But this more a hobby than learning itself.
However, if I would be a fiction writer, I would take more notes and insights to perfect my writing.
Thanks for your post, Axel. I think you make some good points here and I love your thirst of knowledge. I've given up on remembering everything from books, not because it's impossible, but simply because authors of non-fiction have 1 or 2 good points they are trying to make. My approach has been to understand these points without getting too bogged down in the details. Of course, I enjoy the details and the story at the moment, but I don't get too stressed trying to recall and learn everything. I love to discuss what I read with others; that also deepens the experience and recall. I'll have to check out Obsidian though, I love learning about new tools!
Thanks for sharing this Matt. Your approach sounds super effective. And you are super right. For example, books about the neuroscience of consciousness always start with the same philosophical problems. The central arguments are always a few. If I try to remember and learn every detail of the books I would drown in information haha
Great post again! I had the same problem, and starting to write about what I read changed my capacity to retain information. Another thing I like to do is watch and read reviews about the books I have just finished. In my opinion, this helps to expand my understanding of the text and pay attention to things I didn’t find important before.
I'm wondering if your process is the same for nonfiction books as it is for fiction? Are you taking notes and using retrieval practice on themes/plots of novels you feel tell an important truth? Or do you tend to let fiction be something more leisurely?
Thanks for asking this :) I don't use to read fiction a lot. But when I do I only take a few notes about something that really resonated with me. This could be a phrase, a story, etc. Fiction inspires me to do science and to write.
I always read to get new ideas to apply them in research or to complement my knowledge.
Plus, if I really enjoyed the book, I like to chat in groups, forums, or comment in social media about it. This is another kind of retrieval practice :) But this more a hobby than learning itself.
However, if I would be a fiction writer, I would take more notes and insights to perfect my writing.
Thanks for your post, Axel. I think you make some good points here and I love your thirst of knowledge. I've given up on remembering everything from books, not because it's impossible, but simply because authors of non-fiction have 1 or 2 good points they are trying to make. My approach has been to understand these points without getting too bogged down in the details. Of course, I enjoy the details and the story at the moment, but I don't get too stressed trying to recall and learn everything. I love to discuss what I read with others; that also deepens the experience and recall. I'll have to check out Obsidian though, I love learning about new tools!
Thanks for sharing this Matt. Your approach sounds super effective. And you are super right. For example, books about the neuroscience of consciousness always start with the same philosophical problems. The central arguments are always a few. If I try to remember and learn every detail of the books I would drown in information haha
Great post again! I had the same problem, and starting to write about what I read changed my capacity to retain information. Another thing I like to do is watch and read reviews about the books I have just finished. In my opinion, this helps to expand my understanding of the text and pay attention to things I didn’t find important before.
And hello, neighbor! I am from Brazil.
Hello neighbor! So glad to meet more latinos :)
Reading reviews is an excellent suggestion. It helps you to get other points of views and expand understanding.