Introduction: A Useful Reading Guide by Shiromani Kant
This book, A Useful Reading Guide by Shiromani Kant, is very short. It’s under 30 pages. The author read several books on reading and shares his thoughts and interpretation about reading. Serious readers who want to get more out of reading should read books like How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren. This book is too elementary for someone like me. However, it has its place and others may benefit from it.
I admire Shiromani Kant because he took action. He wrote a book that incorporates his knowledge.
Summary of A Useful Reading Guide by Shiromani Kant
Why You Should Read
- Gain knowledge.
- Reduce stress.
- Build your vocabulary.
- Build a powerful memory.
- Improve focus and concentration.
How to Create the Reading Habit
- Always have a book with you.
- Have accountability. I love reading, so I don’t really need accountability.
- Schedule time to read.
- Have a wallpaper of books as your home screen on your phone.
How to Start Your Reading Journey
Start with a book that has fewer than 200 pages. But how do you decide which book to read? The book says there are two reasons for reading. But actually there are three main reasons for reading.
- Entertainment: What topics give you pleasure? Usually this is often fiction.
- Information: Do you have questions you need answers to? Or workplace problems you’d like to solve. They should be based on current needs.
- Further your knowledge on a topic: Is there a skill that you’d like to learn? Read at least five books to lay the foundation for the skill.
And to build a reading habit, make sure that you read every day. You could read a certain number of pages each day. Or you could read for a set amount of time. Try to schedule your reading time the same time every day.
How to Read Faster
The author, Shiromani Kant, is referring to speed reading. He references tips he picked up from Jim Kwik’s book, Limitless. The tips include the following.
- Using a visual pacer: This means using an index finger or even a pen to keep your eyes focused on the words on the page.
- Expanding your peripheral vision: There are exercises you can do, so you can take in more of the page.
- Avoiding subvocalization: Don’t repeat the words as you read because that slows you down.
I don’t teach any of these tips in my training program. Instead, I teach professionals how to read to learn what they need to know. Few books have 100 percent of good information. Most books have fillers or non-essential information. I teach you to write your purpose for reading the book. And then I teach you how to preview the book to decide which sections of the book have the information you need from it.
How to Focus While Reading
Create a reading environment without distractions. If you’re someone who loves to check your phone every few seconds, keep it in another room. Though these points are important, I don’t focus on them. Instead, I teach my clients how to get into the zone and how to prepare the mind for reading. This book does not cover any of those things.
Before you read any book, I recommend you do 10 jumping jacks and 10 marching bands. I’ve also incorporated technology into the process. I subscribe to Brain.fm, so I listen to the audio beats as I’m reading and that takes me into flow. And I listen to binaural beats using several apps that I own.
How to Remember More of What You Read
Because of the Curve of Forgetting, if you don’t take steps to remember what you read, you’ll forget most of the information within an hour. Here are some things to do.
- Active Recall: Take about three to five minutes to recall what you just learned.
- Spaced Repetition: At regular intervals, review the information.
- Teach: Take the time to teach the information to someone.
- Take Notes: I always recommend that people take notes as they read.
How to Take Notes
- Take note as you’re reading instead of waiting until you’re finished reading the book.
- Have a purpose for taking notes. I have a purpose for reading the book, but not specifically for taking notes.
- They should be useful to you forever. I used to take notes by hand, then convert them to digital text. Now I type my notes on the computer as I read.
- Add additional notes as needed. This is exactly what I’m doing here. I know a lot about reading and learning and I have added information that’s not included in A Useful Reading Guide.
Conclusion: A Useful Reading Guide by Shiromani Kant
This book, A Useful Reading Guide, has its place. It’s not for people who are skilled readers because it simply doesn’t cover a lot of ground.
Next Steps
- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
- Join the Art of Learning Membership Site
- Buy and read A Useful Reading Guide by Shiromani Kant
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