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Surely you have come across books that you want to throw after a few pages, because nothing is clear in them. These are the ones you need to read in order to develop. Think of your brain as a muscle that can be pumped up. To do this, "lift weights" — read complex books.
At school we read to answer the teacher's questions. The results of the control confirm that we have familiarized ourselves with the material, and nothing more. Get rid of this approach to reading. Remember that now you are not reading for the teacher, but for yourself.
Places, names, dates — all this is not so important. Lessons are important.
Let's say you're reading a book about the Peloponnesian War. It is not so important to remember that there was once a conflict between Corinth and Corsica. Pay attention to the strategies of the opposing sides. Both cities fought for the support of Athens. But some arrogantly declared that Athens owed them, while others listed all the advantages of cooperation with them. Guess who won?
The reader's goal is to understand why something happened. And what exactly happened is not so important. Therefore, it is useful to know in advance the final of the book or the main judgments of the author. Then during reading you will focus on two questions:
Usually the first 50 pages we only understand what the author wants to say. Knowing this in advance, you will immediately move on to a more important stage — trying to understand whether the author is right and how to apply the knowledge gained to your advantage. In addition, from the first reading you will notice the main clues that you would have missed without prior knowledge about the book.
See what other readers found important in this book. Determine its cultural value from the reviews. Think about what it meant to other people. Make an idea of the main topics based on the reviews.
You just want to skip it, but don't do it. Otherwise, you will miss a lot of important things and will have to re-read everything again. Be sure to read the introductory articles, translator's comments, notes and footnotes. All this will help to understand the author's ideas and prepare for the perception of the book.
Do not refuse such help. You'll need it when you're reading something complicated.
Don't pretend that everything is clear to you. Look for information about what you didn't understand. For example, when you read about military history, it is important to imagine the battlefield. Look at the maps of the area, read more information. Just don't get hung up on the details. Do not forget that first of all you need to learn the basic lessons.
Highlight all the places that interested you and made you think. If there are no bookmarks or markers at hand, bend the corners of the pages.
Write down in the margins the thoughts, feelings and associations caused by some passage. Do it right away, while you remember and while there is inspiration. Don't be afraid to ruin the book. With such notes, it will bring you more benefit.
After a week or two after reading, return to the book. Scroll through it and write down all the marked places on the cards. Arrange such cards by topic. This is a very convenient system for storing important thoughts. You can turn to them in any situation: when you are writing an article, solving a work problem or experiencing life difficulties.
If you don't want to mess with paper cards, save your records digitally.
Look through the footnotes and bibliography at the end of the book to find the next one. This way you will strengthen your knowledge in one area.
You didn't mark interesting phrases for nothing. Use them in conversations and correspondence. Use them at work and in everyday life. Turn to them for comfort and inspiration.
Do not forget why you read — to extract moral and practical lessons from the book. But reading alone is not enough. To develop, apply what you have read in practice.
The more satisfaction you get from applying the acquired knowledge, the more you will want to develop further.
