Reading books can be a drag for some. But for others, it can be one of the most enjoyable things one could do. In some cases, non-fiction books can be particularly difficult to get through. Non-fiction books help you learn valuable life lessons, become a better communicator or help drop bad habits. Imagine having a person’s life experiences and knowledge condensed into a single book. That’s why they are essential to read. With the proper techniques, one can read non-fiction quickly and effectively. Here are seven techniques to help you enjoy non-fiction books.
Select a Book.
Start with creating a simple document with a prioritised list of books built over time by recommendations from friends, writing down suggestions from podcast interviews and noting books that are mentioned in other books. If you don’t have a plan on what books to read, you may start by reading something useful. It’s much easier and better to select books that relate to a problem you’re trying to solve, the context you are in or a topic that you’re interested in exploring.
Action tip: Be aware of what category (area of knowledge) is most exciting or pressing for you at the moment. Is it business, software development methodology, or philosophy? Then look for recommended books concerning your area of interest or a problem you would need to fix.
Start with the author.
Many people often dive into the book without taking the time to understand what kind of person wrote the book. Amplify your interest by watching brief interviews online about the author, and reading short descriptions and content. Imagine you are going to talk to the author of the book. This will give you a sense of the writer’s bias, and perspective and will boost your curiosity towards reading the book.
Action tip: Find and read the writer’s biography on online platforms, and check out other books written by the same author. This will help you know the kind of person the author is. You will understand why, how and what the writer was feeling when writing the book.
Take notes.
Taking notes while you read is crucial. Taking notes helps you capture relevant information, allowing you to remember and refer back to key ideas and lessons. Taking notes on a book is an experience of your differences and agreements with the author. You understand better and easily remember what you read when you make notes. This in turn improves your reading attitude towards non-fiction books.
Action tip: Highlight different passages in the book. Typically, highlight sentences or compelling stories that capture big ideas. If it’s an audiobook, you can create notes in note-taking apps like Evernote or
Goodnotes by recording all the key ideas.
Set your intention.
Identify and lay down the purpose of why you’re reading non-fiction books. Is it to forget about your life, learn a new skill, solve a problem or explore a topic that fascinates you. The “Why” you read a book determines how you will process and apply the information you consume. Defining your intention towards reading a particular book will help you select the right book and maximize the value you get out of it. Choose a book that will help you learn new skills, solve problems or help improve your life.
Action tip: Before choosing a book. Have an intention, do you want to learn a new skill, solve a problem or improve your life. Having a clear purpose will help you select a book that is in line with your intention.
Keep it simple.
The simpler something is, the easier it is to do. With fewer distractions and options, you can’t help but go from A to B more efficiently. In case you want to enjoy non-fiction books, it’s important to choose books that are simple to understand but informative and educational. A simple book makes it easier for you to understand and apply the information acquired in real life. Starting with an easy book will motivate you to move to the next one, making it effortless to enjoy non-fiction books.
Action tip: Don’t select a book that is complex or complicated. But rather go for a book with fewer parts, easily understood and the information acquired from it should be easy to apply in real life.
When you’re done with a book, read 1–2 more on the same topic.
Read more books on the same topic. It’s hard to read one non-fiction book and fully understand the topic it was talking about but if you want to enjoy it, read 1-2 more books on the same topic. This will widen your prospects and broaden your mind on the topic, making you an expert. It’s always important to get different points of view so you can build your own opinion based on everyone else’s professional experiences.
Action tip: In case you chose a self-help book like Atomic Habits to help you improve your life and habits, read more books on the same topic like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This will broaden your mind on the topic.
Make previews.
You will gain a lot by previewing a book before you start reading. Taking a quick look at the headings, the contents section, the preface and the author’s note is crucial. Some books may even have a “How to Read this Book” section. Going through these will give you an idea of what to expect in the book and asking questions like “What will I learn about?” helps you set a purpose for your reading and take control of the process.
Action tip: When the book is non-fiction, look at text features and illustrations (and their captions) to determine the subject matter and recall prior knowledge, to decide what you know about the subject. Previewing also helps you figure out what you don’t know and what you want to find out.
Conclusion.
Non-fiction books are inspiring, factual and report on true events. Most people don’t enjoy reading these kinds of books but if you apply the aforementioned strategies like taking notes, making previews or keeping it simple can increase your curiosity for non-fiction books. It’s important you master these strategies, being a skilled non-fiction reader can be core in changing your life.
