6 Note Techniques to Dissect Any Book 

When reading physical books, I like reading a whole chapter with a pen in my hand for eye guidance and underlining the important parts. After that I go back and rephrase all of the underlined parts, apply to real case scenarios, etc. In a special notebook or a common-place one. But I found myself not affording books lately and I just read pdfs and take notes in Obsidian 😅

Guys, the last point is a total game-changer. You need to be making chapter summaries if you want to take most of what a book has to offer. Just make sure you write your OWN understanding of the chapter without looking at the book because you'll be exercising memorization.

Best thumbnail ever.

I don't even read a lot of books. I just like listening to your voice :)

you're like my inner brother in this. when i was young , in school,this is how i learned for exams.. reading and writing , reading and writing, 1500 times. even now i remember how, many times during university examms the inner part betwen my first 2 fingers after the thumb was hurting from the pressure of the pencil on them and writing hundreds of pages per week because you asked.. i feel like you are the kind of person who puts honesty and sincerity on a high rank. nowadays i don't need to memorize stuff like years before when i was in school, but related to notetaking i am interested in simply reading fiction for pleasure , a kind of slow reading with notetaking to get the most esthetic feeling out of the book i am reading. so this is my touching point with the subject of this video. thank you again

I came across one of your videos. And from then forward I look forward to your videos. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your insights and helpful advice...

To summarise: you need to work hard to make work easier in the future as with anything. Thanks for tips. I'm on my journey to up my reading time and make it everyday habit. Two months so far - 160 minutes a day. One more month and I will reach the goal of 240 minutes if non fiction reading. The further I go down this road the more quality gets more important than quantity. So any reading advice is nice.

You’re very informative and intentional with your videos and you have a very genuine presence on camera. Thanks for your help and work. Wish you the best with your studies. Excited about the newsletter!

Thank you for this bro. im having a hard time reading how to read it stresses me out, your videos way easier to understand.

Thanks a lot for sharing this. Your calm and methodical video format is a breath of fresh air accompanied with practical and useful tips. Definitely signing up for the newsletter.

As a law student, this really resonated with me. I use similar tactics when reading research papers and journal articles: e.g instead of chapter summaries, I do page summaries, so I take down a paraphrased 1-sentence summary for each page. It helps with understanding of the flow of the arguments and also makes it easier when you’re revising the article later. But I’m trying to incorporate the same techniques to normal “book” readings! Ngl, it’s taking some time to get used to annotating physical books 😂

I found this not perfect, but more effective than most technique from a blog post - in order to not lose track of what the author is taking about, write (or highlight) two sentences for each paragraph- one for WHAT they are taking about and the other for WHY (why it happens or, more often than not, why it's important for it to happen or why it's important for us to learn it). I found this technique especially helpful for advancing textbooks, and I've been using it since high school~

Hello my friend, I just wanted to take a quick second and write a simple "Thank you". I've only recently discovered your channel (You're Obsidian video) and I really enjoy it. Love the simple production while keeping audio and video quality intact, the way you take your time to speak, and thoughtful breakdown of what it is you're addressing. You are a breath of fresh air in a realm full of people who over produce and rush through content. Again, many thanks from a poor redneck residing in Tennessee among the United States. Cheers!

I actually like to read loudly (but not really) the idea is to literally imagine that I’m sitting next to the author and telling him all my concerns about what I’m reading and all my questions, and there is not such an interesting thing than when he answers me few pages after.

Thank you. I will try it myself!

Thanks for the tips! Your videos are really helpful for me as someone who's starting to read books.

Can I just say that all of your content is brilliant. Every video of yours I watch, teaches me something that I start using to enhance my learning straight away.

The subtle references and jokes are the best. Especially The Prince.

I love watching videos like these, not only are they informative and engaging in a sense, but I can actively add more depth to every piece as I watch it which is often relevant to me, and funnily or coincidentally enough, I made notes on this video, following the rules/advice mentioned in it. Here they are: 1. Passive to Active Watching: As I watch any media, I can feel my subconscious ideas popping up, depending on how engaging it is(to me). When you realize it is happening, grab a pen, write down your insights, queries and review them later for e.g, by adding time stamps of that video to the note, and then watch the video from there again, creating a better engaging reviewing. You can also record yourself, asking questions audibly in real time as you watch a video for the first/second/nth time as if you're conversing with the speaker. 2. Underlining-Making notes-Ordering: Here after or while reviewing, you pick out the points that you felt most important at that time. There is no need to choose carefully, as you will wacth it a few times at different times of day/days, each time taking new points/developing previously taken points. You can compare them now and choose the most important ones. As this process is progressive, you do not need to focus on the end result, focus on each consecutive watch and you will surely find yourself a good list. It not only is time conservative, but utilizes any overthinking tendencies in a productive manner(since they are periodic, hence short and have a foundation to get back to if things go awry) while strengthing your understanding on the matter and having made a satisfying list to refer back to in the future almost simultaneously.

You're so ON POINT!💯 LOVED IT❤

One of my own note taking experiments included drawing visual images next to the note taken, our brains are hardwired to explain what they see quite literally presented to them. That's why ironically people who read Dr. Zeus's work can quite literally recall every phrase because of how provocative and engaging his books are with our brains. The impact of quotes from characters is made even more provocative with an image that symbolises it. Like noone will ever forget what the simple yet beautiful art of paradise lost that would cut in, especially the one where satan is leaning up against a rock feeling defeated, we can already tell what the narrative is just by analyzing it intuitely.

Great summary. Your video is refreshing and inspiring!

Thanks for the advices, gonna aply them right know

My God. In 11 minutes, your video diagnosed the problem(s) I have had in reading these past years. With retirement, I finally had time to read the mountain of books that I have collected over the years. However I found the process of reading to understand AND remember too daunting a task and just gave up. Now, with your guidance I feel I have the tools to try again. Thank you.

Thanks a lot for these techniques and I'm glad to know that I have used a few of them before.

Thanks for the effort you put into all your inspirational videos. Here's my method: I highlight the key points during my reading and whenever I encounter a highlight or paragraph with an interesting idea or concept that I wish to note down, I mark it with the letter 'N' next to the highlight. At the end of my reading session or upon completing the book, I jot down detailed notes about the significant ideas or concepts marked with an 'N' in my Leuchtturm 1917 notebook and transfert all the Highlights in Readwise. Having moved away from complex and fancy apps a few months back, I now prefer a simpler, more straightforward approach. If I don't have my notebook at hand, I use Apple Notes to capture my thoughts.

I love your videos, thanks for sharing your methods and thoughts! I would love to see a video on how to understand complex concepts or ideas while absorbing new information. Keep up the great work!

Thank you for the quality videos you consistently put out. I'm going to be starting my higher education soon (graduating high school in may) and your "content" feels less typical of youtube content, but more so the guidance I'd outsource to a tutor or mentor later on in life. I feel grateful to be hearing all this now and not in my late adult life

❤ Loving this channel. Big thanks for being so inspiring and helpful advice ❣️❣️

Definitely looking forward to how you use obsidian for your book notes. I recently started using obsidian but I'm still learning how to best use it with the notes ive already written for books. Ive really liked using field notes for writing so i can carry it around and review what I've written so i dont forget as much

I have dysgraphia. this is difficult in writing. I cannot writing in book like you. I got notebooks for this. You have been incredibly helpful. Thank for this

I have to share a secret, your videos make me feel that I have to study or read now and apply your advice 😅❤️ Thanks for creating such content. I'm studying translation and English literature so, your videos help me a lot. ❤️

Whenever I find something in Book that doesn't resonates with me, I always write down my critic points, because it then even feels more like a conversation if I don't agree with the author in some ideas.

Very good! Thanks aplenty!

I really like your videos. You cover a lot of themes with which I have struggled. I have been reading for well over two decades, but I feel that I have arrived in a place where I have retained very little of what I have read. And just like you point out, it’s very embarrassing to have advanced university degrees and have shelves filled with books, but very little to show for it so to speak. I have recently started rereading some books that I remember really enjoying, even if I don’t remember much about them, and actually taking notes like I did when I was at university … when I had to do it because my grade depended on my ability to retain concepts when I took exams. This is one of the big reasons for why I stopped using an e-reader. There’s just something very different in the reading experience when you hold an actual, physical book in your hands and interact with the text. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to make these videos and make them relevant and helpful.

Thanks again for another super helpful video! Now I know why I've always found reading so hard and unsatisfying. I'd like to get better at it

I do really like your content. Your style and succinctness is quite enjoyable. I’m hopeful that your vids will help me find tools to implement into my ADHD tactics. Thanks! 🎉

Such an informative gem. Could you please make a video on how you do your note taking in Obsidian.

That point of being stressed about orginality really hit home! Whenever I write I have this "need" for saying things no one has said or at least putting them into words no else has put them into. Maybe the best way - or one of the best ways - is to simply write things the way *you* understand them best, regardless of who else has said whatever about them. P.S. In the other comments I saw that your next video is going to be all about Obsidian - holding my breath for that one :)

Hello, thank you for your videos! There are so helpful. Can you make a video talking about ""How to get clarity while you read?'"?

Man so useful thank you for these videos, I'll read 'How to Read a Book', feels like an important read before reading anything further, have you considered making one detailed video about your notes in obsidian? I struggle to connect mine, but am working on it for the first time...

