How I take notes from books
Author: Thomas Frank
Make sure to read at times when comprehension is high
Find a time that works for you. Don't read when tired.
Highlighting
He takes his highlights inside the margins of his books.
⭐️ - General highlight that you want to draw your eye to later on
🅴🆇 - For examples, if the book uses an example you want to remember
🅵 - Further reading, if book is mentioning an interesting external factor. Read up on it later.
🆀 - For quotes, however, best to put them in your own words. However, at times the quote is so good you leave it as is.
❓- Passage you disagree with or confuses you, this allows you to dig in later and verify a claim.
⤴️ - Sometimes write actual notes in the margin of the book. Keep it short. Key highlight for further elaboration.
Recording
After you're done reading & highlighting a chapter/section, go back through the chapter and use your highlights and margin symbols to guide your eye on what you want to take notes on.
Take notes in outline style
Main idea on writing down your highlights on a note-taking app is for you to interact with the material one more time.
Synthesize
Find a way to connect the information i just learned and recorded to what i already know or otherwise finding a way to utilize it.
Write own thoughts in my notes with "italics"
Basically, if there is a point that you have your own input on, put that right in your notes underneath where you recorded the initial point.
This will help you connect your own ideas and things you already know from other sources to what i've just read. This will help you build more pathways to the information and help you remember it long-term.
The author, Thomas Frank added a nice personal touch in the end of the video. In the process in which he adds his thoughts, opinions, and the "❓" symbol to mark spots where he has a disagreement is an embodiment of his favorite quote by Bruce Lee, "Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own".