Books fascinate me. I get lost and I find myself in the new worlds and perspectives they create. I upgrade my operating system through books. Unfortunately very often the effect they have on me is short-lived. The never-ending incoming input of daily life overrides even the biggest aha-moments.
I wanted to find a way to capture the knowledge and to apply the valuable lessons I found in books. Enter Mehmet Baha, the founder of Solution Folder. His book reading technique was the answer I was looking for.
Here’s what he does:
How do you filter the books worth reading?
- Recommendation by key opinion leaders through their websites, podcasts, talks, books
- Amazon reviews
- I even sometimes directly ask a few of my favorite authors to recommend me books in a similar area they write 🙂 and they willingly share
How do you write the book summary?
After each and every chapter, I write the key 3-5 points immediately at the end of the chapter. After reading a book, I write all those key points of chapters in a Google doc.
This method is based on prof. Tony Buzan. You can check his books.
How often do you review the summary?
A day after finishing it
A week after the first revision
A month after the second revision
6 months after the third revision
Do you do this with every book?
Yes, every book related to my work/profession.
What benefits does it bring you?
It helps me to save the info to my long-term memory. Of course, I do not remember each and every single detail of the summary but at least I have a general idea about the books I read.
Do you use any speed reading techniques?
Sometimes I use a pen to read faster or skim a chapter before reading it. I should improve myself on speed reading techniques.
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For more on the Mehmet Baha’s transformational work check out his
articles on LinkedIn or join one of his unique teamwork workshops
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For a short summary of the books that inspired and shaped me in 2018, check out my 2018 Reads
