You've been reading wrong all your life.

Summary

This video script offers a three-step framework for efficient reading and long-term retention. It emphasizes the importance of purposeful reading, discerning essential content, and actively engaging the brain through reflection, debate, and application. The speaker, a board-certified doctor, debunks common speed-reading myths and encourages building a 'map' of the book for better comprehension and retention, ultimately transforming the way one reads for life-long learning.

Takeaways

• 📚 Reading for Learning: The goal is not to read faster but to learn and retain information more effectively to improve life.
• 🔍 Selective Reading: Not all words in a book are equally important; some are fluff or redundant, and it's beneficial to selectively read and focus on the essential content.
• 🗺️ Use a Map: Before diving into a book, read a summary or 'spark notes' to get a working map of the book's content, which helps in identifying what to focus on and what to skip.
• ✂️ Edit Ruthlessly: Act like an editor, cutting through unnecessary parts and focusing on the content that is relevant and valuable to your purpose.
• 🦴 Build a Skeleton: For technical books, use the table of contents and headings to understand the structure and main ideas before delving into details.
• 🎯 Purposeful Reading: Approach reading with a clear purpose or question in mind, treating books as tools to solve specific problems or gain knowledge.
• 🧠 Brain Functions: Engage in active reading by involving higher brain functions, including passive reading (collecting information), active reading (curating content), and applied reading (connecting and applying knowledge).
• 🤔 Reflect and Analyze: After reading, reflect on the concepts presented, determine their relevance, and consider whether you agree or disagree with the author's points.
• 👨‍🏫 Teach What You Learn: To solidify understanding, try to explain what you've learned to others in various formats, such as a TED talk, a simple explanation for a child, or an elevator pitch.
• 🔗 Connect to Long-Term Memory: Apply the information you read in a meaningful way to tether it into long-term memory, ensuring that it becomes a part of your knowledge base.
• 🚀 Future Application: Consider how the new knowledge impacts your life and plan to apply it to make measurable improvements, ensuring that 'future you' will benefit from the learning.

Q & A

What is the main claim of the video?

The video claims that by the end of it, viewers will learn how to read an entire book in a day or even an hour, and remember it for life.

What is the speaker's educational background according to the script?

The speaker is a board-certified doctor with three Ivy League degrees and has had to read a large number of books to get to where they are.

What is the first concept discussed in the video about reading?

The first concept is that not all words are created equally, meaning that readers should discern which words are important and which can be skipped, as some authors may include fluff or redundant language.

What does the speaker suggest as a method to determine which parts of a book are important?

The speaker suggests using a map, which is essentially a summary or outline of the book, to understand what parts are important and what can be skipped.

What is the purpose of reading a book according to the video?

The purpose of reading a book is not to read faster but to learn faster, to retain the information, and to improve one's life in a measurable way.

How does the speaker recommend using the table of contents and chapter headings?

The speaker recommends using the table of contents, chapter headings, and subheadings to build a skeleton of the book's main ideas and structure, which helps in understanding the big picture before diving into the details.

What is the concept of 'applied reading' as discussed in the video?

Applied reading is the highest level of engagement with the text, where the reader actively applies what they read by reviewing, debating, teaching, and considering how the information impacts their life.

What are the three brain functions engaged during reading according to the video?

The three brain functions engaged during reading are passive reading (The Collector), active reading (The Curator), and applied reading (The Connector).

Why does the speaker argue that speed reading might not be effective for retaining information?

The speaker argues that speed reading might not be effective because it focuses on the pace of reading rather than the comprehension and integration of information into long-term memory, which requires time and effort.

What is the three-step framework introduced by the speaker for effective reading?

The three-step framework consists of prepping (understanding the purpose of reading), reading actively (using a map and purpose to guide selective reading), and applying (engaging the brain to tether the learned information into long-term memory).

How does the speaker feel about highlighting or writing down notes in a book?

The speaker believes that highlighting or superficially writing down notes may not be effective for long-term retention, as it may distract from the process of integrating the information into one's memory.