Reading, especially in today’s distracted world, can feel like pouring water into a leaky bucket. The pages turn, you click on your phone a couple of times, time passes, and once you are done reading, you realise that very little has actually stuck. The fix is not more effort, but better mechanics in ensuring how deliberately you read, what you do before opening the book, and how you engage after closing it.
Read With a Purpose, Not Just Hope
The brain learns faster when it is hunting for something specific. Studies on goal-directed reading show higher comprehension and recall when readers begin with a clear question rather than a vague intention to “learn.” Before you start, ask one concrete thing: What do I want to understand better by the end of this chapter? A question definitely sharpens attention, which is otherwise prone to distraction.
Warm Up with Context
Comprehension improves when new material connects to what you already know, or when it attaches to emotion or experience. Large reviews of reading research show that background knowledge reduces cognitive load and improves recall. For example, a theory about incentives becomes unforgettable once you see your own behaviour hiding inside it.
Argue with the Author
Agreement is easy. Disagreement is useful. When readers actively challenge claims like “What would break this argument?”, “ What evidence is missing?”, comprehension and critical retention improve.
Treat the author like a colleague across a table, not a lecturer on a stage.
Write by Hand When It Matters
When you come across a text that appeals, you feel tempted to underline it. But let me stop you there – underlining isn’t productive at all. On the other hand, writing short notes by hand, rather than typing, slows you down just enough to force decisions about what matters. That friction is where learning happens.
Space Your Reading Like Training Sessions
Attention is a finite resource; once it slips, stop. Short, focused sessions outperform long, foggy ones. Research on cognitive fatigue shows performance drops sharply after sustained overload. Stop when you feel overwhelmed and come back when you are ready. The books are forgiving and patient.
Read fewer books, more than once
Depth beats volume. Studies on expertise show that mastery comes from repeated exposure with reflection, not constant novelty. Re-reading after time has passed reveals ideas you were not ready for earlier. A good book ages like you do. A bad one stays exactly the same.
Reading well is an act of respect—for your time, for the author’s thinking, and for your own capacity to change. The goal isn’t to finish more books—it’s to absorb, reflect, and apply what you read. A single book that shifts your thinking is more valuable than ten books you breeze through and forget.
Now go forth, read wisely, and most importantly—remember what you read!
What are your strategies for reading well?
