Treasures In The Text - Maximizing The Value From A Book
"Treasures in the Text" is a monthly compilation of nuggets from insightful books that enhance my knowledge in the intricate blend of technology and leadership as an engineering leader.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read and meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.
“Treasures in the Text” is a monthly compilation of nuggets from insightful books that enhance my knowledge in the intricate blend of technology and leadership as an engineering leader. While it is not an exhaustive synopsis of the books, I share the important lessons I’ve gleaned and have either applied or plan to apply in some way. My hope is that this digest will ignite your curiosity and contribute to your growth, just as it has positively impacted me.
Books are a lifetime of experiences in a few pages. As a leader, having access to a range of resources is essential for tackling daily challenges. I’ve found that books serve as a continuous source of learning and development, not just in engineering but across all disciplines.
Books are a lifetime of experiences in a few pages.
Maximizing your study
Every text contains hidden treasures, and this article will guide you through making the most of the books you read *at least in the way I have tried*. I’ve utilized a combination of study techniques I learned from Myron Golden and Vinh Giang.
Before diving into the techniques, there’s one thing you need to do to set the stage for any book you read:
Cultivate the Right Mindset
It’s crucial to approach a book with an open mind, believing that there’s no limit to what you can learn. Sometimes, this can be challenging, especially when tackling complex and thought-provoking books.
Certainly, if a human is capable of comprehending and writing a book, then there is a strong possibility that you can gain valuable insights from it. The primary consideration, however, is whether investing your time and effort in reading it aligns with your goals and interests.
Another key thing is to break out of this mindset that books are boring or that you do not like to read. The reason why we find it difficult to read books is simply because when we think books — we think school, when we think school — we think failure, when we think failure — we think shame. Every medium of knowledge transfer, be it audio or video eventually gets transcribed into the same thing — thoughts or words in our mind.
Maximize by understanding
This is a step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of your reading experiences:
Step 1: Identify Your Reading Purpose
Entertainment/Relaxation/Escape: These “feel good” books provide relief by appealing to the senses, transporting readers away from reality, expanding their imaginations, and evoking laughter, tears, and inspiration.
Knowledge/Information: The goal of these books is to acquire new knowledge, often for social reasons, ego, vocabulary expansion, or a fresh perspective. It is not essential to apply the information learned from these books.
Nuggets of Wisdom: These are similar to the Knowledge/Information category, the only difference being that these books are read with the intention of finding some practical takeaways. They are typically read at a slower pace, allowing readers to absorb and apply one or two key lessons within a week or two.
Mastery: These books support growth in specific skills and experiences. They are read with the aim of internalizing the content and being able to execute it effortlessly. Reading these books can take months, as the focus is on thorough understanding rather than speedy completion, the goal is to eat and digest it. *well not physically eat the book, I doubt it tastes good but it might smell good though*.
Step 2: Engage the Right Tools
Whether reading a physical book or an e-book, certain tools can enhance your study:
Book Markers: To indicate your progress in the book.
Copy Markers: To highlight important or interesting passages. For e-books, use a highlighter feature; for physical books, use a highlighter, pen, or pencil.
Note Taker: To write down important information, summarize what you have read, or, in extreme cases, transcribe the entire text. Physical book readers will also need a pen or pencil to write and sticky notes to compile their notes later.
Step 3: Highlight as You Read
As you read, pay attention to any text that stands out to you and highlight it. This includes passages that you find interesting, thought-provoking, or applicable to your life. Also, take note of any reactions or thoughts that arise while reading, as these cues can indicate important content that are worth highlighting.
Step 4: Reframe
“the value of this book won’t be in your remembering what I say but rather in remembering what you think as a result of what I say. My objective is to prove to you that what you think as a result of what I say is far more important than your remembering what I say.” — Charlie Jones (Life is Tremendous)
Take note of your thoughts while reading. When you encounter something interesting, challenging or maybe a new concept; after reading and highlighting it, write down immediately what you thought as a result of what you read. This technique helps you actively engage with the text and make it your own.
The depth of your understanding is directly related to your ability to connect seemingly unrelated concepts.
This is where Sticky Notes come in play.
Use sticky notes to jot down your thoughts, questions, and insights as you read. I prefer digital sticky notes since most of my reading is done on e-books.
