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Some observations about how to get the most out of reading business books, from someone who has read over 200 of them.
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HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF
BUSINESS BOOKS
WHAT IS IT?
• A library of over 200 books
• A blog• A series of printed books• A pair of apps• One-page summaries• One-sentence summaries• Training programmes and
speeches• A fertile source of new
ideas
I am often asked the best way to get something out of business books.
Having read over 200 of them (over 10 million words), here are some thoughts.
1. WORK OUT THE LINE OF ARGUMENT
Most business books should probably not be books – what they are trying to say can usually be expressed on less than a page.
Head for the line of argument first, and then see if you want to delve deeper.
2. READ THE FIRST CHAPTER
Received wisdom is that few people read beyond the first chapter, and in many cases that is sufficient to get the gist of the book.
3. CHECK THE WORD COUNT
Publishers usually force authors to hit a word count (typically 50,000 minimum), to fulfil their obligations so that the book looks substantial enough on the shelf.
This is regardless of whether the author actually needs that number of words to make their point. The longer it is, the more vague it may be.
4. CHECK THE LAYOUT
Good business books are well laid out, so that it is intentionally easy to grasp the idea from the cover blurb, the contents, and the structure.
These authors are generous and confident enough to make their line of argument evident at first glance, rather than burying their thoughts in something impenetrable, or deliberately using obfuscation to make the subject seem more complex than it truly is.
5. LOOK FOR OTHER FORMATS
These days, a printed book is often just one component of what is being said.
Blogs, ebooks, video, podcasts and lots of other related content can often be found to enhance (or prove the frailty of?) the line of argument.
6. BEWARE CASE HISTORIES
Many books carry on long after their point is made, often padding out with case histories that may or may not be relevant to the reader, and are sometimes in truth written by students of the author.
Some case histories are actually fiction, or embellished story telling.
7. LOOK FOR SIGNPOSTS OR A SUMMARY
Some books almost defy summarising, usually because they deploy rolling narrative with minimal signposts and very little prescriptive advice on what to do as a result of their observations.
Other books are kind enough to map this out clearly, which means they rarely require summarising as one goes along.
Instead, this can be done at the end by reviewing the contents and chapter or section markers in the main body. If well designed, these will resonate well with the reader.
8. USE A BOOKMARK FOR NOTES
Tiny points that capture the reader's imagination on the way are different, and very personal.
For these, keep a small piece of card as a bookmark, and if there is a fascinating quote or idea that is not clearly signaled in the contents or section headings, then make a note of the page number to remind you where it is when you have finished.
This is especially helpful when the book is 400 pages or more.
9. IGNORE THE DETAIL
The reader should never feel pressure to absorb every shard of information in a book.
If the book has done its job well (usually
through a pleasant blend of clear signposting and some intriguing references peppered throughout the narrative), then a synthesis of it should stick with the reader.
10. LOOK FOR DEBATE BETWEEN BOOKS
For me, the fun lies not so much in precisely what each book is saying, but how it contributes to a total debate in the literature.
My thoughts on this are in an article I was asked to write for the International Journal of Advertising.
HOW TO USE
• Be inquisitive• Make the time• Understand the lines of
argument• Take a view• Inform your work• Enjoy the debate• Ask Kevin to speak or train
KEVIN DUNCAN
More detail at:www.greatesthitsblog.com
Ask Kevin to speak or train:07979 808770
Twitter: @kevinduncan
