Different Books Need To Be Read Differently - How To Read 101

The reason why there is no uniform approach to reading; and how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes down to reading.

The Learned Disguise:

[roshniabraham]

He's like the teacher I've never had but really needed.

[DreamingInspirit]

i'm 30 seconds in and i just have to comment you have the nicest voice ever

[zeiters]

this guy is like a cartoon librarian i would meet in an rpg to increase my intellect

[rkeriadavis]

As a person who is obsessed with adding books to my "read" list on goodreads I needed this video

[iggybug]

I loath the YouTube algorithm for not recommending your channel earlier.

[waqaaar]

My notes on reading different books differntly...

6:30 Fiction - Think of them as movies, you should read them as soon as possible so that your experience doesnt' break. These books are meant for escaping the reality, you need not ponder on the words or scenes, it could be suspense that will tie later into the book. Devour it asap and experience a new world.

8:43 Literary Fiction - They are crossovers between categories. They are critical examinations of human conditions. Not specifically designed to read it quickly or for a great experience. Every sentence counts, they carry literary merit.

11:23 Non-Fiction - These books put you in a state of active thought, helps in changing perspective in the real world. Go slow whenever you feel like pondering. Read it the slowest and deliberately. Slow way down. These demand your full concentration. Understand the key things that the books are trying to make. Do overall inspectional reading first and then read it again, annotate the shit out of them.

[subtlefire]

Finally someone who puts quality over quantity! I watch a lot of Booktube and constantly see people read 10+ books a month, sometimes even 20, and I can't help but think: " But did you get anything out of it in the rush?" It's so important to take your time and really take in what you are reading, be it fiction or nonfiction. I personally always read a bit slower because I think a lot about a book while I'm still in the middle of it, pausing now and again. That's just how I get the most out of it, not by reading 10 books a month. I think reading has become pretty competitive for many people in the Booktube community.

[LiteBlocks]

I saw a quote from English philosopher Francis Bacon about reading books that reminded me of this video; “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.” - Francis Bacon.

[jmgnovaes]

I just want to congratulate your oratory skills, Waldun. Sometimes I feel tired after watching a video where each sentence is a different cut, where they don't even let the words breathe a little. I enjoy when I stumble upon a video where there is minimal editing, like yours. So... congratulations!

Edit: I just need to add I also love that you left your pauses to figure out the word you want or your "mistakes". It's a simple thing, but I loved it. Congratulations again.

[Yuki-fflf]

Great point about not prioritizing being "well-read" - I used to be so focused on the quantity, that while reading a book, I found myself more absorbed in the theoretical result of having finished the book than in the actual reading thereof. Which, of course, highly diminished those results.

Also, maybe you could talk about how you take notes on different books. It gets tricky in fiction books, where messages are delivered in an indirect way, and where perhaps (especially if you're a writer), that very way is what you want to take note on. A copy of "The Learned Disguise" is on its way to me, so teach me how to get the most out of it. :-)

[denadena]

What a great video. Now I don't feel bad when I took almost 1 month to finish reading a non-fiction book 😂

[cubestop]

Like how Bruce lee said it "I am more afraid of a man who practiced one kick 1, 000 times. Than man who practiced 1, 000 kicks only one time" - Bruce Lee

[rainepanda]

This type of video is invaluable to someone who aims at being a prolific reader but is not attending any formal classes. I truly want to continue a personal education for myself through studying effectively on my own and you are like a web professor! I really appreciate your thoughts.

[eevonne]

I took months to finish non-fiction book yet I can finish a fiction book in 3 days. I was convinced that I'm a slow reader or my comprehension is just weak. thanks for this video!

[loubedana]

I agree with the idea that different books demand different sets of reading techniques. I’d say it applies even if said books are of the same genre.

I initially had so much trouble reading Ulysses because I approached it the same way I did other fiction books, i.e. read at least 30-50 pages a day. It didn’t work out because I know now that reading Joyce requires more time to decipher and understand the subliminal messages.

Thanks for your insights! Good video.

[SleepEludesMe]

This actually really comforting. I struggle to read quickly because I keep going on tangents as I’m thinking about the implications of what I read as I read them. It’s a bigger problem for readings for university since I could get lost in my thoughts and forget about the thesis of the article.

And actually, even social media makes me whirl into those implications. Twitter is a pain for expecting everyone to understand everything that’s being said despite it’s vagueness and lack of context, and it’s kinda damning how we don’t really have the choice to mull over ideas or else be labeled as apathetic. Which boggles my mind because anyone who readily accepts new ideas either don’t find them new at all or haven’t thought very deeply about them, especially in the realm of Twitter where people love to make general statements that can’t be used to make judgements because while they seem to apply for all situations, they are actually only referring to very specific ones and don’t bother to detail why, in those particular situations, their advice is valid.

I’ll admit I’m a slow reader, and I also overthink and go on tangents, but every book (or any media really) I get my hands on (outside of genre fiction and other entertainment-focused materials) I ponder on to assimilate the ideas that they put forward. I’m a slow reader because I have a strong distaste for not understanding something and I have to be particularly disinterested in a work (or feeling hopeless that I could never understand it) to be able to move on without understanding the reasoning behind it.

Which actually explains this kind of “procrastination” I have when delving in some forms of fiction. When I can sense that a work will require a lot out of me mentally and emotionally, I feel like I have to brace myself and only dare to dip my hands in it once I am in the proper state to appreciate it, to experience it, to understand it. I feel like it’s my form of respect towards the author. Their works are never “just another book”, it is the result of a writer’s labour, a piece of their soul, and it deserves the reader’s commitment to see it for what it is.

[khrystyna]

"Quantity < quality" is something forgotten in the book reading community. It's so easy to flip quickly through the pages of any book just to mark it as "read", but it's much harder to actually enjoy the process. To slow down, to think, make notes, and get the most out of the book. Thank you for the video and beautiful insights.

[helloalexandraa]

Still only 6 minutes in, but I love when someone well-spoken uses their voice to deconstruct an “uppity” idea... I now feel less bad for not bingeing as many books as I can in order to be perceived as well-read. Subscribed!!

[Sebbir]

The fact that i had to look up what a polymath is, probably means that im not one

[astraldeer]

Everything about the presentation of this video - the voice, the structure, the language - is so refreshing. It's like I needed someone to speak in a way I genuinely could relate to until now.