As I continue to read and study books, I find myself not being able to remember or really understand what I have read. I have a horrible memory to begin with and it can be very difficult for me to remember details, which hinders me in my understanding and reading comprehension. I have been looking for new ways to read and study and I have come across a couple of videos whose tips and ideas I am going to share here.
In his YouTube video, Paul C. Brunson outlines 6 steps to help better reading comprehension. He is not explicit with the steps and they seem to blend in with one another, but the points are all listed below. He also provides some useful information that I will include in this list.
Setting aside time to read (he mentions that he reads 3 books, 12 hours a week)
Most people remember less than 50% of what they read
Step 1: Read the Table of Contents
The Table of Contents is the authors road map of what they will be discussing in the book
Step 2: Look for key pieces of arguments
Underline/highlight any piece of supporting evidence that the author is using to make their case
Step 3: Take Notes
Write down any book suggestions
Write down any thoughts you have while reading
Circle words or phrases that you don’t understand and immediately research them
Step 4: Write a 2-3 sentence summary at the end of each chapter
Write, in your own words, what you think the author has conveyed in the chapter
Step 5: After finishing the book leave it be for several days to a week
Step 6: After the week or so is up, return to the book
Review all of the summaries and notes you made throughout the book
Go back through the chapter to see if the notes you took match the supporting evidence for your summary
Test yourself for any of the words or phrases you didn’t understand at first
“The beauty of the review is it’s in the review where the content in the book cements to your mind”
Extra Step: Once your done with the 6 steps, write down the 3 main points made in the book
“How would you describe what the book is about?”
Final Step: Write down 3 big ideas
Review the supporting evidence from what you’ve underlined/highlighted
Don’t be afraid to be creative and innovative when crafting the ideas
Use the evidence provided by the author to formulate these ideas
Consider tools, resources, or strategies offered by the author
Another YouTube video that comes from Robin Waldun provides more tips when it comes to note taking while reading.
Do a broad inspectional reading of the chapter
Get a feel for the structure of the chapter
Where are the paragraph breaks?
Are there lists or headings?
Are there subparagraphs?
Getting a good feel for the structure makes it a lot easier to pick out the arguments
Pick out what arguments are being presented
This repeated tip is to drive home the point that it is essential to look for what the author is really trying to say
Number the arguments as you come across them
Reread the chapter and taking notes, underlining/highlighting on the second read through
Summarize the chapter after finishing it
The way Robin breaks down the process is a little more meticulous, but it makes sense to break down the steps into fragments and slowly build them up. Rereading a chapter can add a lot of extra time, but you will become that much more familiar with the content and perhaps even discover an argument that you missed the first time.
It’s really not about how many books can be read, but how well you can know the books that you have read. I have books by Carl Jung and Jordan Peterson that are painfully difficult to get through, let alone understand the complexity of what they are talking about. It may take me years to understand even a little bit of it, but that would be time well spent.
I highly suggest Robin Waldun’s channel if you’re a writer or someone interested in learning how to read more proficiently.
Here is Paul C. Brunson’s channel as well.
Happy Reading!