Last Update: November 2024
Here lay the ruins of the first blog post on my blog. Initially, it was about how I took notes from non-fiction books circa 2021.
I’m keeping a paragraph where I talk about why I read. I don’t align myself with this person any more. I disagree with his feeling that he has to make a stand in favour of reading for pleasure, but I will keep it as a baseline for development. Probably, it is a good thing. Similarly, I will feel the same reading this edit I’m writing in 5 years.
Why I Read
First, I must explain my various reasons for reading and how I tackle note-taking in different cases. Most times I read out of habit, it is normal for me to read before bed as a way of falling asleep, and I will get 30 minutes on average every day, which at the end of the year compounds. The first reason I read is because there is an enjoyment to be found in learning about certain things that are very engaging, or reading about an interesting life or area of knowledge; these things are different for everyone. Literature here also plays an important role. I find lots of enjoyment in fiction, and one of the main reasons I read some books is to pass time, to enjoy a story or a character and get really invested in a book just for the content with no intention of learning anything. Productivity nerds always try to read efficiently and swear by non-fiction, but reading an engaging fiction book is a great experience; not everything has to be a hustle. The other main reason I read is that it is the best way to extract condensed knowledge from a source that has spent time curating it so it is accessible and organised to be consumed, which saves me time when learning about a topic. The main bulk of this is nonfiction. I’m interested in many areas, from engineering to finance to psychology and entrepreneurship, and I want to educate myself further. There are alternative sources for learning, like YouTube, podcasts or documentaries, but for me, none of them offer as much retention and accessibility.
What I read can be found on my Goodreads