How To Read More.... And Remember What You Read

If you’re anything like me, walking into a bookshop is akin to a child entering toys R us for the first time.

Each aisle is filled with authors I'm convinced I must read, and I'm overwhelmed by the potential knowledge contained within. Unfortunately, too often, these books find their way squarely onto my bookshelf, where they silently judge me until moving day arrives. It took me many years to truly appreciate the beauty and value of books.

Despite my dad's constant reminders of how "important it is to read" during my childhood, I prioritized PlayStation and South Park (also important education!). However, as I matured and desired to make a meaningful impact, I realized that our actions are built upon the knowledge of previous generations. Some individuals dedicate most of their lives to delving deep into a particular subject, distilling their insights into a single book.

“The difference between who you are now and who you will be in 1 year is the number of books you read.”— Gavin Sus

Once you absorb the contents of a book, you gain the power to internalize its messages, adding your personal interpretation and experiences to create something novel. As the saying goes, "We are standing on the shoulders of giants."

So how do you cover more ground, whilst retaining the information that matters?

3 Tips to upgrade your knowledge game:

1) Audiobook + Commute = Progress

Seems simple, but it was a significant breakthrough for me. Rather than forcing myself to sit down for half an hour each day to read amidst today's myriad distractions, I found success in utilizing my commute. Audiobooks, particularly through services like Audible, provide a comprehensive library and because I'm paying each month for a book on my subscription, I'm motivated to keep reading so my credits don't go to waste!

2) Text to Speech

For those struggling with concentration or with books not yet available in audiobook format, solutions like Speechify offer a lifeline. This application converts any document, webpage, or even picture of text into an audiobook. It allows customization of narration voices, with options like my personal favorite, Snoop Dogg. Moreover, it highlights words as it narrates, facilitating focused reading along with improved comprehension and retention.

3) Create Notes

Though it may seem daunting, note-taking during reading can significantly enhance comprehension and retention. Inspired by Ali Abdaal's insights on the seven levels of reading, I realized the importance of treating reading more like learning - after all we probably care more about the information in the books we choose to read, instead of the textbooks we're forced to. While studying techniques vary, they all involve active recall — putting effort into information to engrain it in memory.

As I’m making my way through the book, I am on the lookout for ideas that I think would be useful to remember, and then I simply highlight them (or clip them on audible) and then move one. Once I’ve finished, I flick back to these points and then write a short paragraph summarising the main message that the book taught me and then choose 3 ideas that I would like to remember in the future (I use this template on notion as a guide). Once I’ve done that I file it away my notion page for book summaries and then periodically I can flick through them to refresh my memory. It takes about half an hour per book, but it's one of the best investments you can make to solidify your knowledge gains!

So what now?

In a lifetime, the average person will only read about 700 books, and from them, only a few ideas will be retained. By incorporating these methods into our routines — utilizing commute time, leveraging text-to-speech technology, and actively engaging with the material through note-taking — we can take control of our knowledge-gathering habits. These strategies propel us toward becoming the individuals we aspire to be.