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🔍 Harnessing the 80/20 Rule in Reading Nonfiction: Getting the Most Out of Your Book 📚
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the 188th edition of Brain Food Wednesdays (BFW)! This week, we’re exploring how the 80/20 rule enables you to become a more effective reader. It’s seldom necessary to read a nonfiction book from cover to cover. Using the 80/20 rule, you can read 20% of the book and understand 80% of the text. This article shows you how to figure out which 20% of the nonfiction book to focus on.
I hope you pick up some strategies you can use in your business.
Summary
- Embrace the 80/20 rule for reading nonfiction to maximize knowledge gain.
- Use strategic reading by setting clear goals and focusing on essential information.
- Engage actively with the content through previewing, note-taking, and summarizing for a more enriching reading experience.
Ask Avil
The Encounter with the 80/20 Rule
In the world of avid reading enthusiasts, it’s not uncommon to lose yourself in the endless voyage of exploring diverse literature. When sadness struck, and I lost my mother, I sought solace within the pages of books, and so I created the ‘read the world’ challenge.
However, through my journey, I kept encountering a sense of déjà vu, especially within nonfiction books. This repetitive recurrence led me to ask, “Haven’t I read this before?” This made me realize there had to be a better way to absorb, process, and differentiate nonfiction content.
One answer came as the Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80/20 rule. Originally conceived by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto while studying wealth distribution patterns, it signifies that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. You can find 80% of the important information in just 20% of its content. This means that most of our knowledge comes from a small part of what you read. The concept has broad applicability, but can it be harnessed for reading nonfiction? The answer is a resounding yes.
Strategic Reading: Identifying Goals
The first step involves deciding what you want to gain from the book. What information is most relevant, and what questions do you want answered? This is known as strategic reading or leadership reading. Instead of perusing aimlessly, you form a goal-oriented approach that aids in filtering out less significant info. You need not devour every word, but focus on the parts of accomplishing your information-seeking purpose.
For instance, when reading a biography, if you’re intrigued about the subject’s childhood or a specific point of their life, focus primarily on those sections. In nonfiction dealing with complex issues—the environment, political events, social structures—identify the core ideas you wish to comprehend and direct your reading effort there. This method enriches your reading experience and saves valuable time.
Previewing: Scanning for Key Sections
Next, pre-reading is paramount in using the 80/20 approach. The process includes providing a sneak peek of the book. Read the preface, foreword, and introduction and view the table of contents. Note chapters and sections that align with your purpose and answer your questions. This initial intelligence gathering gives you an overview of the content and highlights the important 20% sections. It helps pinpoint the portions of the book carrying most of the crucial information.
The Art of Strategic Reading (Leadership Reading)
Don’t shy away from skipping information in a book. It might feel you’re letting a piece of the puzzle slip away, but remember, the goal is to focus on the 20% that yields 80% of the knowledge. When you previewed the nonfiction book, you identified chapters and sections that align with your purpose and answer your questions. Only read those sections.
Extraneous information often clutters rather than simplifies your understanding. With clear objectives about the information you need from a book, skipping becomes a tool for refining your reading experience.
Active Engagement: Note-Taking and Summarizing
Synthesizing what you read by taking notes, summarizing, or sketching mind maps enhances comprehension. The act of recording encourages you to engage with content actively, making it easier to remember. This habit places you in the driver’s seat, steering the reading journey to get the most out of it.
Reaping Wisdom from the 20%
Though this approach might seem against the grain of traditional reading, that’s what makes it worthwhile. The purpose of the 80/20 rule isn’t to diminish the value of non-fiction literature to mere informational summaries. It helps you prioritize and engage more deeply with important content, avoid repetition, and make the most of your reading time.
Concluding Thoughts: Embrace the 80/20 Reading Rule
The magic of nonfiction doesn’t lie merely in a cover-to-cover read. It springs from understanding, questioning, and synthesizing the ideas within. So, reinvent your reading with the 80/20 rule and witness yourself gaining more wisdom, understanding, and curiosity from the books you read.
If you found this article and newsletter informative, please:
Buy, Rapid Read Revolution: Transform Your Reading in Just 7 Days to learn leadership reading strategies!
Until Next Week,
Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor & Art of Learning Leadership Academy