Mar 02, 2021 06:00:00

'3 Goals' and '4 Steps' for Efficient and Effective Reading

Past studies have shown that '

reading has the effect of strengthening brain function ' and that ' people who grow up surrounded by books can get high-income jobs ', and there are various ways to read. It is said that there are merits. However, even if you are enthusiastic about reading today, many people will be looking at your smartphone when you realize it. YouTuber Ali Abdaal, who has been a doctor for two years in the UK, argued on his blog, 'How can I read efficiently and effectively?'

The Art of Reading More Effectively and Efficiently
https://aliabdaal.com/read-more-effectively/

◆ Set the purpose of reading
JK Rowling , author of the Harry Potter series, which is Abdaal's favorite book, once said, 'Reading a good book can sometimes be magical.' thing. Sure, reading has a lot of fun and meaning, but it doesn't motivate you to say so much abstract benefits. So Abdaal advises that reading a book can be divided into three categories to make it easier to get started.

1: Reading for fun
This is a reading that is literally just for fun, so there are no special rules or difficult theories. 'The goal is simple and straightforward, you just have to relax and immerse yourself in the story. Reading just to entertain yourself is not a bad thing,' said Abdaal.

A study published in 2009 also found that reading is a very good way to relieve stress.

Research reveals that reading is very effective in relieving stress-GIGAZINE

2: Reading for information
Books in this category are for learning about certain facts or some information. Many of these books feature simple layouts and chapters that make it easy to see where and what is written.

Abdaal commented on the key points in getting information from books: 'Thanks to the easy-to-read index and layout, you can find the points of interest without losing sight of the points and consume the book as a reading material. The goal here. Is 'learn without judgment'. Whether it's a newspaper or a tourist guide, you may be able to read individual articles in a fun way, but only to gain knowledge about current affairs and specific locations. You should keep in mind that you are. '

3: Reading to understand
Books in this category differ from the books above in that they not only avoid judgment and simply absorb knowledge, but also involve a cognitive effort to 'understand things.' 'Reading to understand' is inevitable in order to grow through reading, but it is frustrating because it often contains content that cannot be understood immediately or facts that are unacceptable. Sometimes.

Therefore, Abdaal explains that if you gradually become accustomed to reading according to the next point, '4 steps of reading,' you will be able to acquire the attitude of reading a book.

◆ 4 steps of reading
The above three categories are for 'setting reading goals', but the reading steps are for learning 'reading style'. Specifically, as shown in the figure below, it is divided into four stages from the bottom: 'basic', 'scrutiny', 'analysis', and ' syntopical'.

1: Basic
The 'basic' is to read normally and grasp the contents as if you learned reading at school. The important thing here is to avoid speed reading too fast for efficient reading. 'It's certainly important to be productive, but trying to read faster before learning effective reading only impairs your ability to gain new knowledge. Efficiently read books. If you want to read it, you need to learn the next 'scrutiny' technique and then speed it up, 'Abdaal said.

2: Scrutiny
The important thing in 'scrutinizing' is to 'understand the overall flow of the book and understand the overall picture that the author is trying to draw before reading.' Before delving into the content of the book, Abdaal thinks that the content and key points of the book should be taken into consideration.

There are two aspects to 'scrutiny': 'essence' and 'surface'. In the 'Gist', first, read the title, band, and table of contents of the book to understand what the book is about. Next, check the preface and end of each chapter, and look at any headings that interest you. In the next 'surface', we will skim through without consideration or analysis. It is necessary to 'scrutinize' these two tasks in order to examine whether the book should proceed to the next 'analysis'.

When it comes to deciding whether it's a book to read, Abdaal said, 'Sometimes I come across a good book at the wrong time. If you don't find it interesting right now, you don't have to force it. Because I can come and read it again. '

3: Analysis
'Analysis' is the process of finding the core content of a book and assessing the author's claims to thoroughly understand the book. To do so, we need to ask the core of the book in the following three points.

・ What was the book written to say overall?
・ What does the book specifically say?
• Is it at least partially correct?

What you do in 'analysis' is similar to the previous 'scrutiny', but here we will focus specifically on what the author is asking and, conversely, trying to answer. Next, after understanding the author's claims and ideas, we will determine whether the content is correct.

As a knack for understanding the author's claim, Abdaal said that American philosopher

Mortimer Adler said , 'People who can't express what they're thinking usually don't know what they're thinking. I quoted the saying, 'It's a person.'

◆ 4: Syntopical
'Syntopical' is a coined word by Adler mentioned above, and means to compare and read different works. Steps 1 to 3 of reading focused on a particular book, but syntopical reading deepens your understanding of the field as a whole by understanding how different books on the same subject are connected. To go.

To read sint-picically, first list the books that are discussed on a particular subject and that may be of particular relevance. Next, read the books listed up to the 'Analysis' step, and then define the common subject as a keyword within yourself. Then, we will identify the biggest questions and answers that these books deal with, and examine the claims of each author.

'Creative is nothing more than connecting things,' said Abdaal, Apple founder Steve Jobs. 'Syntopical reading gives you ideas on a particular subject. It's going to be tied together. It's a breakthrough that acts as a powerful medium for creative solutions and true insights. '

◆ Measures when reading does not last long
Even if you practice the above method and acquire the skill to read a book, if it does not last long, it is the original tree Ami. So Abdaal advises 'read whatever you like until you like reading' for the problem of not getting into the habit of reading. In addition, it is also effective to make it easy to read using a Kindle or a reading app, or to put pressure on yourself by proclaiming 'I like reading'.

At the end, Abdaal said, 'Reading a book is hard work, but it's a must-have skill if you want to be able to accumulate knowledge and come up with high-impact ideas. If you can acquire it, it's the most life-changing skill. I promise it will be a factor, 'he said, urging him to acquire reading skills.