keyradiator's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.75
A solid book that took a bit more time convincing you of the methodology than I think necessary. I appreciated learning a few biases I had never heard of, and left feeling relatively convinced that Zettelkasten is indeed a good system. I was yearning for more theory and best practice though, for things like "what is a digital note length best practice," or "how can this realistically be applied in fields outside of scientific research," or "what are some examples of digital analogs to using the numbering system?" Ultimately I think you're better served researching Zettelkasten online, but this is a great intro!
number3nw's review against another edition
4.0
Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes, is a compelling book about how people today can take advantage of a simple note-taking system invented by a prolific German Social Philosopher Niklas Luhhman to get the most out of what they read. The gist is it's a bottom up approach to understanding and composing work through writing notes and externalizing your thinking process. Honestly, it makes so much sense. At one point, I felt almost devastated because it was like I had just unlearned years worth of bad, even toxic, composition instruction, even all the way through the college level. If you like reading, writing creating or learning, I'd say it's worth a look! The only thing I would have liked to see was more specific instructions for how to do it, as it is largely the ideological underpinnings for the system, how and why it works. It does get you inspired though.
lestihrnarren's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Wird sich zeigen, wie gut es funktioniert, aber der Ansatz klingt vielversprechend. Stellenweise etwas länglich.
danielmbensen's review against another edition
5.0
possibly life-changing, if I can figure it out
I was not expecting how much of this book would be devoted to teaching. Ahrens has some excellent advice for anyone involved on either side of learning: "Read with a pen in your hand, take smart notes and make connections between them." From these deceptively simple precepts, he wrote this whole damn book. I still need more. My own slip-box is still embryonic, and it's getting harder to find the time and space to spread out all those little bits of paper. I'll keep working at it because I can tell that there really is something here.
I was not expecting how much of this book would be devoted to teaching. Ahrens has some excellent advice for anyone involved on either side of learning: "Read with a pen in your hand, take smart notes and make connections between them." From these deceptively simple precepts, he wrote this whole damn book. I still need more. My own slip-box is still embryonic, and it's getting harder to find the time and space to spread out all those little bits of paper. I'll keep working at it because I can tell that there really is something here.
frieda_mt's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
dragos_d's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A book I wish I had read in my early years in university.
If you don't care about the Zettelkasten method and would rather take and organize notes in your own way, this book is still relevant for improving your learning and writing technique. So overall it is a useful read.
If you don't care about the Zettelkasten method and would rather take and organize notes in your own way, this book is still relevant for improving your learning and writing technique. So overall it is a useful read.