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@fortelabs and @david_perell have changed the way I engage with books (and the world, really) and how I think about notes.
Tiago recently published his Ultimate Guide to Summarizing Books.
Here's a summary of the main points. In other words, a summary about a summary
Tiago recently published his Ultimate Guide to Summarizing Books.
Here's a summary of the main points. In other words, a summary about a summary
A SUMMARY IS MORE THAN A RETELLING
Your summary is (or should be) more than retelling the main points. It should be a unique interpretation of the book. It should be a unique and new creation through your own lens.
Your summary is (or should be) more than retelling the main points. It should be a unique interpretation of the book. It should be a unique and new creation through your own lens.
DELIVER THE MOST PRECIOUS GEMS
People are coming to your notes to get the most valuable takeaways (the "gems"). You are doing the hard work of climbing the mountain. Come back with the most valuable takeaways for your readers.
People are coming to your notes to get the most valuable takeaways (the "gems"). You are doing the hard work of climbing the mountain. Come back with the most valuable takeaways for your readers.
A DEEPER LEARNING
Summarizing a book deepens your engagement with it.
I read 52 books in 2016 (1 a week). I was focused on breadth, not depth, and quickly forgot much of what I learned.
Summarizing them changes that. You slow down. Absorb. Make new knowledge.
Summarizing a book deepens your engagement with it.
I read 52 books in 2016 (1 a week). I was focused on breadth, not depth, and quickly forgot much of what I learned.
Summarizing them changes that. You slow down. Absorb. Make new knowledge.
Summarizing is a value judgment on what is important.
When you decide what is important, you are deciding what you learn.
You are developing your own ability to recognize what's important. You are increasing the value of your investment (time + money) in the book.
When you decide what is important, you are deciding what you learn.
You are developing your own ability to recognize what's important. You are increasing the value of your investment (time + money) in the book.
YOU CREATE BUILDING BLOCKS
Your summaries become building blocks.
You can begin making connections between unique sources and you can also link to your own work.
You also increase your ability to draw from source material because you no longer have to recall what you read.
Your summaries become building blocks.
You can begin making connections between unique sources and you can also link to your own work.
You also increase your ability to draw from source material because you no longer have to recall what you read.
YOU IMPROVE THROUGH IMITATION
You're spending 10-20 hours summarizing a book AFTER you spent at least that many hours reading a book.
That's a lot of time to engage with a book.
You start to think & write, speak & see, like the author. You improve because of this.
You're spending 10-20 hours summarizing a book AFTER you spent at least that many hours reading a book.
That's a lot of time to engage with a book.
You start to think & write, speak & see, like the author. You improve because of this.
BUILD AN EMAIL LIST
If you summarize well, you are delivering a post packed with value.
It may take you 20 hours to read a book. Not everyone has that same time.
Create a meaningful, valuable summary to send to people. You're adding tons of value and doing THEM a favor.
If you summarize well, you are delivering a post packed with value.
It may take you 20 hours to read a book. Not everyone has that same time.
Create a meaningful, valuable summary to send to people. You're adding tons of value and doing THEM a favor.
It feels like you're giving them something (hey, here's a valuable summary) rather than asking them to do something (hey, please read my notes).
People are more likely to give you their email.
Email is one of the most valuable communication mediums and you own the list.
People are more likely to give you their email.
Email is one of the most valuable communication mediums and you own the list.
CONNECTS YOU WITH INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
You've done the difficult work of making their work accessible to other people. You've now built an audience as well.
You can use that audience and the work you've done summarizing the idea to connect with the authors themselves.
You've done the difficult work of making their work accessible to other people. You've now built an audience as well.
You can use that audience and the work you've done summarizing the idea to connect with the authors themselves.
These connections cannot be bought.
But you can earn them by creating great summaries.
This is a quick way to uplevel your career.
But you can earn them by creating great summaries.
This is a quick way to uplevel your career.
EXPANDS VISIBILITY AND CREDIBILITY
Summaries are easy to share and they add lots of value.
You will get shared in communities - even those resistant to promotion - because of the nature of summaries.
The authors themselves may share your summary.
Summaries are easy to share and they add lots of value.
