Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#21

Post by sradman » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 2:31 AM UTC

I create a summary document for every new book that I start. I copy and paste the title, authors, cover thumbnail, description, and table of contents if I can find it inline. I print this 1-2 page document and use it as a starting point to add hand written notes.

If I’m reading an eBook, I use the highlighter feature and review my previous chapter highlights before starting a new chapter.

For paper books I usually have a stack of plain paper bookmarks that I cut from blank index cards (1.5” x 5”). I write keywords on the bookmark as I read so I normally have a tersely annotated bookmark for each finished book that I staple to my printed summary page.

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#22

Post by asdev » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 2:32 AM UTC

digitally doesn't work well, it'll stick more in your head if you use pencil and paper. my process is read something, try to summarize in plain english in my own words, repeat.

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#23

Post by biswaroop » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 2:44 AM UTC

hprotagonist wrote: post #10

I argue in the margins, as we've done for millennia.

But what if "I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain"?

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#24

Post by closed » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 2:48 AM UTC

This might sound nuts, but I have settled on a three step process that mostly involves keeping most notes in my head.

Step 1 is using the method of loci (MoL) to memorize up to 30 things throughout the day. For context, MoL is a strategy where you visualize things you want to remember in a room. I have one "room" for each day of the month, with 10 spots in a room, and will often visualize up to 3 things in a spot (so 10 x 3 = 30 a day). I have 4 paths that each lead between 7 rooms, one path per week.

Step 2 is just keeping a page of notes per day in a planner. This is really helpful for jotting miscellaneous things down (like future things to read, possible connections).

Step 3 is that often as I'm thinking back over notes from step 1, or reading new things, I'll want to sort of "put it all together", or write up something that cuts across multiple days. There, I'll often refer to my planner, and might start a spreadsheet to keep references on.

I think the problem before was that I'd wanted to write useful longterm notes when first learning / studying something. But that's probably when I'm least qualified to take really insightful notes. It's been nice to let things marinade, and focus on keeping the "building blocks" around!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#25

Post by 3riverdev » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 2:53 AM UTC

Underline/circle directly in the book, write notes in the margins, etc. Then when finished reading it, go back through to find all the highlights/notes and write them in a permanent doc. That second phase has really helped my retention.

For permanent storage, I almost always use a personal, public blog, just in case someone else could find the notes useful...

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#26

Post by digianarchist » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 3:13 AM UTC

I use these things to bookmark interesting things. Usually I end up with 10-20 in each book I read. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000SHU86Q/

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#27

Post by hprotagonist » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 3:23 AM UTC

pedalpete wrote: post #11

hprotagonist wrote: post #10

I argue in the margins, as we've done for millennia.

why is this an argument?

i argue with the text, my past arguments with the text...

a lot of the notes i take on papers boil down to “underline absurd claim, write WTF in the margin”.

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#28

Post by WheelsAtLarge » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 3:25 AM UTC

biswaroop wrote: post #23

hprotagonist wrote: post #10

I argue in the margins, as we've done for millennia.

But what if "I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain"?

Then you write that and wait until Andrew Wiles (version 2.0) figures out how to prove it for himself.

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#29

Post by navaneethkn » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 3:36 AM UTC

I usually have a pencil with me while reading. I will add a 'N' letter next to the paragraph that is the key takeaway in the page. Once I finish reading a chapter, I will quickly skim through the markings and keep a note of it in Evernote. This helps me to remember a book much better.

Re: Ask HN: How do you take notes when reading a book?

#30

Post by egypturnash » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 3:38 AM UTC

Marginal notes. Occasional use of tiny Post-It flag thingies to mark stuff I want to be able to find again.

Sometimes I will grab a highlighter and mark the edges of pages to make it easier to find sections in a reference work. Possibly with short versions of the section names written next to them, possibly with several colors denoting different kinds of information and a color key written on the flyleaf.