[DavidMiserak]

I have success retaining information by explaining it to another human being. This can lead to me rereading sections and keeps me engaged with the content.

This is consistent with what I have read from "Your Memory : How It Works and How to Improve It" by K. Higbee.

[JohnFen]

It's said that "the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else", and I think there's a huge hunk of truth there!

I don't use your method to help digest books, but I use it heavily when I'm working through a particularly difficult programming problem. And I've found that the less the person I'm explaining to knows about the subject, the more effective the process is. I think it's because it forces me to break the problem down to the bare fundamentals so they can understand what I'm saying.

[dublinben]

This is the best way I've found for clarifying and cementing my understanding of a nonfiction book. Two great opportunities for this conversation can be discussing the book you're reading with your partner, and recommending a book to a friend.