READ ANY BOOK IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS
Five Simple Steps to Reading and Absorbing Nonfiction Books in a Half Hour
Does your nightstand or coffee table look like this? If so, I’ve got a professionally-tested way to clear this book pile up for you. I’m a book editor and must read 40-50 books per year for work, each of which averages 250 pages. In addition, I try to read at least one non-fiction book per month that is not related to work. What’s my secret?
It’s easy. Here are my five simple steps for reading and retaining any book in 30 minutes or less.
Pre-Read – Write the title on a 3 1/2″ square Post-it Note, and stick it on the inside front cover (1 minute).
Step 1 – Read the inside and back jacket copy if it’s a hardcover, or the backcover if it’s a paperback, but skip the endorsements (2 minutes).
Step 2 – Read the Table of Contents, and notice the chapter that stands the most interesting (2 minutes).
Step 3 – Read the first and last paragraphs of each chapter, including the preface, foreword, and introduction if applicable. Notice which chapter sounded the most interesting (15 minutes).
Step 4 – Choose the chapter that interested you the most and read it from start to finish, or at least read the first and last paragraphs of each major chapter section (7 minutes).
Step 5 – Write down the Big Idea on the Post-It note in seven words or less. Write down the Learnings you will take from this book in ten words or less (3 minutes).
Digital Option – If you read ebooks, or don’t want to fuss with paper Post-It Notes, create a “Books Reads” document on the Notes app on your phone and update it with the Big Idea and Learnings.
Now move that book from your nightstand or coffee table to your bookshelf, or donate it to your local library.
Ahhh, doesn’t that feels good?!
David Marshall is the Vice President of Editorial and Digital for Berrett-Koehler Publishers by day and coauthor with his wife Kate by night and weekends of family journals to foster family communication.
Finance&banking
8 年Sounds good, let me try. :-)
Kim, I know you've seen this before as a BK author, but for Dave, Arnurag,hs and Paul, you might also enjoy the 10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing from my boss and founder of Berrett-Keohler Publishers, Steve Piersanti: https://www.bkconnection.com/the-10-awful-truths-about-book-publishing
Multidimensional Strategist & Advisor | Whole Brand Thinking
8 年Good stuff, David. Thanks for sharing your process. This seems more appropriate for nonfiction books that set out to prove a theory/hypothesis (self help, business, management, etc.) than for all "nonfiction" books though. It would be hard to apply this to a biography/autobiography and get much out of it, for example. I'm sure authors don't like to hear this advice, but it's a great way to plow through books that have become formulaic. Especially business books. It's as though business books are required to have a set number of pages and within those pages have to be a certain number of case studies that prove their point. Another method for making fast work of most business books is to read the first chapter or two (depending on how quickly they get into the hypothesis their book sets out to prove), the last chapter and one of the case studies in the middle. Anyone of moderate intelligence can get all they need from the book with this approach or the approach mentioned in this post.
Management Advisor and Creator of Regenerative Managing
8 年Maybe we should write two paragraph chapters. Why waste our time writing what is of little or no value?
Educational Leader IGCSE AS & A: 0500/0510 FLE & ESL /IB DP Bridge Course Facilitator | CAIE Curriculum Master | EdTech and DEIJ Crusader
8 年A simple yet effective tool to cut the fluff and get to the core idea of the book. Kudos!??