A Walking Library – How to Get the Best Out of a Book

A Walking Library – How to Get the Best Out of a Book

A man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.

-       Mark Twain

 

Reading!!!  Probably, the best habit one can pursue. Someone who called compounding the 8^th wonder wasn’t aware of the boon called reading. But its power is only known to those who actually know it. An avid reader who knows what to read can be lethal to his competitors, his enemies and anybody against him. A good book has years of hard work, research and thoughts absorbed in it. And all these are readily available to a reader on a platter called book.

I’m an avid reader, and I love reading, But I realised that over time we forget the contents of the book and eventually we come to a situation when we are almost equal to someone who has not read the book at all. This encouraged me to find out more about active reading. The kind of reading which gets me the most out of a book that I read. Of course, nobody can remember the dates, facts etc. for a long time. But the basic concept of the book, the basic gist must be understood in such a manner that it can be applied. That knowledge must be stored in our mind. We read history so that we remember the mistakes of our ancestors and don’t repeat them. We read economics to understand the money, commerce, exchanges, market, budget etc. and this knowledge can be easily applied. We read about health and nutrition so that we can be fit. I agree, that we read stories to enjoy them and it’s alright to forget them. But the best of the stories also teach us something. The point here is- there cannot be anything better if we understand what is there in a book in such a manner that it becomes part of our life.

On a quest to get the maximum out of reading, I learnt many things which might help. Some said, underlining or highlighting help. Others said, making notes or scribbling on a page gets you connected. Then one day, something struck me. I came across an idea that changed the way I was reading and trying to get the best out of it.

What do we do when we get stuck in a problem? We try to resolve it. And how do we do it? We talk to people, think over it, google it, ask from friends etc. Finally, we get through the problem. Things get back to normal. We get back to our daily life. We pick up books, read them, learn something, forget over time. And this cycle continues.

Later in life, if we come across a problem similar to the one that we have been through, we rightly recall the solution. We might not remember who told us the solution, but somehow, we remember what had happened and what the solution was. Simply because we have been through this. This is true for even villagers where most of the people might not be literate even. But aptly, they remember the solution. This, they call experience.

Now, coming back to my quest where we started. The world is full of books. Of all kinds, all genres, all topics, all problems and numerous kinds of solutions for these problems. Every human goes through various problems in life. At different ages, we have different questions, whose answers we are all seeking. The best part is, there are numerous answers and solutions to these problems in numerous books. We just have to pick up the books that deal with our problem.

When I hated that I was born poor. I really wanted to be rich one day. I read books on money, wealth, market, being rich etc. I wanted to be healthy and fit. I read books on fitness, gymnastics, food, nutrition etc. When I had to pay the income tax, and I was worried as to what exactly happens to this income tax and how much money would the govt be collecting, I read about economics, banking, trade, companies, cash-flow etc. I wasn’t good at communication and realised that I really wanted to be like the people who steal the show with their presence. I read about effective communication, body language, psychology etc. This entire thing had one thing true. Since I was looking for solutions to problems in my head, I not only read but I clearly understood these books. I never tried to remember them. But I know the content because reading these books was part of my problems and their solutions now. I had made reading a solution to all problems.

Now, look at the other side of the coin. If I’m going through a problem, I try to find the solutions through talking, googling, etc. During this time, I also happen to read a few books. I might remember the content for some days or month but eventually will forget the content. This is because the book never became part of my life.

So, does it mean that we have to have problems in life to get the best out of a book? Not at all. One doesn’t need to have problems in life to get this advantage. It’s all mental. We have to mentally create problems and look for the answers or solutions. Or when we see our close ones in a problem, we can do the same.

The crux here is that it’s not about the problems or answers. It’s about making the best out of the book. It’s about really understanding the content and being able to make some use out of it. It’s about gaining long-lasting knowledge. It’s about connecting the book with our world. It’s about reaching a level where you a walking library.