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I am a small business Conversation Consultant and public speaker that uses the power of the internet to leverage your success. Productivity in Context is a web magazine focused on Productivity and tools for organizing. Make this your headquarters for improving your life and work through increased mindfulness, education, and workflow practices.

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I love books. I have a home library of nearly 1,000 volumes! Do I remember every one of these books, what they were about, important details? Of course not, many of them are just paperback science-fiction novels or the true-crime tales my wife prefers.

There are times, however, that you do want to remember what you have read. Whether it is studying for a class or just learning for your own enjoyment, you may want to make an effort to really remember what you are reading.

1. Use a highlighter - Do not be afraid to get out a highlighter and mark the important passages, or quotes of particular interest.
2. Write in the margins - If you have a thought, a question, or an inspiration while you are reading, write it down. Preferably in the margin, right at the point that grabbed you. Keep a notepad handy while you are reading, and log any thoughts there as well. Include the date and time, page number, and why the passage had an impact.
3. Read between the lines - Be an active reader, ask yourself questions such as: What is the author really trying to say? How can I apply this to my own situation? Be especially alert for quotations that an author uses, and consider digging deeper into that source for a greater understanding of the context.
4. Take time to ponder - Think about what you are reading. Pause after each chapter in order to collect your thoughts. In order to master the material it is a good practice to think about where the author is taking you next, in order to be sure you have fully understood the information already covered.
5. Share what you learn - Speak to a friend or co-worker about what you have read. Sharing or teaching what you have learned is a powerful method of retaining the knowledge.

What are you reading right now? Please share with us in the Comments, I would love to know what books you might recommend.

UPDATE: I was ‘Stumbling’ this morning and found that Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer has a much more detailed methodology of mining your (non-fiction) books, not just reading them. Check it out:

How do you know that you get the most out of a book? You get the most out of a book when it significantly improves your life to the greatest possible extent. Because of that, an important goal of reading books is getting actionable ideas. To get the most out of the books, you should then put those actionable ideas into action.

If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/62nsuh. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen