How I Remember Everything I Read

Summary

In this educational video, Dr. Ali from the UK outlines a seven-level system to enhance retention and application of knowledge from reading. Starting as a passive 'Muggle' reader, viewers progress to 'Squib' by highlighting text, then to 'Hufflepuff' with a review system like Readwise. 'Ravenclaw' involves a central note-taking app, 'Dumbledore's Army' adds quick notes, and 'Order of the Phoenix' includes detailed literature notes. The pinnacle, 'Dumbledore', employs the Zettelkasten method for Evergreen Notes, encouraging a deep, interconnected understanding of topics.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses seven levels of engagement with reading material, aimed at improving memory retention and application of knowledge.
• 🧙‍♂️ Level one, 'The Muggle', involves passive reading without active engagement like highlighting or note-taking.
• 🔍 Level two, 'The Squib', marks the beginning of active engagement by highlighting key points during reading.
• 📈 Level three, 'Hufflepuff', introduces systematic review of highlights, such as using Readwise to receive daily emails with past highlights.
• 🦅 Level four, 'Ravenclaw', involves using a central note-taking app to automatically compile highlights from various sources.
• ✍️ Level five, 'Dumbledore's Army', suggests taking quick notes on books, including a three-sentence summary and personal impressions.
• 🔥 Level six, 'The Order of the Phoenix', goes beyond quick notes to include detailed literature notes and summaries of particularly impactful books.
• 🧙‍♂️ Level seven, 'Dumbledore', represents the use of the Zettelkasten method to create a linked system of Evergreen Notes on topics of interest.
• 💡 The video emphasizes the importance of actively engaging with reading material to improve memory and application, suggesting that summarizing books in three sentences is a practical starting point.
• 🔗 The video provides resources like Notion templates and references to other works, such as 'How to Take Smart Notes', to aid in implementing these reading strategies.

Q & A

What are the seven levels mentioned in the video for remembering what we read?

The seven levels mentioned in the video are: 1) Muggle, 2) Squib, 3) Hufflepuff, 4) Ravenclaw, 5) Dumbledore's Army, 6) Order of the Phoenix, and 7) Dumbledore.

What is the Muggle level in the reading journey?

The Muggle level is where a person reads without any active engagement like highlighting or taking notes, hoping to passively absorb information.

How does the Squib level differ from the Muggle level?

At the Squib level, a reader actively highlights or underlines parts of the text that resonate with them, showing a more engaged approach to reading compared to the Muggle level.

What service does the video recommend for reviewing highlights from books?

The video recommends Readwise, a service that connects to your Kindle account and sends you daily emails with random highlights from the books you've read.

What is the significance of the Ravenclaw level in the reading journey?

The Ravenclaw level involves using a central note-taking app to automatically pull in highlights from various sources like books, articles, and podcasts, making them more accessible for review.

Why is summarizing a book in three sentences beneficial according to the video?

Summarizing a book in three sentences forces the reader to actively engage with the content, ensuring they understand the core concepts and can recall them more easily.

What does the video suggest for those who want to take their note-taking to the next level?

For those looking to advance, the video suggests creating literature notes or summaries of books that resonate with them, focusing on points of interest or insight.

What is the Zettelkasten method mentioned in the video?

The Zettelkasten method is a note-taking system where you create interconnected, atomic notes on topics that interest you, with the aim of consolidating knowledge and insights from various sources.

How does the Order of the Phoenix level build upon the previous levels?

At the Order of the Phoenix level, readers not only summarize books and take notes but also write detailed literature notes, focusing on creating their own mini-summaries and insights from the books they read.

What is the highest level of the reading journey described in the video?

The highest level described in the video is Dumbledore, where readers fully embrace the Zettelkasten method, creating a comprehensive, interconnected system of Evergreen Notes on various topics of interest.

What advice does the video give for long-term retention of what is read?

The video advises to at least reach level five of the reading journey by summarizing books in three sentences and writing impressions, which helps in actively engaging with the material and improving memory retention.