You can also use sticky notes to refine your thoughts later. This technique can greatly enhance your reading experience and deepen your understanding of the material
An example from an excerpt of the book “Systems Thinking” that I read. The copy says
The challenges of the 21st Century demand new ways of thinking & more complex ways of acting
The way I thought about it was
Due to the ever changing nature of the current times, in order to solve the problems that arise, we need to not just think up the solutions to the problems but we must also have different ways of thinking up solutions and a repository of ways to implement these solutions.
I wrote a note on this my thoughts to simplify it and I ended up with
We must be equipped to be flexible in our approach to solving problems.
Write out what you think as a result of what you are reading
5. Memorize
At the end of each day or week, revisit all your notes and review them again. Refine what you wrote earlier and try to remember why you wrote it. Aim to internalize the information. You’ll likely notice that this practice brings a new perspective to your reading, influenced by your own experiences.
When you discuss your thoughts with others, it will feel like your own insights because they are.
Quite frankly, there is nothing new under the sun or in my words — If someone did it then someone had done it before.
There is nothing new under the sun
A good tip is to copy out the sticky note writings into a text editor e.g Google Docs *this is especially useful if your handwriting sucks like mine*. This helps with making this process formal and it forces you to think a lot more deeply about your thoughts, putting you in research mode as you refine. It also helps with redundancy, in case you lose the book.
Maximize by application
Practice one thing daily or weekly
If the goal of reading is to cultivate the habit of reading, then the act of reading itself becomes its application. We read to be transformed — or at least, that’s why I read. To achieve this transformation, intentional application is essential.
There was a time when I wanted to develop the habit of reading, so my goal was simply to keep reading. I ended up reading 22 books in about 6 months. However, today, I can’t remember more than a handful of sentences from all those books. I can only recall the titles of five books at best. Nevertheless, I now enjoy reading, which means I achieved my goal.
If you’re reading to gain mastery or glean wisdom, just reading would not cut it, always jot down one thing you’ll practice after reading a chapter. Then, throughout your day, actively seek opportunities to apply it.
Recap and review weekly
Make time each week to review everything you’ve learned. This should take about one to two hours and is incredibly beneficial. Go through your notes for the week and, if possible, reflect on the feedback from your daily practice. Decide what you want to focus on for the upcoming week and what you found to be less significant.
Test all things hold forth to what is true
Maximize your overall learning and development
In the previous section, you learned how to make the most of a book while studying it. In this section, we will explore strategies to enhance your overall learning and development.
1. Identify Areas for Improvement
Start by identifying areas in your life where you want to improve. These areas could be related to your spiritual, emotional, financial, health, career, or relationship well-being.
2. Prioritize Your Areas of Improvement
Rank these areas based on their importance and alignment with your goals. This prioritization will help you focus your efforts and resources where they matter most.
3. Set a Monthly Budget for Books
Allocate a monthly budget for books and personal development. This financial commitment will demonstrate your seriousness and dedication to your growth. Whether you end up reading all the books or not, ensure you spend at least the budgeted amount on books each month.
4. Determine the Frequency of Improvement
Based on your prioritization, establish the frequency at which you need to work on each area. For example, becoming a better engineering manager and leader is a top priority for me, so I designate daily time for development in this area. On the other hand, improving my culinary skills is not as important, allowing for a monthly cadence of development.
5. Create Consistent Study Times
A lifestyle of learning is more important than what you learning. Therefore, consistency is key to effective learning. Schedule specific times in your calendar for study and development. Set alarms and reminders to ensure you stick to your study routine and make progress daily.
6. Identify Relevant Books and Apply Study Techniques
Choose books that align with your goals and the areas you want to improve. Apply the study techniques discussed earlier based on your reading objectives. For instance, if you’re seeking nuggets of wisdom, focus on applying lessons daily. If you’re aiming for mastery, spend more time on each chapter, revisiting and reinforcing your understanding.
7. Reflect and Evaluate
Regularly take time to reflect on the impact of your studies on various aspects of your life. Adjust your schedule as needed, ensuring it supports your development without compromising your well-being. Re-evaluate the books you’re reading to determine their effectiveness and decide whether to continue or make changes. Measure your progress against your learning goals and celebrate your achievements. Express gratitude for the opportunity to learn and reward yourself for your dedication and growth.
I hope this has been really helpful to you, Feel free to comment on any tips you have found to be useful and share how applying this has impacted the quality of your study.