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How To 'Read' A Book In Less Than 10 Minutes
By Barbara Buffton
Wouldn't it be great if you could get from a book what you want in less than 10 minutes? (I'm talking here about non- fiction rather than those fiction books which you want to take your time over!).
How much time might you save? How many more books could you then read?
You could of course go on a speed-reading or photo-reading course, which teaches you to read faster or to skim read, but if you can't afford the time or the money to do that right now, read on for some handy tips:
1. Read the back jacket to get the gist of what the book is offering. What exactly is it about? Does it promise to give you what you want?
2. Decide what you want to get from the book. Why are you reading it? What is your purpose? If you decide this in advance, your mind will then be reading 'on purpose'. It will start to sift through the content to find what it is you are searching for, ignoring all the irrelevant stuff.
3. Look at the contents list - what sparks your attention? Use a highlighter or some other means to mark the chapters/topics that will give what you want from the book.
You have to be really disciplined to do this so that you are not drawn in to linger on topics that are interesting but which will not serve your purpose.
4. Go straight to those chapters/topic headings. Is there a summary at the end that sums up what the learning is? Or is there an introductory paragraph that tells you? Most well- written books will have one or the other. That is all you need to read.
If there isn't, this is where the ability to skim read comes in. Flick through thechapter without reading every word or even every paragraph! Challenge yourself to do it as fast as you can. Be amazed at how much you have managed to glean from such a quick perusal.
5. Make notes as you go of anything that is interesting or, even more time-saving, highlight certain passages.
If you do this regularly, you'll become more and more proficient at it.
Barbara Buffton was a qualified careers adviser who one day decided to take her own advice and change her career! She has had four books published, including The Which? Guide to Choosing a Career (1998). Buy her latest book here...
(c) Barbara Buffton. All Rights Reserved. |
