The Power of Retaining More from Every Book You Read

Kazuki

Hatched by Kazuki

Sep 08, 2023

4 min read

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The Power of Retaining More from Every Book You Read

Reading has the incredible power to change how we interpret our past experiences. As Patrick O'Shaughnessy wisely says, "Reading changes the past." It allows us to gain new perspectives and insights that can reshape our values and beliefs. This is why it is crucial to not only read more books but also to retain more from each book we read.

Patrick Collison, the founder of Stripe, puts it beautifully when he says, "Life is too short to not read the very best book you know of right now." So how can we make the most out of the books we read? Here are seven ways to retain more from every book:

  • 1. Start more books, quit most of them, and read the great ones twice.

One way to improve reading comprehension is to choose books that you can immediately apply to your life. By putting the ideas you read into action, you solidify them in your mind. Practice is a highly effective form of learning. So don't be afraid to start multiple books and quit those that don't resonate with you. But when you come across a truly great book, read it not just once, but twice. Returning to these books cements the ideas in your mind and allows you to uncover new insights with each reading.

  • 2. Keep searchable notes to emphasize important points.

Taking notes on what you read is essential for retaining information. You can do this in whatever way works best for you. It doesn't have to be a complicated system; the key is to emphasize the important points and passages. One effective way to do this is by using a digital note-taking app like Evernote. It offers instant searchability, easy accessibility across multiple devices, and the ability to create and save notes even offline. By storing your notes in a searchable format, you can easily revisit ideas whenever you need them.

  • 3. Summarize the book in just three sentences.

As soon as you finish a book, challenge yourself to summarize the entire text in just three sentences. This constraint forces you to distill the main ideas and think about what was truly important about the book. Ask yourself: What are the main ideas? If you were to implement one idea right now, which one would it be? How would you describe the book to a friend? This exercise not only helps with retention but also improves your ability to communicate and share knowledge with others.

Now that we've explored strategies for retaining more from every book, let's delve into the concept of the wisdom of the crowd. The wisdom of the crowd is the collective opinion of a group of individuals, which often proves to be more accurate than that of a single expert. This phenomenon arises because different individuals possess unique knowledge that, when combined, enhances the overall understanding of a topic.

Studies have shown that the wisdom of the crowd is effective in a variety of settings, both human and non-human. For example, a group of Golden Shiners (a type of fish) is much more efficient at finding shady areas in a body of water compared to a single Shiner. The collective knowledge of the group enables them to navigate and find shade more effectively.

To harness the wisdom of the crowd, it is crucial to have a diverse and independent group. This diversity allows for a wide range of answers and opinions, canceling out extreme responses and leading to a more accurate collective judgment. However, it is important to note that the wisdom of the crowd does not compensate for cognitive biases or systematic errors that affect the opinions of the entire group.

In recent years, researchers have developed techniques to tap into the wisdom of the crowd. One such technique is the "surprisingly popular" method, which asks individuals to provide two responses: what they think the right answer is and what they believe the popular opinion will be. The difference between these two answers often reveals the correct answer. This approach leverages the collective knowledge of the crowd while accounting for individual biases and idiosyncrasies.

While the wisdom of the crowd is a powerful concept, it is also important to recognize the limitations of individual cognition. Each person's judgment is subject to stochastic noise, and asking oneself the same question multiple times does not necessarily lead to a more accurate answer. In fact, research suggests that the average of a large number of judgments from different people is often more accurate than the average of multiple judgments from the same person.

In conclusion, reading is a transformative experience that can change how we interpret the past. To make the most out of the books we read, it is essential to retain more from each book. By starting more books, quitting those that don't resonate, and reading the great ones twice, we deepen our understanding and uncover new insights. Taking searchable notes and summarizing the main ideas help solidify knowledge and make it easily accessible. Additionally, understanding the wisdom of the crowd can enhance decision-making and lead to more accurate collective judgments. By combining these strategies, we can maximize our learning potential and foster a commitment to lifelong learning. As the philosopher Karl Popper beautifully puts it, "Anything worth reading is not only worth reading twice, but worth reading again and again."

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