|
These days I read primarily for relaxation and pleasure, the way many people watch television. Re-reading old favorites is particularly enjoyable because I can match the book to my mood. It really doesn't matter how recently I've read it or how well I remember the plot and scenes. I get as much or more enjoyment every time I re-read a favorite book.
I also read a lot of non-fiction, much of it for general knowledge and enjoyment, but sometimes for material I want to truly master and remember. I have a specific technique for this sort of material that I developed many years ago when I was a law student and was required to read and remember key concepts and facts from thousands of pages of case law and analysis.
What I did then, and still do today, was to read everything four times. The first time, I read through the material very quickly, almost skimming it, so I had a good idea of the major points and what was important and what was unimportant. The second time I read very carefully, frequently re-reading sections to be sure I understood them thoroughly. Then, and only then, I re-read the material a third time and highlighted the important points I wanted to remember, being very careful not to highlight anything I didn't consider to be essential. After highlighting, I would re-read a fourth time, reading only my highlights. When preparing for an exam, or any time I wanted to refresh my memory as to the material, I'd read through my highlights again, ignoring the rest of the material.
I've taught this technique to many students over the years and it's invariably helped them become better students and improved their grades.
|