How to Decide What's Important in a Nonfiction Book

How to Decide What's Important in a Nonfiction Book

Greetings, Readers!

Welcome back to another edition of Musings of a Book Queen, where you learn how to decide what’s important information in a nonfiction book.

Introduction: How to Decide What's Important in a Nonfiction Book

Strategic reading is about reading to learn what you need to know, which means reading information that applies to your situation. But how do you decide what information to focus on when reading a nonfiction book? What’s important information to one person is unimportant to another because their needs are different.

Before you read a nonfiction book, I've mentioned countless times it's important to have a purpose for reading, to list the questions you want the book to answer, and to preview the book. So, those are clues to the important information.

How to Decide What's Important and Unimportant Information in a Book

Every nonfiction book has a main idea and secondary ideas that support it. If you’ve done a good job of previewing the book, then you will know what the key ideas are that the author wants you to know about. These key ideas are essential information and critical to your understanding of the text.?

Figuring this out, will take you further ahead than your peers. Imagine how your life would change if you implemented a great idea you found in a book.

Here is a simple way to figure out if information in a book you’re interested in reading is important. At first it will slow down your time, but with practice you’ll spot the information quickly. Important information:

  • Satisfy your purpose.
  • Answer your questions.
  • Solve problems.
  • Help people.
  • Save, fix, and create things.
  • Make things better, cheaper, and more useful.
  • Enlighten, invigorate, inspire, enrich, and embolden.
  • Increase revenue.
  • Save time.
  • Make processes more efficient.
  • Improve the company's reputation.
  • Prevent liabilities.
  • Cut costs.

The above list is not exhaustive. It’s a starting point for you to build on. Based on your goals, what’s important to you? When you spot any of the above, make note.

If you found the information in this newsletter useful, here’s one way you can support me. Get four of your team members to sign up for my workshop, Applied Knowledge is Power. You’ll get a lot of practice to figure out what’s important in a nonfiction book.

Sign up now for Applied Knowledge is Power: Reading Strategically to Get Knowledge Faster!


Warm regards,

Avil Beckford

Editor, Musings of a Book Queen

Damon Burton

Husband, father, SEO getting you consistent, unlimited traffic without ads ???? FreeSEObook.com, written from 17 years as SEO agency owner

4 个月

Excellent read. Understanding how to identify and prioritize important information based on your goals is key to effective learning and growth. Thanks for sharing these insightful tips on navigating nonfiction books, Avil Beckford. ??

Benita Lee

Helping multinationals navigate the ever-changing international landscape of regulations & risk management in trade compliance.

4 个月

It's impossible to decide in "Becoming Bulletproof" because Evy Poumpouras goes into descriptive detail about her experiences while in Secret Service. I don't want to miss one story of hers! Lol - this is what we are reading at VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB this month, Avil Beckford

Bernard Keavy

Business Financial Growth Advisor

4 个月

Avil Beckford The Book Queen explains how to maximise your benefit from reading a non fiction book.

Alicia R. McLain, MA, CPQC, PCC

Organizational Whisperer, Executive & Leadership Coach: moving individuals, teams & organizations toward greater agility, mental fitness and positive intelligence.

4 个月

Appreciate the tips for how to narrow things down, Avil!

Gordon Beach

President of BeachBunker Golf Media.

4 个月

I have learned so much about reading from you Avil Beckford. Thank you!

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