Post: #1

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Post: #2

Making an outline as you go along is the most effective way. I'm rereading and doing that with Bang and Day Bang this weekend actually.

Post: #3

Back in my beta nerd days, this high-school reading method has helped me so much.

First, make some predictions on it before reading. Hell, make 3. After creating those 3 predictions, go off and begin reading.

Get a highlighter and a pen.
Write notes on the side of your text about how you feel about the quote.

For example: if a book has "to fuck a bitch you fuck a bitch" in it's chapter.
*You'd write down on somewhere on the side your thoughts or a summary of the quote.

By doing these two you'll be able to have a good time reading the book and figuring out if your predicitons are right. And then the annotations help you retain the information. I hate reading books, but this method has made it bearable.

Post: #4

Don't go past a word that you don't understand. Don't just invent a definition for a word, look it up, find the applicable definition, then reread the sentence. If you don't understand a word in the definition, make a note and look up that word, then reread the definition. The mind goes blank after you pass a word you don't understand, and this non understanding causes you to individuate from the material. If you understand it, you remain engaged and can remember the material. At first it is slow, but you will get faster over time.

You will sometimes think you understand everything and naturally keep reading, but if you find yourself sitting there blankly looking at a paragraph and you don't remember what you just read, then go back a bit until you last felt engaged and could remember the material then work forward and find the misunderstood word that caused the problem. It takes work. It is not easy.

This is the main reason I read so many eBooks. I can simply hold my finger on a word I don't understand and a definition pops right up, which is faster than using a standalone dictionary, however, I also suggest investing in a good stand alone dictionary.

Simple, but powerful. Most people were never taught to do this in school. It makes all the difference in the world.

There is actually a whole technology behind this, and more, which includes looking up other definitions as well, using them in examples, and looking up the etymology of the word. If anyone wants to learn more PM me and I'll point you in the right direction.

Post: #5

Read the book. Write a book report or executive summary of the book, noting all of the book's points.

A book that is any good needs to be re-read, anyway.

Non-fiction ain't porn where you watch a little, get off, and then go about your day.

A good book should fuck up your head, causing you to question what you've been doing; and inspiring you to think of things to do in the future.

Post: #6

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Post: #7

-Set a reward for yourself for finishing a book. Anything you want--a candy bar, the purchase of a good shirt, a lap dance. You want to wire yourself, a la Pavlov's dog, to link a dopamine hit with the act of finishing a book so you'll want to do it more.

-The Kindle is indispensable. Highlight all the important passages as you read. At a later time--weeks, months, years--skim just the highlighted portions. In this way it'll take you only 15 or 20 minutes to revise a book and recall everything useful in it.

-Audiobooks are excellent. An audiobook makes use of the time otherwise wasted on shitty pop music or talk radio while driving or commuting. Also have a physical copy of the book so you'll have something for your notes.

-If there's anything you want to remember from a book you're reading, you must write it down. If you don't remember what you've read later on, reading a book is merely flitting information porn across your eyes and is no better than watching TV. I don't read nonfiction books without a laptop in front of me---I've recently purchased a netbook strictly for taking notes on the books I'm reading.

-Have curious, intelligent friends who are good conversationalists, so you can discuss what you've read. Avoid idiots whose minds are dull.

-Impress girls with what you've read. You have to stir your game and your conversation together. Books endow your conversation with scope and depth that other men that don't have and set you apart.

Post: #8

You guys are awesome - I"m a voracious reader, and these are great tips!

Here's an idea I got from "Work from Home at Any Age," by J.J. Luna - he's the guy who wrote "How to Be Invisible," and while he's eccentric, all his books are worth a read.

Anyhow, for this you just use the inside cover and all the blank pages in the beginning of the book to take notes as you read. All you do is write down the page number of anything useful or interesting and a quick note describing what it was.

When you want to review a book, it's all right there. If you want to catch up on a particular subject, just pick up the the book with most notations in the front and you can safely assume it's his best book you have on the subject.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #9

Read a book that is relevant to what you feel you need to get in your brain at the moment. Dont just read self-help because you have a vague sense that you should be improving yourself... it will go in one ear and out the other.

Figure out specifically what you need to learn/absorb/understand, then find the best books on it. That way you're automatically tuned into the good stuff and your brain can instantly fit it into your immediate context.

i.e. my last 3 books:

-A Feelance Writing Book (because thats what Ive started doing)
-A "How to get clients" book (again because that was exactly what I needed to learn)
-A book on optimising systems in business and personal life (also a pressing issue)

Then, before you read: Look at the table of contents properly, and flick through a few sections that jump out, ideally a day or two before you begin to read. Then when you read it you'll have a feel for where it's coming from, and be ready to slot it into the gaps in your knowledge.

Also, highlight the best stuff and review highlights when you finished.

For really awesome life-changing books you can make your own set of notes, but I find this always ends up being less useful than I imagine it would be when Im taking the notes (although sometimes it pays off).

BTW, Kindle/e-reader is awesome for highlights and quickly reviewing sections at your computer while you're working (you can store all the ebooks on your PC too). It's also perfect for travelling.

Post: #10

(11-08-2012 04:23 AM)XII Wrote:  -Set a reward for yourself for finishing a book. Anything you want--a candy bar, the purchase of a good shirt, a lap dance. You want to wire yourself, a la Pavlov's dog, to link a dopamine hit with the act of finishing a book so you'll want to do it more.

-The Kindle is indispensable. Highlight all the important passages as you read. At a later time--weeks, months, years--skim just the highlighted portions. In this way it'll take you only 15 or 20 minutes to revise a book and recall everything useful in it.

-Audiobooks are excellent. An audiobook makes use of the time otherwise wasted on shitty pop music or talk radio while driving or commuting. Also have a physical copy of the book so you'll have something for your notes.

-If there's anything you want to remember from a book you're reading, you must write it down. If you don't remember what you've read later on, reading a book is merely flitting information porn across your eyes and is no better than watching TV. I don't read nonfiction books without a laptop in front of me---I've recently purchased a netbook strictly for taking notes on the books I'm reading.

-Have curious, intelligent friends who are good conversationalists, so you can discuss what you've read. Avoid idiots whose minds are dull.

-Impress girls with what you've read. You have to stir your game and your conversation together. Books endow your conversation with scope and depth that other men that don't have and set you apart.

This.

Kindle will keep all highlights in a file called myclippings.txt. which you can then format into a more readable format here: http://clippingsconverter.com/

Then you can clean up and paste them in a google documents, highlight, bold quotes that have most powerful effect on you.

I usually highlight and and separate quotes based on various things: power, seduction, money, strategy, jokes, anecdotes, business, etc.

Start doing this with kindle books and regular books (carry a highlighter with you everywhere), look up any words you don't know while reading (easier on kindle, just tap a word and gives you the definition). IF you follow these sort of rules while reading you start reading to actively learn. Anything you forget you can go back and look up.

I started doing this based on coming across this site and article: http://www.ryanholiday.net/read-to-lead-...our-level/

Very good site for improving your life, he also has some great reading lists if you're into life, marketing, history, etc.

Books to base your life on:
http://www.ryanholiday.net/reading-list/
http://www.ryanholiday.net/reading-list-email-archive/