Very informative Sir

Making notes from books has always been... complicated, and I've tried many different strategies. For the moment I like writing about individual ideas from books, something like your mini-essays (I've gotta say it's an awesome concept) and the main problem is not so much taking notes as managing the entire PKM and using the ideas. I've been taking things more slowly lately and I'm thinking more about how to implement the ideas in daily life, so that's at least on a good track. Another way I've been thinking about books lately is inspired by Justin Sung (a youtuber focused on studying/learning), which is basically thinking of information as a scattered web of knowledge where relevant-to-you parts will be found throughout the book rather than in the order in which the book is written, and making mind maps that reflect and evolve as you read and learn more. It's been great so far, I like drawing mind maps, and I've found it a cool way to take notes and learn on any topic. With that said I don't _write_ summaries of books or chapters anymore. I might draw a mind map about a chapter if I know I'll need to go back to it, and I write short essays on specific ideas as I mentioned, but no more writing only generally summaries of books. It probably doesn't give me as much bang for the buck as there're many parts of each book that could probably become useful in the future, but it's been a good balance so far. In the future I'd like to explore some more visual ways of thinking. There's a cool yt channel called "Verbal to Visual" which also does mind maps (and book summaries) that I can probably learn from but haven't gotten around to it yet. And even more visual where complex concepts are represented as infographics or illustrations, something like what Kurzgesagt does. It'd be probably an art form in itself and very time consuming, but I've gotta say, that stuff when done well sticks REALLY well, and also it's a nice break from text-heavy notes.

Do you have a video guide/overview on your Obsidian setup? If not, I’d love to see one of those

I tend to take my notes in a commonplace book format, rather than the book itself, as I utilize used book stores and the library quite a bit. I include page and paragraph references in my notebook (as well as which edition I'm reading) so I have the ability to find that book again and review, without straining my already over-burdened shelves and book budget further. I also number my notebook pages, and then put a subject index in the back. One page (or half or a quarter of a page) for each letter of the alphabet - with the exception of my combined page for X,Y & Z. This system effectively FORCES me to do a review when I've completed each set of notes. If I do it during the initial note-taking process, I am likely to get too many keywords for my subject pages. So I am forced to really review it immediately and cut it down to the important bits. Which as a result, makes my pen and paper notes easier to use as a reference in the future. I sometimes supplement this with sticky tabs, to mark out particularly important pages or impactful quotes to review.

Morning! If you find an interesting thought in a book, do you retell it for yourself and write it down in Obsidian or you put it in Obsidian as a quotation? Thanks!

In addition to notes, I also like to make " interface theme maps" where I can connect all the ideas and insights from various disciplines and observe the interdisciplinary interfaces . For example , thoughts and ideas which connect philosophy with archaeology and innovations with mind and cognition. Currently, I am in the process of writing a non-fiction book using this method and other methods such as the awesome ones here on the Odysseas channel. I also wish to recommend some books, such as " Collection of Sand" by Italo Calvino because it is a citadel of memories and thoughts - broad themes connecting real life events and experience with art, literature, philosophy and history ... As the author inspires us to enquire " What is expressed in the sand of written words which I have strung together throughout my life ..."

Good video

But how the notes get connected ? Maybe it's a dumb question as i've never used obsidian. But it would be great to know how to do it technically. Thanks !

I recommend What Smart Students Know by Adam Robinson. It's been in print for 30 years, for good reason. It presents a detailed process of note-taking & review. It's maybe too much for ordinary reading, but it can easily be adapted to one's needs. The author calls his technique "cyberlearning," which now sounds very silly, and is not relevant to this book's content. Plus the general focus is on the needs of students, but again, it's easy to just take what one needs from the book and ignore the rest.

love the system but i mainly read in a e reader now and the whole underling or margin marking or writing your rephrased para on a topic in the book process is very inconvenient on e-readers, how do i fix this in a frictionless way

Learning more about techniqued that make learning stronger , faster or better feels like that RPG game grind then level up and using the points to get better stats and skills to speed run that part or make the final boss regret ever loading up to the gpu that day

@Odysseas How many books do you read simultaneously? I have one notebook with me, cause I try to follow the Ross Ashby's routine with notetaking. And if I read 5-7 books a day for several chapters each, I end up having a bunch of notes from different fields every day, and the next day I return to say book 1, and I need to manually make links to previous pages with the same book. Of course in obsidian I make things structured, but I like handwriting my notes and that's where I struggle. Maybe you could give some advice? Writing in a book is not for me, because most of my books are pdf ebooks without OCR, so I stick to one paper notebook.

If I read books on different languages, should I take notes in one language or in the language which I read at that moment? Because I am curious how it affect on my writing skills

if I don't have the book physically, would you do all these tips but just digitally instead like in the source material section in obsidian?

