Six ways to be able to retain and recall what you have read

Shane Parrish of The Knowledge Project has written a rather meaty article on how to remember what you have read.

Here are the highlights:

1. Quality matters more than quantity. If you read one book a month but fully appreciate and absorb it, you’ll be better off than someone who skims half the library without paying attention.
2. Speed-reading is bullshit. Getting the rough gist and absorbing the lessons are two different things. Confuse them at your peril.
3. Book summary services miss the point. A lot of companies charge ridiculous prices for access to vague summaries bearing only the faintest resemblance to anything in the book. Summaries can be a useful jumping-off point to explore your curiosity, but you cannot learn from them the way you can from the original text.*
4. Fancy apps and tools are not needed. A notebook, index cards, and a pen will do just fine.
5. We shouldn’t read stuff we find boring. Life is far too short.
6. Finishing the book is optional. You should start a lot of books and only finish a few of them.

Enjoy the full article here

Be exceptional! Bill – Certified Growth Coach, Foundations in NeuroLeadership certified, PI Certified Partner, 100COACHES member coach (bill@catalystgrowthadvisors.com; www.catalystgrowthadvisors.com) For MA companies ONLY, as an approved Training and Development provider, Catalyst Growth Advisors can offer up to 50% off program fees. Click here to see if you qualify. Please click here to download or purchase my book Further, Faster – The Vital Few Steps that Take the Guesswork out of Growth.