← LCCREADING & RETENTION
Reading & Retention Cheat Sheet
  • Eliminate subvocalisation: Stop "saying" words in your head. Practice moving eyes faster than your inner voice can keep up
  • Use a pointer (finger/pen): Trace under text as you read. Reduces regression (re-reading) by 30%
  • Chunk reading: Train eyes to take in 2–3 words at a time, not word-by-word. Practice with wide attention
  • Preview before deep-reading: Scan headings, intro, conclusion first — primes brain to absorb content better
  • Reduce fixations: Eyes stop ("fixate") 3–4 times per line. Train to reduce fixations to 1–2 per line
  • Ideal reading condition: Good lighting, no phone notifications, 25-min deep sessions (Pomodoro), minimal re-reading
★Average reading speed: 200–250 wpm. Trained readers: 300–400 wpm with full comprehension. Above 600 wpm sacrifices comprehension (research-backed). Speed matters less than retention.
MethodBest ForHow It WorksWeakness
Cornell MethodLectures, textbooksDivide page: main notes right, keywords/questions left, summary belowRequires structured layout
Mind MappingConceptual, visual thinkersCentral concept → branches for sub-topics. Draw connectionsHard to use in linear texts
Highlighting (passive)Quick markingMark key sentencesIllusion of learning — does NOT aid recall unless reviewed
Progressive SummarisationNon-fiction booksRead → bold key ideas → highlight best → summarise in own wordsTime-intensive; worth it for important books
Zettelkasten (slip-box)Researchers, writersEach idea on its own note, linked to related ideas. Builds knowledge networkHigh setup effort. Long-term payoff
Margin notes (annotation)Physical booksWrite reactions, questions, connections in marginsOnly works for books you own
  1. Recall, not re-read — After reading a section, close the book and recall what you just read. Testing yourself beats re-reading 3x for retention
  2. Spaced repetition — Review notes at: 1 day → 3 days → 1 week → 1 month. Each review resets the forgetting curve
  3. Teach it (Feynman Technique) — Explain the concept in simple language as if teaching a child. Gaps in explanation = gaps in understanding
  4. Connect to what you know — Link new information to existing knowledge or experience. Analogies accelerate retention dramatically
  5. Sleep before reviewing — Sleep consolidates memory. Read important material before sleep; review the next morning
  6. Apply within 48 hours — Use the concept, discuss it, or write about it within 48h of reading. Application is the strongest retention mechanism
★Reading 20 books superficially < Reading 5 books deeply with notes, recall, and application. Depth of processing determines knowledge, not volume.
Pre-reading (5 min)
Read back cover, table of contents, introduction, and conclusion first. Loads context before deep reading
Active reading
Ask "What is the author arguing? What evidence? Do I agree?" constantly — dialogue with the text
Decision: abandon or continue
After first 50 pages, if not engaged or relevant — put it down. Life is short. 100 minus your age = pages to give a book before quitting (Nassim Taleb rule)
Reading list management
Goodreads or Notion. Backlog capped at 20 books. If it stays on the list 6 months = remove it (not actually urgent)