Books Don’t Make You Smart. The Right Process of Reading a Book Does.
A step by step guide to foster understanding and turn theory into practice
You only retain 10% of what you read.
No matter how much you enjoy it, reading ranks second to lowest in the learning pyramid.
It may fill one with knowledge, but it doesn’t guarantee understanding. By itself, reading to learn is a waste of time unless you blend in some learning practices during and after you read. These practices, supported by science, increase recall, deepen understanding, and improve overall mental fitness. It’s like forming a six-pack in your brain.
Over time, I’ve refined my learning process to optimize reading non-fiction books for learning. Let me share it with you step by step.
1 — Skim
Before I start reading the first chapter of a book, I read its table of contents.
Doing these instantly tells me a few things: what the book is about, how it’s organized, and its main assertions. It’s like a map that tells me all the stops I’ll be taking.
