[jlengrand]

I've done something quite simple that has worked for me this year.

I read with a highlighter pen, just highlighting the places I find interesting, and maybe cornering a few pages once in a while. That costs no more energy than just reading the book, if anything highlighting allows my mind to stay focused on the book.

couple weeks after the book is finished, I'll come back only to the highlighted parts and write some of them down in a a4 page, which I then fold in the book.

That way I have a personal 1 page book summary which I come back to from time to time.

I liked an idea I saw on Youtube from someone saying "for each chapter, I find something actionable I commit to do for a week". A bit on the heavy side, but I like the actionable aspect of it

[rramadass]

Having a A4 size book summary along with the book itself is a Great Technique! The chapter/book actionable task(s) idea is also great.

Did you come up with the idea yourself or were inspired from some place else? Any more ideas you can share?

[jlengrand]

The second one I picked up from https://www.youtube.com/@askvinh, found it a good idea.

The summary thing, honestly it's just because I was frustrated to feel like I had forgotten everything about the books I read a few weeks later, so I decided to find a reason to go back to them to try and retain more :).

The only other tip I can think of is to start a book club at your workplace. It's a great way to commit to it a bit more while getting suggestions you wouldn't have had yourself.

[rramadass]

Your A4 summary page technique is ingenious. It forces one to focus on the absolute essentials gleaned while reading a book rather than fluff which is actually an art in "Note-taking". It is the same as "Precis Writing" but for a book.

In case you didn't already know, you might find the following useful;

1) SQ3R - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQ3R

2) Cornell Note-taking method - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Notes