[itake]

Many non-fiction books, you can get the gist by reading a blogger's summary, but I think the length of the book actually gives my brain time to digest and commit to permanent memory the idea(s) in the book.

Reading a 3 minute summary, once, I will easily forget the knowledge. But reading about the idea with different stories and other auxiliary information help me retain the principles much faster.

[slt2021]

Its not only the idea, but the history, and analysis of the author.

Reading a book is not just “downloading a knowledge into your brain”.

Reading is more like executing a program and seeing dofferent result in dofferent people. People will reflect in a different way and come out with different takes, emphasize points, lessons, and takeaways

[progbits]

I feel the exact opposite. Slogging through all irrelevant filler in those books dilutes everything, and makes me impatient and unfocused, just fast-forwarding through.

[ghaff]

Crossing the Chasm can basically be summarized in a page or two. There's probably some value in actually reading the book if it's relevant to your space.