While we might spend a lot of time reading and consuming information, few of us consciously improve the effectiveness of our reading. Having a deliberate strategy to get better at anything we spend a lot of time on is a sensible approach.

No matter how long it has been since we set foot in a classroom, we all probably remember Animal Farm. We actively read them complete with class discussions where we took turns reading parts aloud, acted out scenes, or maybe even watched film adaptations. Why? Well for one, we didn’t just passively read those books. Even if the details are fuzzy, we can doubtless recall the basic plots, main characters, notable themes, and motifs. Despite the passage of time, most us remember a lot about them. Think back to the books you studied in school.

Active readers have another advantage: The more they read the faster they read. Active readers make better decisions because they know how to get the world to do the bulk of the work for them. Active readers learn to differentiate good arguments and structures from bad ones. They develop a latticework of mental models to hang ideas on, further increasing retention. The more that active readers read, the better they get. If you’re an active reader, however, things are different.

Another difference between these two types of readers is how the quantity of reading affects them differently. Passive readers who read a lot are not much further ahead than passive readers who read a little.

Active readers, on the other hand, retain the bulk of what they read. Passive readers forget things almost as quickly as they read them. “I cannot remember the books I have read any more than the meals I have eaten even so, they have made me.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Active Vs. Good reading habits not only help you read more but help you read better. Why is it that some people seem to be able to read a book once and remember every detail of it for life, while others struggle to recall even the title a few days after putting down a book?

Each and every detail