You will get shared in communities - even those resistant to promotion - because of the nature of summaries.
The authors themselves may share your summary.
HOW TO DECIDE WHAT TO READ
Look for books that:
- aren't massively summarized already
- allow you to make unique connections
Look for books that:
- aren't massively summarized already
- allow you to make unique connections
Books should meet as many of these 3 criteria as possible (direct quote):
They are interesting and captivate my attention
They are unique and have something original to say
They are helpful in addressing the problems that my readers and I are facing
They are interesting and captivate my attention
They are unique and have something original to say
They are helpful in addressing the problems that my readers and I are facing
These books should be foundational to your work.
The time investment should be valuable to your knowledge, to your work, and to your readers.
The time investment should be valuable to your knowledge, to your work, and to your readers.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR SUMMARY
Read and highlight
Export highlights
Progressively summarize
Outline
Write
Read and highlight
Export highlights
Progressively summarize
Outline
Write
READ AND HIGHLIGHT
Highlighting is only the 1st step in engaging with a text.
Questions to ask yourself when highlighting:
Is it unique?
Is it helpful?
Is it interesting?
Highlighting is only the 1st step in engaging with a text.
Questions to ask yourself when highlighting:
Is it unique?
Is it helpful?
Is it interesting?
The Do's of Highlighting (Direct Quote):
Do highlight chapter titles and section headings
Do highlight lists and summaries already found within the book
Do highlight “popular highlights”
Do highlight chapter titles and section headings
Do highlight lists and summaries already found within the book
Do highlight “popular highlights”
The Don'ts of Highlighting (Direct Quote):
Don’t highlight entire paragraphs or pages
Don’t highlight entire stories or long examples
Don’t highlight ideas or explanations that you already know, agree with, or could have guessed
Don’t highlight entire paragraphs or pages
Don’t highlight entire stories or long examples
Don’t highlight ideas or explanations that you already know, agree with, or could have guessed
EXPORT HIGHLIGHTS
Get your highlights out of your book so that you can progressively summarize and reinterpret them.
Here's a video from Tiago explaining how to export your highlights.
Get your highlights out of your book so that you can progressively summarize and reinterpret them.
Here's a video from Tiago explaining how to export your highlights.
PROGRESSIVELY SUMMARIZE
Progressive summarization allows you to extract the most important points from what you've highlighted. You get down to the essence of what you've highlighted. Which allows you to extract the most important points from what you've read.
Progressive summarization allows you to extract the most important points from what you've highlighted. You get down to the essence of what you've highlighted. Which allows you to extract the most important points from what you've read.
This involves bolding the important points and highlighting only the MOST important points.
You should be able to scan a note and quickly get the gist of what you read.
Here's Tiago again on how to do PS:
You should be able to scan a note and quickly get the gist of what you read.
Here's Tiago again on how to do PS:
OUTLINE
Next, begin creating an outline from your notes.
This is where you can shine. You begin to reinterpret the note and present it in a novel way.
What ideas are great? Which are only good?
This is where you decide what absolutely must be shared (and how).
Next, begin creating an outline from your notes.
This is where you can shine. You begin to reinterpret the note and present it in a novel way.
What ideas are great? Which are only good?
This is where you decide what absolutely must be shared (and how).
WRITE
If you've done all the other parts well, this should actually be the easy part. You are creating from abundance. You've done the heavy lifting.
Your notes and your outline allow you to easily tap into creative flow.
If you've done all the other parts well, this should actually be the easy part. You are creating from abundance. You've done the heavy lifting.
Your notes and your outline allow you to easily tap into creative flow.
Tiago's suggestions for the final stage of writing:
- Customize your language to your own audience
- Leave out parts that are boring, obvious, or too long
- Be selective with your examples & metaphors
- Don't include direct quotes unless absolutely necessary (direct quote)
- Customize your language to your own audience
- Leave out parts that are boring, obvious, or too long
- Be selective with your examples & metaphors
- Don't include direct quotes unless absolutely necessary (direct quote)
Tiago's work has changed the way I read, write, and think.
Check out the full post here: https://fortelabs.co/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-summarizing-books/
Check out the full post here: https://fortelabs.co/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-summarizing-books/
