Understanding how to get the most out of your time reading starts with understanding why we remember things at all, and then figuring out the best way to use that information.

Without purpose and intention, the ideas sparked while reading easily slip away. Learning to hold onto them means understanding how our memory works. For the purposes of reading retention, we can think of our memory as being basically made up of three components :

When you're impressed by something, there's a much higher probability that you'll remember it. This could mean a phrase or quote that catches you off guard or changes the way you think about a certain topic. Or an interesting fact that you'll want to teach someone later on.