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Read Relevant Books Only

Have you ever read a book that’s supposedly amazing and you don’t get it? I
wouldn’t go as far as saying that any book sucks because people spend a lot of time
writing and editing a book.
But not all books are for everyone. A book might be a best-seller, but maybe you
can’t stand the writing. Or maybe it’s not the right time to read a book.
In any case: If you can’t flip through the pages, put the book away and pick up
something you are so excited about that you tear up the pages.
Read books that are close to what’s going on in your life. There’s a book for
everything you can think off. People are writing books for 2000 years, and there
have been plenty of people in your shoes: struggling teen, aspiring artist, broke
entrepreneur, new parent, etc.
Don’t waste your time reading about subjects you have zero interest in.
Instead, pick out the books that are related to your profession or hobby. Read
books about people that you admire. Don’t read a book just because it’s a best-
seller or a classic if it has no meaning to you.
4. Read Multiple Books Simultaneously
There are no rules to reading so you can do whatever you want. At times, I’m
reading 5 books at once. I might read 50 pages of one book in the morning and then
read another book in the afternoon.
That’s how I prefer it. Others like to read a book cover to cover and only then
read something new.
If you’re reading something that’s complicated, you might want to read something
that’s easier for the evenings. I like to read biographies before I go to sleep
because they are like stories. Fiction also works well in the evening.
I don’t want to read a book about investing in bed with a highlighter and a pen. If
I do that, I will be awake until 3 AM because my mind is buzzing with the new
things I’m learning.
5. Retain The Knowledge
Knowledge is only good if you use it. To retain knowledge, you need a system that
helps you do that. This is how I do it:
When you read a book, use a pen to make notes in the margins and highlight
important text. If you’re reading digitally, be aware of over-highlighting. Just
because it’s so easy you shouldn’t highlight everything you find slightly
interesting. Keep the highlighting for ‘aha’ things only.
If you read something you want to definitely remember, fold the top or bottom
corner of the page. For digital readers: take a picture and store it in a
notetaking app you prefer.
When you finish the book, go back to the pages with the folds and skim your notes.
Write down (use your notetaking software or physical notebook) in your own words
what the book is about and what advice the author is giving.
Copy the quotes that stand out the most to you.
The point is not to copy the book but to help you process the information so you
can use it later.
Read as much as you possibly can — but never forget to apply what you’ve learned
because that is what counts the most. You put in many hours to read books, make
sure you get something out of it.