Add book reading method

Author: canro91

Diff for: _posts/2024-05-13-HowToReadNonFictionBooks.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "How I read non-fiction books for more retention"
+tags: books
+cover: Cover.png
+cover-alt: "An opened book on a table" 
+---
+
+These days, I've started reading "E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber. I noticed that I developed my own method of reading books. Today, I want to share it: this is how I read non-fiction books for more retention.
+
+To read books, I follow a method based mainly on the Zettelkasten method, described in the book [How to Take Smart Notes]({% post_url 2020-11-18-HowToTakeSmartNotes %}). With the Zettelkasten method, we keep literature and permanent notes and follow a process to convert literature notes to permanent notes. It boils down to creating connections between notes.
+
+I adapted the Zettelkasten method to use plain text instead of pieces of paper. [I'm a big fan of plain text]({% post_url 2020-08-29-HowITakeNotes %}).
+
+The key to retain more from the books we read is to read actively. Read looking for answers and connecting what we read to previous learnings.
+
+This is the six-step process I follow to read non-fiction books.
+
+## Step 1: Intention
+
+I switched from reading a book just for the sake of reading to reading a book to answer questions.
+
+I don't jump into a book with the same attitude if I'm just curious about a subject or want to answer a particular question. I learned I don't have to read books from cover to cover.
+
+For example, I started reading the "The E-Myth Revisited" to learn how to run a solo consulting practice.
+
+## Step 2: Overview
+
+Then, I have a grasp of the book and its content. I use reviews, summaries, podcast interviews, or anything else to understand the overall book content.
+
+Recently, I started to experiment with Copilot for this step. I ask Copilot to generate an executive summary of a book, for example.
+
+## Step 3: Note
+
+Then, I create a new Markdown file for the book note. For every note, I use the date and the book title as the title.
+
+I divide each book note into two halves. The first half is for questions and connections, and the second half is for the actual notes.
+
+{% include image.html name="HowIReadBooks.png" alt="a rectangle divided into two halves" caption="My note structure and links between notes" width="600px" %}
+
+Also, I link to the new book note from the book index and the subject index. The book index is a note that links to all books I have read, in alphabetical order. The subject index is a note that references all other notes related to a specific subject. These two types of notes are entry points into my note vault.
+
+For example, I could link to "The E-Myth Revisited" note from a "Consulting" index note.
+
+## Step 4: Question
+
+After creating a new note, I read the table of contents, introduction, and conclusion looking for the book's structure and interesting topics. I skim through the book to find anything that grabs my attention: boxes, graphs, and tables.
+
+In the first half of the book note, I write questions I have about the subject and questions that arose after skimming the book. I got this idea of asking questions about a book before reading from [Jim Kwik's speed reading videos on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@JimKwik).
+
+If I decide not to read the book from cover to cover, I create an index of the chapters and sections I want to read or the ones I don't want to. I keep this index for future reference. I learned this idea from [SuperOrganizers' Surgical Reading](https://every.to/superorganizers/surgical-reading-how-to-read-12-books-580014).
+
+## Step 5: Read
+
+Then, I read the book while keeping note of interesting parts and quotes in the second half of my book note. I try not to copy and paste passages from the book into my notes but to write things in my own words, except for quotes.
+
+After every chapter, I stop to recall the main ideas from that chapter.
+
+Also, while reading the book, I answer the initial questions in the first half of the note.
+
+## Step 6: Connections
+
+While reading or after finishing a chapter, I notice connections with other subjects and my existing knowledge. I use the first half of the note to write these connections and link to other notes.
+
+This is the step where I write my book critique: how this expands or contradicts anything else I've learned.
+
+For these connections and critique, the Zettelkasten method recommends a separate set of notes: the permanent notes. The original Zettelkasten proponent used separate handwritten notes and slip boxes for his permanent notes. I keep my permanent notes in the same file but in the first half. This way, the next time I open it, I find my connections and critique first.
+
+Voila! That's how I read non-fiction books. It's a combination of the Zettelkasten method with a pre-reading step and my own note structure.
+
+For more content about learning and reading, check my takeaways from [Ultralearning]({% post_url 2020-07-14-UltralearningTakeaways %}), [Pragmatic Thinking and Learning]({% post_url 2020-05-07-PragmaticThinkingAndLearning %}), and [Show Your Work]({% post_url 2020-10-01-ShowYourWorkTakeaways %}).
+
+_Happy reading!_