How to Read a Book

My art of reading technics memorize forever and improve vocabulary.

“Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” _ Unknown

Most who would come across this article will merely take a glance and move onto something else. Short attention spans and inundation of written content seems to have sealed the fate of books. Reading books is quite different from reading academic literature and mugging up the bland school curriculum.

Since time immemorial, reading books has been the driver of personal growth and knowledge. Through the years, the art of reading seems to have lost its panache and allure. These days we seek content in a form that is easily digestible but lacks quality and context.

I say we go back to the books.

My approach in this article is to reinvent the art of reading to maximize content comprehension, which will drive your personal and professional growth.

The formula for success is not in copy-pasting unless you do not use your own creativity, rather than creating your path based on tried and tested methods with a hint of creativity. We all know how futile one size fits all approaches are. Regardless of the approach, most billionaires' common trait is reading more than a few books a week. Such individuals tend to read anywhere from 400 to 500 pages a day and seem to take time from their busy schedule to read a book. The knowledge gained and the concomitant benefits of reading a book are compounded if you practice the art daily.

A simple google search on comprehensive reading techniques reveals results that I consider old and conventional.

Modern problems require modern solutions.

Henceforth, I am going to list down methods that I have applied, which you can use in your own life to become a better reader.

“The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.” _W. Somerset Maugham

Individuals not fluent in English should never skip words that they can’t comprehend. The appropriate thing to do would be to jot them down in digital notes with their meanings and an example of usage in the below image.

This should be done for all the new words you come across for a year.

Now coming to techniques, I have created some abbreviations related to my vision, My lifestyle, and my Morning Rituals.

Whenever I find an interesting paragraph or a quote, I highlight it with a colored marker and tag it with an abbreviation.

Examples of Abbreviations used by me:

AOT: Apply to me

AOB: Apply on Business

AOEB: Apply on E-book

WMR: Write in morning rituals

WOP: Write on the Front Page

PP: Practice Pronouncing

DWF: Discuss with Friends

DWW: Discuss with Wife

RIM: Remember in Memory.

You can compile your abbreviations of a particular book on blank sheets with appropriate page numbers. Whenever you get a chance to re-read the book, you can refer to the abbreviations and recall all the points in 30 minutes.

“ Once you learn to read, You will be forever free.” _ Frederick Douglass

Final Thoughts:

Apply these tools and techniques for the first 20 books, and soon reading with comprehension should become a habit. If you continue reading every day for a year, you will notice how your thinking patterns change. You would start thinking about relationships, professional life, personal development, and even the meaning of life in a contextual and well-rounded manner. The sooner you grasp the compounding effect of reading, the sooner you’ll become a different person for the better.

Thank You for Reading. I hope you have learned something new.