I cannot read without a pencil. I highlight the important passages and then I make an effort of memorizing that passages. Think you're a monk and are reading the Bible, reading by verses and memorizing, incorporating that into your knowledge. Take notes of related ideas, expand the text, don't be reductionist, think of the whole.
Ask HN: How Do You Read?
141–150 of 258 posts
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#142Love this question. Something I've thought a lot about! My personal reading strategy has a few interrelated parts:
Building an antilibrary
What books should be “on my list”? A while back I started out with making an Amazon wish list and adding any books I found that looked interesting. That soon got overwhelming so I made a smaller, more selective list for my top “antilibrary” picks. Eventually I decided to make a whole website to try to organize this better (https://www.antilibrari.es/).
I think it’s probably worth keeping either a couple lists (by genre, priority, whatever makes sense to you) or at least one high priority list of the books you most want to read. For me it can be helpful to differentiate between “looks super interesting” and “I actually really want to read this soon” — often different! Some books I think are awesome and want to have in my antilibrary but I know realistically I probably won’t read em soon. That’s okay!
What to read next?
I think it can be a good idea to revisit your list(s) every so often and let the ones you’re most drawn to bubble to the top. No need to actually buy more than a few at a time, but you’ll always have something to draw from. I should also note, honestly lots of the books I buy aren’t ones I’ve had on a list for a long time, but rather ones I found at a bookstore and picked up in the moment…serendipity is always great too!
Same goes for actually choosing what to read next…I don’t plan this out ahead of time, it’s always slightly random based on what I have on hand, what mood I’m in, etc. I think it’s useful to own enough books that you always have a variety to choose from, but past a certain point a great antilibrary list can be almost as valuable as your actual bookshelves.
How to read what and when
I like to read several books in parallel. Often with fiction I’ll read one book straight through, but nonfiction…I have like two dozen books in my nightstand that I’ve started, some way through, haven’t necessarily read for a while, but meaning to return to at some point.
I’m not particularly good at the “when to stop reading” part. I have completionist tendencies and always want to at least try to finish a book. So perhaps the “parallel processing” approach is also just an easier way to abandon books without feeling bad about it. Either way I think haphazardly reading lots at once is great. @edouard wrote a cool post that’s on point here, discussing “reading networks” and how books can inform one another and let you build interesting connections between them.
Different modes / approaches to reading
Also worth thinking about different ways of reading a book…not just the approach to choosing books but the actual practice, because it can be surprisingly varied.
I think in some ways it’s easier to evaluate non-fiction books (vs. fiction, poetry etc.) because they tend to have more structure. Often I can read a couple pages of the introduction, scan the chapter list, and flip through the book (physically or digitally if I’m able e.g. on Amazon) to get a decent overall impression.
I try to read a good number of reviews, on Amazon + Goodreads when available, otherwise see what Google turns up. Of course have to take everything with a grain of salt but it’s usually helpful to see the range of perspectives. Often I think a book with a good number of extremely enthusiastic reviews but some that hate it will be a better pick than one with consistent blandly positive reviews.
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To plug my own site - I started a small forum for talking books, libraries, and reading, and a few discussions come to mind that are very on topic here (and that I've drawn from in my above post):
- Developing a reading strategy: https://athenaeum.antilibrari.es/t/developing-a-reading-stra...
- Reading non-fiction: https://athenaeum.antilibrari.es/t/reading-non-fiction/93
- Personal library organization: https://athenaeum.antilibrari.es/t/personal-library-organiza...
- Developing a “non-reading” practice: https://athenaeum.antilibrari.es/t/developing-a-non-reading-...
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#143> Hi HN. Recently I have been wondering how other people read. I recently realized that once I finish a book I immediately replace it for the next one on my to-read list. As soon as I swap titles it kinda feels like the value of the previous book slowly starts to fade and gets lost. Obviously not all of it, and especially on novels I'm in for the ride and getting into the story. But in more informative/instructive stuff I feel like there must be a "better" way to read and get the most out of each book.
It's rather interesting that what you're talking about here is a key idea in the Buddhist philosophy. It's that material possessions only temporarily provide happiness. As a result most people spend their whole life moving from one possession to the next to get that temporary high over and over again.
If you're reading fiction to enjoy it like you would a tv show or a movie, that happiness will fade as you find. And honestly, that's okay.
