Notes for James Clear’s post:
A good book can give you a new way to interpret your past experiences.
Sample more books.
It’s relatively easy to tell if a book will be useful to you, and whether the writing is well done. Spend more time on the better books and feel free to stop reading the useless ones.
Choose books that give you actionables.
Books that give you actions allow you to practice what you’ve read. This helps you retain information. If the book is practical, for examples, recommends specific experiments to try for losing weight, you’ll be more focused as you read.
Keep notes that can be searched.
Searchable notes allow you to go back to key ideas in the future. The problem with traditional note taking records, is that you might have a problem finding a specific note across many books read across many years.
Actively work to make connections.
Insights shared across books are likely very important. Moreover, the ability to link across books strengthens your memory for the concept.
Make high-level summaries.
When you look over your summary, it often times can enhance your recall of the entire book. James mentions Richard Feynman’s strategy:
Write the name of the book at the top of a blank sheet of paper, then write down how you’d explain the book to someone who had never heard of it.
Read broadly around a topic.
Reading from a single book can bias your perspective. Using multiple sources allows you to see the topic with a more nuanced view. It is also a form of practice, in the sense that you will see many of the same concepts across books.
Read the book multiple times.
Your perspective or needs from the book may change over time. What was once irrelevant on the first read may become more important at a later time.