How To Remember What You Read:

1- First, acknowledge that you cannot retain everything in the text. Second, recognize that it is not your objective to do so to begin with.

2- The objective should be to draw out the author's (1) thesis or what he or she wants to demonstrate and (2) the main arguments used to do so. These can be summarized in a single page: the what, why, and how.

3- How do you know what that argument is? Start by reading the introduction and the conclusion. Why? It gives you a mental map so that while you're reading you know what to look for and do not get lost in the details.

It is much like visiting a new city. You begin with the map in order to know what places to visit (i.e. focus on) and conserve time. Otherwise, you end up wasting time at lousy gift stops.

You then read the table of contents to get an idea of how the book is structured. If the author writes well, each chapter will contain a building block for the larger argument.

Try to find a decent book review. Usually these summarize the authors arguments and put them in perspective. That way, you not only contextualize the arguments in the book but also contextualize the book itself.

4- Begin reading with a set of questions you want to excavate from the text. These depend on why you are reading in the first place. That way, you know what you are looking for, where to stop and focus and when to skim.

5- Annotate the end of each chapter with two or three lines summarizing the main points. When you finish the book, you'll have a page worth of notes that surmise everything you need to remember. They also help you later on when you want to go back to the text.

6- If you don't understand a sentence or passage, keep reading. Each paragraph explains a sentence and each chapter explains the paragraphs. If you are still having a hard time, take a break. A lack of comprehension can indicate one of two things:

A- The author does not write clearly, is ambivalent, or does not have a structured argument.

B- You need to familiarize yourself with the field in which the text is based.

7- To familiarize yourself with a field (the context of the book), read an introduction to the field. By field, I mean things like economic theory, political theology, sociology, and so forth.

For example, when I wanted to learn about Marx, I realized I had to first familiarize myself with economics. So, I put Marx aside and read books with titles like 'A Guide to Economic Theory'.

8- Lastly, remember that you are reading to benefit and not reading for reading's sake. That way, you won't stress about having to finish a book only because you've started it. It is always ok to put a book to the side and reading something else.