Buddhism's take on it is to seek out enjoyment that lasts, which sounds like what you're doing by posting this post. However, enjoyment that lasts is a different kind of enjoyment. It's not addictive and it's harder to get started, but imho is worth it. It's also more subtle than the addictive kind of happiness. Buddhism's solution is to cut out these addictions and work towards enlightenment which is a life long kind of happiness. However imho, that advice isn't for everyone. It comes down to what you want out of life.
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#144I cannot read without a pencil. I highlight the important passages and then I make an effort of memorizing that passages. Think you're a monk and are reading the Bible, reading by verses and memorizing, incorporating that into your knowledge. Take notes of related ideas, expand the text, don't be reductionist, think of the whole.
> I cannot read without a pencil
If I had to choose one recommendation to give others, this would be it. You don't read with your eyes, you read with your pen.
Read fewer (better) books and really internalize them. This 99% of the time requires you to take notes that you revisit throughout and after your read.
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
on the contrary, I have found that reading stuff on the web is 90% of what contributes to my knowledge. I can say that whatever I am today (in terms of what I know), it is most probably because of the internet. Not just in terms of computers, but just daily life, directly or indirectly. I think it is just a matter of the source in your case, which may have led you to feel that 90% of what you read doesn't contribute…
I've gained a ton though random wanderings on the internet and wikipedia and so on but it's really not the same as reading one in depth work a person put 500+ hours of their life into.
Yeah, a book is researched, thoughtful and laying a long, and complicated argument. Just the act of reading the long forms of ideas will make you better at thinking.
Reading a Wikipedia page or watching a video, almost always dismisses the ideas that lead to a conclusion, which is what you need if you want to THINK, not walk around with containerized ideas that other people came up with.
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
I annotate my Kindle books as well. But at least twice now, I've lost all my annotations because the publisher "updates" the book. I'm sure that problem won't exist forever (and it doesn't exist for titles that are never updated). But it certainly reduces my trust in the platform. Which reduces how much I take advantage of it.
Automatic updates can be turned off. Under Manage Your Content and Devices , Preferences , there is an Automatic Book Updates item which you can turn off. Then if you want you can update books individually, or not.
I had no idea updates could erase highlights. I apologise for being lazy but do you know if all updates will erase highlights?
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
One of the reasons I love the kindle. I highlight my favourite quotes and phrases regularly and then after I finish the book I summarise it into an essay. For instructional books I make a bullet point list of key learnings.
Wow this a game changer for me, did not know you could do this, thanks!
You didn't know you could highlight on the Kindle? Do you primarily use the Kindle web app? If you have an actual Kindle reader it sounds like you should read the manual in case you are missing some other nice features. I can't imagine using a Kindle without the highlighting or dictionary lookup.
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#148I recently realized I have ADD minus the hyperactive. I never was able to finish books until I started listening to audiobooks with Audible. I have a subscription and generally pick up a new book I've heard of that interests me right away either with a credit or just buying it. This allows me to read while walking and riding the bus and doing the dishes and generally turns uninteresting chores into something interest…
I feel like I could have written your comment word for word.
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're (rightfully) highlighting the importance of proper research into a subject, and books (currently) provide a better monetary incentive/reward for that, but other than that, you've basically proven my point. Replace books with a (credible) data source on the Internet, and you'll have the same result you're describing.
I have in my hand a 1942 edition of the 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' by T.E. Lawrence that I am currently half way through. Can you suggest which credible data source on the internet is going to compete with Lawrence's first hand account of events?
An approved and verified word-by-word upload of it, preferably on some public institution's servers.
Judging by the amount of downvotes I've received, people are clearly not making the distinction between content and format, which I regress, was the point I was attempting to make.
Re: Ask HN: How Do You Read?
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have in my hand a 1942 edition of the 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' by T.E. Lawrence that I am currently half way through. Can you suggest which credible data source on the internet is going to compete with Lawrence's first hand account of events?
An approved and verified word-by-word upload of it, preferably on some public institution's servers. Judging by the amount of downvotes I've received, people are clearly not making the distinction between content and format, which I regress, was the point I was attempting to make.
>An approved and verified word-by-word upload of it, preferably on some public institution's servers.
Which servers do I have to visit to verify the verification and whose approval would this all rely on? With books, there are copyright libraries containing printed physical artifacts that I could use as a verification of a given printed text.
Also, I have the book and can stay immersed in it far easier than trying to read the same from a screen. I have read plenty of short stories on screens, but have abandoned every attempt at reading a full length novel that way, whereas in book form, I can finish a novel in a night. Books are simply better suited for this job, at least for me.