Hey Bro I Thought You Would Make The video on how to set up obsidian and make a note taking system like yours but this isn't it but can you please make the next video on that i Really need that i want to make a note taking system like you with the zettelkasten method Do You Have An Email?

I listen to a lot of audiobooks whilr driving, I need go find a way to take better notes. Any suggestions are appreciated!

Great video brother. Just wanted some advice from you as my law finals are a month later and I'm aiming for a first class. What do you think constitutes a first class essay? Brevity and whatnot. Much appreciated.

I use a separate notebook (Rocketbook: where I can scan upload my notes to store digitally) and that forces me to rewrite what I underlined, I like to know why I decided to highlight something in a book. Otherwise, i might not remember why i decided to highlight something. It is a lot of work but it does help with my comprehension and recalling information.

There is this book by William Zinsser - Writing to Learn. You will love it! I certainly do (I have just started tho).

There's an old Jewish proverb about making notes in books: "A virgin book bears no offspring."

How to rephrase in own words please guide

Do you rephrase during your reading or after it?

Hey, great video, thanks. I take it that you don't like using higlighters, right? You only use pencil for underlining, as it can be erased.

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My question is how do you approach fiction? Do you treat it the same, and try to pull concepts, ideas, and themes from the story? Or do you have some books that you read just for pleasure and relaxation.

which camera do you use yo make videos?

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Do you have any tips on analysing Greek mythology and how you can get the most out of the reading?

I think Ryan holiday system for reading books is also good.

Hey buddy, i cannot understand properly what you have told in the power of connections, i want to know it from scratch like connecting ideas with one another to create new ideas. Can you please make a detail video for it particularly ...... You are videos are truely helpful for me as a student and an enthusiastic polymath ❤ thanks for your extremely precious contents.......

I also got How to Read a Book by Adler as well. ^^ Though I didn't fully read it from cover to cover, I used tabs to mark chapters and subtopics I knew I would use in the future. And I few questions about your reading routine. Do you reread your books to look more in-depth at what it's saying? And what are things you look out for? Overall I've loved listening to your insights because you hit the jackpots I want to hit in my life as well.

What about the PDF

How Can I Contact You Personally? I Need to talk to you please

I usually get lent my books by a library to save money. So I can't write notes in them but I still Take notes in a Notebook which lays besides me while reading.

I am reading war and peace any tips 🙃

Note taking when you're reading an ebook or pdf💀

Students that can afford to own books outside their studies, wow.

Do you see caffeine as a tool for learning?

How to dissect a lasagna with chopsticks

as a notoriously horrible storyteller, i related way too much to the opening

Note taking when reading an ebook or pdf💀

Bro is at his girlfriend’s house

Learn touch typing man, 4:16 was embarrassing. It will save you 10 years of your life as a writer, and it only takes a week to get used to.

Thanks for your reading tips! They’re so helpful!🥲🥲👍🏻

Hi, I just joined your email list. Claire B 😊

3 Ways to actually READ & LEARN : By Michael Fricker Method #1 - “Being Curious” • Read only those books that is in one's interest. (Topics that are currently interesting at the moment such as Alter Ego & The Art of seduction) Method #2 “Actively Reading” • Pen & Highlighter (Highlight only the things that catches the eye, and Write down thy thoughts) • Re-read the Chapters & Notes after each session! (Don't go Doomscroll!) (Get Paper, write Title & Ch. Then write anything about it!) Method #3 “Enjoying Thy Reading” • Just Enjoy The Reading Session ! (READ before Eating!!) _____________________________ 6 Note Techniques to Dissect Any Book : By Odysseas Technique 1 : “Rephrasing to Understand” • Basically write a Sentence to summarise Said Page to get the main infos... ... ... . Technique 2 : “Ask Questions, Find Answers.” • I'm Lost (Almost completely!) • Maybe do the same (abo^e) but now add Question on said Page. Hope that you'll get your answers later or you'll have to go and search for it in thy Internet! Technique 3 : “Margin Numbers” • Make it as Easy as possible, as you already have enough problems. • In paragraphs, or certain words, Write down on the side Numbers such as (1,2,3 ect) so that it's easier to locate..... ... .. . Technique 4 : “Underlining & How to Use it Properly” • Just see/listen this part... He Really says things but doesn't speak! Technique 5 : “The Power of Connections” • Finally He Speaks! • Just listening to this Part! Technique 6 : “Chapter Summaries” • Write Summaries of Each Chapter after reading. (Such as; Chapter X, Y, Z! - - -) • After each read, Write down small bullet points to know what that said chapter means!

Note taking when you're reading an ebook or pdf💀