Lifehack question: How do you read a business book?

8 points by merubin75 12 years ago | 3 comments

I'm looking for tips, tricks, recommendations and methods. Do you use a highlighter? Do you have a coding system? Do you use Evernote? Do you post-its?

My objective is to read more business books to expand my horizons as well as pick up new ideas to implement. I'm in the middle of reading "18 Minutes" by Peter Bregman and am feeling inspired. But there are so many ideas, I find myself frustrated because I'm not sure how to keep track of them all.

In general, I like to read business books both on my Kindle and in my hands with a physical book. Recommendations for both would be awesome.

cjstott 12 years ago |

My recommendation is to reflect on what you read. Here's why:

I'm actually trying to cycle off reading business books. I've read so many that I need to spend time implementing what I read, rather than taking in more information. I'm like a chain reader, putting down one book and then picking up another without spending time reflecting on what I learnt.

I noticed this pattern so I've started trying to identify 3 things I learned and/or could implement to my own business upon finishing a book. For me, the reflection on what I learned is more important, I'm not much of a note taker but have the ability to retain vast amounts of information. If something really hits me, Ill put it in Evernote. Without the reflection piece this is probably relegated to my subconscious. I'm actually thinking of going back and trying to think of 3 things from each book I've read previously that I can now record.

This morning I finished the book Focus by Al Ries. It's good.

Here are the 3 things I learnt (recorded upon finishing in Evernote): 1. Focused companies are more profitable. 2. Brand extension is bad. 3. Focus may cause shrinkage in the short term but is far better in the long term.

Hope that helps.

Recommended books: - How to win friends and influence people (timeless classic) - How to get Rich by Felix Dennis (spammy title, good read) - Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrari (networking tips) - Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (any business that focuses on customer service is going to do better) - Purple Cow by Seth Godin (classic) - The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber (a great mindset to have for your business) - The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes (slow start but simply awesome) - All the 37signals books - Lean Startup (obviously)

These are just of the top of my head.

I don't keep books. I figure I can always buy them again if I need.

I gave up tracking what I read, but Goodreads.com was good of that.

toumhi 12 years ago |

I started taking notes of business books in a "books" journal in Evernote. It's MUCH slower to read but I can (and do) go back to my notes to solidify concepts or cross-check them with things I read in other blog posts or books.

I find it also helps retention, by taking notes, I'm really focused on understanding what I read and how it applies to past challenges, current ideas etc.

On the other hand, there are books I've read this year for which I don't have notes if I read them on the kindle (in the subway for example), and then it's much harder to remember what it was about and how I can use it in my life.

So: take notes.

darkxanthos 12 years ago |

I don't worry about keeping track of everything. Instead I surround myself (literally physically) with all the non-fiction books I buy and leaf through them when I get bored or need new ideas.

I still buy Kindle books but anything I really want to learn and need to be enveloped by (recently was statistics/machine learning) I buy physical books and add bookshelves to my home.