Ask HN: How to remember what I've read in a book?
I read a lot (non-fiction) but I also forget a lot. So, why I read that lot if I forget the 90%? How can I improve this?
- make cheat sheet or an outline out of those, connected ot Table of Contents
- "triangulate", read multiple books on one topic, say, C++ programming. Make sure they're good books, there's some horrible C++ books out there, and some horrible deceptive amazon reviews.
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Cal Newport has some good study hacks on http://calnewport.com/blog/.
HN has lots of study hacks threads: https://hn.algolia.com/?q=study+hacks#!/story/forever/0/stud...
Also this book has lots of interesting ideas for $6.54 + shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Exams-Dummies-Patrick-Sherratt...
1. Take notes while or after you read. Not too much, but enough to summarize what you've read. This is especially good because if you do forget what you read you can just refer to the notes.
2. Explain what you've read to someone else. Or imagine you're explaining what you read to your grandmother.
3. Find a way to use what you just learned in a new way or maybe continue to read more on the topic to reinforce what you've just read.
4. Take breaks. It's easy to zone out and start skimming. Allow yourself time to digest the new content. I find this helps for particularly dense or abstract topics.
5. Some people say it's easier to remember things that are novel or emotionally compelling in some way. Maybe create a mnemonic or imagine a scene or metaphor to remember the key points of what you have read.
Oh - and this one makes me look crazy but here goes nothing - I teach it....to myself that is, in my own mind that is, usually while exercising! How weird is that! I become these 2 persons in my head - 1 is the teacher, 1 is the student - and I pretend that teacher-me is teaching the subject to student-me, using own vocabulary. Sounds weird, but it works for me.
If it's programming, I implement the concepts I read.
If it's math, I write notes, solve related problems and try to come up with related corollaries.
In general, using whatever I've read in some way seems to help me a lot.
I am also very fond of reading but I usually read fictional books. One of the things that I have noticed is how I tend to remember the plot even after a long time. For instance a few days back I was reading a Sherlock Holmes story (the speckled band) after about a decade and I was surprised at how well I remembered the solution to the puzzle. Incidentally I have also noticed this on previous occasions like when I turned the pages of count of Monte cristo or the three musketeers or other books that I enjoyed back in the day and I instantly found myself "in the world" when I expected to be "out of place".
On the other hand I tried reading a Shakespeare play that I had the opportunity to read before in my high school and I didn't remember it quite as well. No wonder there because I never enjoyed his work even though I tried many times. So my conclusion is that I tend to remember things that I like. Even if I forget them I get up to speed very quickly.
But the problem is there are things that are good for us that we might not enjoy. I don't particularly enjoy reading non fictional books but I know it is important that I read them if I want to learn. So I read them slowly making progress each day. Often taking handwritten notes and re reading things that I found interesting the first time around.
I have this theory that if you read anything some parts stick in your brain and they stay with you forever. Even if you feel like you have learned nothing you always take something with you. It could be a changed outlook on the subject or maybe a better understanding but you never leave empty handed if you read. I have no evidence to support what I have said though it's just something that I have noticed in my self :)
More than just taking notes (which are more effective than not taking notes), when you try to present something (or explain to others) is when you really capture the knowledge in your head for a really really long time.
Technical books: Spaced repetition
General story-telling: Re-read chapters/reflect on deeper meanings and try to be "in the moment" while reading.
-nitin