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Ewtw

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9 views3 pages

Ewtw

Uploaded by

Aya Moha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2.

Choose Books You Can Use Instantly

One way to improve reading comprehension is to choose books you can


immediately apply. Putting the ideas you read into action is one of the
best ways to secure them in your mind. Practice is a very effective form
of learning.

Choosing a book that you can use also provides a strong incentive to pay
attention and remember the material. That’s particularly true when
something important hangs in the balance. If you’re starting a business,
for example, then you have a lot of motivation to get everything you can
out of the sales book you’re reading. Similarly, someone who works in
biology might read The Origin of Species more carefully than a random
reader because it connects directly to their daily work.

Of course, not every book is a practical, how-to guide that you can apply
immediately, and that’s fine. You can find wisdom in many different
books. But I do find that I’m more likely to remember books that are
relevant to my daily life.

3. Create Searchable Notes


Keep notes on what you read. You can do this however you like. It
doesn’t need to be a big production or a complicated system. Just do
something to emphasize the important points and passages.

I do this in different ways depending on the format I’m consuming. I


highlight passages when reading on Kindle. I type out interesting quotes
as I listen to audiobooks. I dog-ear pages and transcribe notes when
reading a print book.

But here’s the real key: store your notes in a searchable format.

There is no need to leave the task of reading comprehension solely up to


your memory. I keep my notes in Evernote. I prefer Evernote over other
options because 1) it is instantly searchable, 2) it is easy to use across
multiple devices, and 3) you can create and save notes even when you’re
not connected to the internet.

I get my notes into Evernote in three ways:

I. Audiobook: I create a new Evernote file for each book and then type
my notes directly into that file as I listen.
II. Ebook: I highlight passages on my Kindle Paperwhite and use a
program called Clippings to export all of my Kindle highlights directly
into Evernote. Then, I add a summary of the book and any additional
thoughts before posting it to my book summaries page.

III. Print: Similar to my audiobook strategy, I type my notes as I read.


If I come across a longer passage I want to transcribe, I place the book
on a book stand as I type. (Typing notes while reading a print book can
be annoying because you are always putting the book down and picking
it back up, but this is the best solution I’ve found.)

Of course, your notes don’t have to be digital to be “searchable.” For


example, you can use Post-It Notes to tag certain pages for future
reference. As another option, Ryan Holiday suggests storing each note
on an index card and categorizing them by the topic or book.

The core idea is the same: Keeping searchable notes is essential for
returning to ideas easily. An idea is only useful if you can find it when
you need it.

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