I found the best way to take book notes, by Jared Henderson on YouTube. 14 min 15 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 15 s
- Time to do it
- About 1 hour per book
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Read with a pen or pencil in hand. Mark only passages that surprise you, change your mind or seem worth remembering later.
Keep your marks consistent. Underline key sentences, put a star in the margin beside a big idea and a question mark where you disagree.
Add a short margin note in your own words beside each mark. A few words are enough to remind you why it mattered.
When you finish a chapter, flip back through your marks before moving on. Working a chapter at a time keeps the argument fresh in your head.
Export to notecards. Write one idea per index card, in your own words where you can, and put the page number in the corner.
Copy a quote only when the exact wording matters, and keep it short. Put it in quotation marks so you know it is not your own sentence.
Lay the cards out and sort them into piles by theme. Name each pile, then put the cards in order inside it.
Do an active reflection. Write half a page about what you now think, trying not to look back at the book first.
Connect the ideas to other books you have read or to something from work or school. Write those links down too.
Store the cards with the book or in a box by theme, and reread your reflection before you start the next book.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not highlight whole paragraphs. If everything is marked, nothing stands out.
If one card holds two ideas, split it into two cards so you can sort them separately.
Keep the reflection rough and quick. It is thinking on paper, not a finished essay.
Date each card so you can see how your reading builds over time.
Questions
How many notecards should I make per book?
Fewer than you think. A dozen good cards from a whole book will teach you more than a hundred you never reread.
Can I use a notes app instead of paper cards?
Yes. The method works the same if each note is a separate card you can tag and reorder, though paper makes sorting into piles easier.
What if I read on a Kindle or a tablet?
Highlight as you read, then export your highlights and turn each one into a card by hand. Typing them out is part of the work.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
