How to not read a book

Jvet

I recently received on my YouTube feed this video by Mark Manson:

How to read a book

What are your opinions?

I'm surprised he claims you remember what you read by NOT taking notes. However, I do agree that you have to put into practice what you read, as Sascha wrote in a post I read here.

Vinho

@Jvet: He doesn't claim that not taking notes helps us remembering things – I would find that extremely implausible. But he does claim that highlighting and note-taking are worthless for remembering things – "backing it up" with the titles of a few studies (11:00 onwards is the relevant part of the video). Unfortunately he doesn't realise that there are many different methods of highlighting and note-taking, only some of which are looked at in those studies. Don't think he thought this claim through very deeply...

I often take notes whilst reading non-fiction, but not for the purpose of remembering what I read. Taking notes helps me understand what I read in the first place. If he doesn't take notes whilst reading a complex text, he is either a true genius or he doesn't actually understand what he is reading.

After reading, I also put notes about interesting things I've read in my zettelkasten. Not to remember the insights in the sense of them always being present in my mind – I know that I will forget things, even if I find them important and useful.
I take these notes to find insights I once had again and "regain them" when I need to – then I can build on them instead of having to start from scratch.

Jvet

@Vinho said:
I often take notes whilst reading non-fiction, but not for the purpose of remembering what I read. Taking notes helps me understand what I read in the first place. If he doesn't take notes whilst reading a complex text, he is either a true genius or he doesn't actually understand what he is reading.

I do it too, and I think he does too. When he talks about reading hard philosophical books he doesn't mention how he digest them, but I'm sure taking notes is part of it.

After reading, I also put notes about interesting things I've read in my zettelkasten. Not to remember the insights in the sense of them always being present in my mind – I know that I will forget things, even if I find them important and useful.
I take these notes to find insights I once had again and "regain them" when I need to – then I can build on them instead of having to start from scratch.

I also have started taking physical notes which I then write to the archive. I'm only starting to do it, so I sometimes don't know what to store inside my digital ZK.

Thanks for your sharing insight.

TRumnell

"The good shit sticks"

Quoted from a source I can't remember because I didn't take notes. But I remember that part.