Incorrect Ways of Reading Books

 

Reading books is a good habit as it helps us to retain knowledge, learn from other people's successes and failures, and is also an entertaining activity.

Many people have different techniques and methods of reading. Some people skim through books without reading line by line, some people read line by line, underlined points, highlight, make notes, while others prefer to listen to audiobooks or read summarized versions of the books.

I usually read line by line, because it helps remember the information much better than skimming. Sometimes, when I find a line or a dialogue that is really an 'aha' moment, I highlight, but not often. 

There are a few methods which, according to my personal opinion, are not productive ways of reading books:

1. Reading/Knowing the Summary. This is for both self-help and applies for fiction too. Some people read the summarized version of the book and think that they have got an overall idea of the book and won't require to read it. Some people prefer to hear a summary from someone else who has read the book. But the actual essence of the book lies in the book itself. Summarization does NOT give you all the information in a book. I speak from experience. I thought the book Do it Today by Darius Foroux is just a motivational book about how to avoid procrastination. When I read the book, I realized it had a lot of practical advice, and I was so glad I read it.

2. Audio Books. Many people have started using audiobooks, especially ones who are working, since they don't have time to pick up and read a book. They listen while they are working, they listen while eating, while driving, while cooking, while in a meeting, etc. In general, this method may not help you absorb the whole content you are hearing, since you are doing something else at the same time. This, in a way, is multitasking. Now, it does not mean audiobooks are not useful at all, but it is better if you sit aside and read a book to grasp more knowledge efficiently.

3. Reading a Book When it Does Not Provide You Anything Relative or New. Some people prefer to finish reading a book just because they started it (I used to be like this). Now, you may never know what information might be hidden in which page, and you might want to continue reading. But sometimes, forcing yourself to read a book when it does not intrigue you or is not relevant to you is a bad thing. Reading is supposed to be fun. For example, I had picked up the book Develop your NLP Skills, thinking it would be a really informative read. On the cover page, it clearly said that it was for improving communication in businesses. I am a teenager, and I realized after reading halfway through the book that I was force-reading. And the book wasn't even relevant to me since I don't have a business and I, so far, have no need to negotiate with clients. So I put the book aside. You don't need to force-read in such situations like this.  

4. Reading Without Considering the Context. This is for self-help books. Some people may read books without understanding the point of the whole book or why the author even thought of writing the book. This may cause misinterpretations or lack of appreciation for the author's intentions. This happens with many self-help books if readers don't understand the context and try to read the book - which leads to them thinking the book is of no use.

5. Not Reflecting or Engaging. This is for self-help books. Reading without stopping to reflect, ask questions, or engage with the material can prevent deeper understanding of the concepts and ideas presented. This isn't completely bad, but if your aim is to have 100% knowledge on a particular subject, I would suggest deep reading.

6. Speed Reading Without Comprehension. This is for self-help too. Speed reading techniques can be helpful for getting through material faster, but when comprehension is sacrificed for speed, the reader might miss important details, nuances, or the author's intent. Understanding the deeper meaning or subtle messages within a book often requires a slower, more deliberate pace.

7. Skipping Parts. This is mainly for self-help books too (but can apply for fiction) Some parts of a book might seem less engaging or relevant but skipping them entirely could mean missing key points, background details and knowledge about the entire concept of the book. Even seemingly mundane sections can contribute significantly to the overall understanding of the book.

Reading is a personal experience, and there is no hard and fast rule on how a person is specifically supposed to read. The above points may not work for all types of people, as there is no shoe size that fits every person.

Happy Reading!!!