How to Remember What You Read

There are no rules when it comes to choosing books. We don’t have to read bestsellers, or classics, or books everyone else raves about.

Focus on some combination of books that: stand the test of time; pique your interest; or resonate with your current situation.

The more interesting and relevant we find a book, the more likely we are to remember its contents in the future.

For older books, try to understand the historical context. For books written in an unfamiliar country, try to understand the cultural context. 

Some helpful questions to ask include:

• Why did the author write this? 
• What is their background?
• What else have they written?
• Where was it written?
• What was the political, economic, and cultural situation at the time of writing?
• Has the book been translated or reprinted?
• Did any important events happen during the writing of the book?

What are you reading this book for? Entertainment? To understand something or someone you don’t know? To get better at your job? To improve your health? To learn a skill? To help build a business?

You have to have some idea of what you want to get from the book. You don’t just want to collect endless amounts of useless information. That will never stick.

Before starting to read a book (particularly non-fiction), skim through the index, contents page, preface, and inside the jacket to get an idea of the subject matter.

Matching books to our location and circumstances can be powerful. Books will have a greater resonance as they become part of an experience rather than just supplementing it.

Take a look at your own situation and decide on genres or authors that might help you overcome any current challenges. Whatever your state of affairs, someone has been in the same place. Someone has felt the same feelings and thought the same thoughts and written about it. It’s up to you to find that book.

Making notes is an important foundation for reflecting and integrating what you read into your mind. Start by writing a short summary of each chapter and transcribing any meaningful passages or phrases.

Jot down connections and tangential thoughts, underline key passages and make a habit of building a dialogue with the author.

The more you write, the more active your mind will be while reading.