I found the best way to take book notes

I've tried quite a few note-taking methods for books and articles, but this is the method that continues to work for me. It involves three simple (but sometimes arduous) steps: annotating while you read, exporting to notecards and sorting those cards, and doing some kind of active reflection via writing.

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00:00 - Start
00:58 - Read and Annotate
05:57 - Export
10:13 - Active Reflection

[JamesRiley-zysh]

My system is essentially: Read, annotate, write a review in my commonplace book, re-read, make notes on specific passages (copy quote, reformulate in own words, or reflect (not exclusive or)) also written in commonplace book.

If I read a book only one time, then I'll probably be satisfied with just reading, annotating, and writing a review of it. I'll write where to find the review on the front page of the book (an ID) so that if I pull the book off the shelf I can locate it's review and see what it's about and what I thought of it. The annotations serve as a map of the book for rereading, whereas notes on passages are usually so I can somehow engage with the material and link my thoughts together in my notebook. If I make a note on a passage I'll also write the note ID next to the passage in the book

This to me feels like the right amount of friction for me. I can read with an anlytical/critical eye but not get so bogged down on a single book and note taking that I spend months on it before moving on to something else. Instead I can read and annotate fairly fast, spend some time on a review and then iterative build up my notes on subsequent reads later if the book is worth my time to do so

[craiggersify]

For books with non-glossy pages, if you need to do the kind of reading for which highlighting helps, COLORED PENCILS are a game changer - shades in the text in a way that’s both immediately legible and does not obstruct reading.

I’m typically just a pencil annotator, but during an undergrad thesis on Adorno’s Kierkegaard book, I needed a way to note at a glance pieces throughout from many interlocking but distinct strains of argument. It’s amazing how lightly you can shade with a decent colored pencil and still have it flare right out to your mind, vs Highlighter proper which always makes it feel like you’re trying to read a traffic cone.

[odysseas__]

Brilliant explanation -nice and straightforward too, which is urgent here on Youtube. Thanks for the link.

[anthonyarroyo]

What personally works best for me is a separate journal that I write quotes, themes, opinions, thoughts, major plot points, pretty much anything inside of. I write these down as I read so it is very easy to reflect on the order of different events and look back at what was going through my head before I knew everything about the book from front to back. Having it separate from the book also makes it easier to skim through a few pages of notes and recall major events or important lessons instead of looking through every page of the book to get the same info.

[pattube]

Great system from Jared! 😊 It may help me fine tune my own system.

All I'm doing is outlines, just outlines. So:

1. First I read a book's introduction or introductory material. No annotations. Then I read the first chapter.

2. Next I try to (relatively briefly) outline the intro and first chapter as I think the author has organized the chapter. Or sometimes as I think it should be organized if I think it's not as well organized as it could be.

3. I repeat this process of outlines for all the chapters in a book.

4. After I'm done with the book, I do a high level or big picture outline for the entire book.

5. This often includes correcting any previous misunderstandings in my outlines, incorporating new insights that I didn't have prior to reading the book since sometimes one understands things better by the end of a book than when reading along, etc.

6. So, in the end, I've outlined the entire book chapter by chapter (for more detail) and overall (for a broad or big picture). That's it!

7. And that's just me: I think I personally best organize, synthesize, analyze, and recall material in my own mind in outline format. So it works for me, but of course different thing works for different people. 😊

[DanielBro]

Hey Jared, great video! I have a simple system that’s actually pretty similar to yours:

- [Q] - Quotation
- [I] - Information/Interesting
- [*] - Important section/paragraph
- [?] - Question
- [D] - Down in the margin
- [V] - Verify
- [Ex] - Example
- [FR] - Further reading afterwards

When I finish reading, I summarize what's important in my notebook based on these marks and ideas.

[xfilion]

I applaud this hugely. I've done this for a while, and it does work. The only tweak you might want to consider is using different-coloured index cards. Also if you number your index flags and write in the front of the book where there are some blank (ish) pages and make an entry e.g. Flag 1 = Motivation v Inspiration. This is great though.

[liamtaylor]

"To read without also writing is to sleep."
- St. Jerome

Good video, Jared, thank you.

[AndrewMarloweTV]

A highlighter is definitley the best way to annotate in my opinion. You can use a pencil or pen, and sticky notes for clarity, but no use in trying to underline or annotate in pen or pencil because it becomes messy and you end up drawing over the texts. Use a highlighter for the main sentences you want to stand out, follow this up with sticky notes on the top or side to add context, but use margin notes sparingly. Much better to write them in a sticky note where you have more room

[Tymbus]

So for non fiction, I summarise what's being said on seperate paper in a file. I avoid writing on the book because the information I might need will change depending on the question that I am answering and as I read and reread the text and increase my understanding. Sticky 'Post it' notes are ok but again only if you know the question you are trying to answer. Cutting and pasting just doesn't involve processing. I think I used cards like you do but it has been many years since I needed to. I retired from academia 10 years ago!

[taylorscott]

feeling blessed that i saw this before embarking on my senior thesis this year! i was never taught how to annotate or take book notes and never felt comfortable with the way i was trying to do it. this system feels super intuitive and i'm excited to try it out!

[craiggersify]

For exporting, i find it helpful even to have a “review shelf” with books i wish to regularly return to and integrate with stuff I read thereafter - just taking an hour or two to thumb back through old annotations of a few different books does wonders for refreshing one’s memory and seeing/contemplating connections, especially as one does so with several books on a topic read at times pretty far apart.

[kummiekins]

This video came just in time! Just yesterday i search for ways to annotate books on my ipad. I already annotate in my physical books but now i can better streamline my process. I’m glad i’m not the only one who strictly marks their books with a pencil. Lately i purchased semi transparent sticky note pads to write over texts, then transfer to my notebook.

[shafeequllahsatari]

Very helpful and insightful content! Many of the note-taking strategies mentioned resonate with the methods I used as a student. The emphasis on annotation while reading is particularly valuable. Thank you for sharing such practical advice!

[nahuakang]

Definitely guilty of the crime of annotating half a page in the past. These days I tend to read a book without annotating, usually just reading 20-30 pages a day and then go back to collect what I felt were important on a notebook (physica/digital). Then when it comes to the time for a re-read, I'd have already gone through the phase of thinking everything was important and have had the time to process my thoughts and could sit down now to do better notes, probably also not on the book itself. The active reflection section you mentioned is very helpful. A proper reflection means one has truly understood the author on some level.

[hatethenewyou]

Starting to take notes transcended my reading from merely escapism to a source of knowledge and reflection. These are great tips man I appreciate your work on youtube.

[elmomierz]

Great timing! I've only recently committed to taking note-taking more seriously.

[joshuabenes]

I'll add another idea in the export phase. There is a system similar to Ryan Holiday's called the Zettelkasten. That system typically uses index cards, or slips of paper, to write ideas and such on and then to organize them with unique ID's. Part of the system uses a 'Bib Card', which is an index card where you briefly reference noteworthy things as you're reading rather then after the fact. Anything on that bib card that is interesting can then be made into a more permanent card in your 'zettelkasten'.

[oofym]

I'm always a bit confused by the system of annotating I see most people use, it feels very overcomplicated to me.
Why not just keep a blank book next to you as you read which you can write in?
All I need to do is jot the the title of the book down and then everytime I read something that I want to write about/remember I'll simply write down the corresponding page number in my book and then can write as much as I wish on the text.

No need for sticky tabs, computers, paperclips or ruining the nice book you've just brought.

[havefunbesafe]

I setup reminders in my calendar with words, notes, abstractions with monthly notifications to joggle my recall and create muscle memory.