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The Art Of Note Taking: Your Research-Based Guide To Taking Notes That Will Stick To Your Memory
You did everything right this semester. You attended all your classes and took copious notes at each lecture. As far as you’re concerned, you’re ready for finals. Only thing is, those notes that you thought were so great? They no longer make any sense. Picture another scenario where you’re at an important work meeting. You’re scribbling furiously, afraid to miss anything being said about the big project. Afterward, your boss approaches you for a copy. You look down at the disorganized handful of scribbles in your hand. Do you dare hand it to them? If you’re either of these people, you’re not alone. Even though it’s something you would have done every day at school, most people aren’t great at taking notes. That’s because modern education takes for granted the very skills that build good note-taking habits. This is unfortunate because note-taking has so many potential benefits. According to a 2014 study published by the Association for Psychological Science, note-taking helps students make connections that help them retain material better. In this study, Pam Mueller and David Oppenheimer credit note-taking with giving students the time to process the ideas being explained. Hence, concepts aren’t simply regurgitated – concepts are understood. The psychological research concludes note-taking leads to better performance. Business leaders also swear by the benefits of note-taking. Thomas Edison, Richard Branson, and Bill Gates are all prodigious notetakers, and no one can deny their career success in their respective fields. But if note-taking is such an important skill, why don’t more people learn it? For starters, in the age of overwhelming information, most people believe note-taking is hard. Second, it requires practice. Even if they start, most people feel lost and quit before any real progress is made. This book helps you overcome these challenges. Here’s a small peek at what you’ll learn from its ...and much, much more! The most important thing about this book is that it won’t just dump information onto you. There are exercises to improve your new skills and tips to practice and improve what you’ve learned. This book can stand by you throughout your entire progress. Everyone can benefit from better note-taking. Who doesn’t want to remember more of what they learned? Who doesn’t want to do better at work or school?
170 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2022
715 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 2, 2024
The short:
Better off saving your money and just googling note-taking methods. That's essentially what the author has done and called it "research-based".
The good:
If you'd rather have a cheap, physical reference book of something you probably already know and/or could just get from google, as a nice remember and/or for annotating, this is it. Also, it's a quick read and the chapters on each method is fairly succinct.
The bad:
1) Poorly written
The first issue is that this book is poorly written, the first two chapters -- 1. why take notes and 2. Learning styles and note taking -- are useless. If someone is reading a book about note-taking, it's fair to say they've already come to understand it's benefits; and the reason's given by the author are just as obvious. As for the learning style and note-taking, on it's face is an interesting concept with potential; unfortunately, the author spends a whole chapter mentioning difference learning styles and never tying them back to particular note-taking methods best suited for each (i.e. an incomplete claim). There's also some a few blatant typos (p.129 number 4 is formatted incorrect and repeated twice). And there's also contradictions which aren't clarified (i.e. using the cue section of the notes the author says, don't use the section until you've completed note taking then, later says the opposite, without explanation.
2) Nothing new
There is nothing new, which isn't a problem in and of itself, it's just a waste when again one could google common note taking methods. (Outline, Cornell, Mind-map, Sentences, Charts).
3) Misleading
The title claims to be "Researched-Based", which is mostly untrue. There is only one chapter which is researched based in the technical sense, the rest of the "research" are citation of where the author took information (mostly images) from the internet and compiled them into this conglomeration of a book for you to buy.
Epilogue:
The entire time I read this I thought about returning it, but I've started annotating books as I've read them. So, I'll keep this one and use it as a reference. I personally find it's easier to locate and utilize information and knowledge from a book then online, and stated before, there's nothing wrong with the methods themselves and the chapters around them are fairly succinct. It's more of a question of value, which in the end, is a personal determination.
Better off saving your money and just googling note-taking methods. That's essentially what the author has done and called it "research-based".
The good:
If you'd rather have a cheap, physical reference book of something you probably already know and/or could just get from google, as a nice remember and/or for annotating, this is it. Also, it's a quick read and the chapters on each method is fairly succinct.
The bad:
1) Poorly written
The first issue is that this book is poorly written, the first two chapters -- 1. why take notes and 2. Learning styles and note taking -- are useless. If someone is reading a book about note-taking, it's fair to say they've already come to understand it's benefits; and the reason's given by the author are just as obvious. As for the learning style and note-taking, on it's face is an interesting concept with potential; unfortunately, the author spends a whole chapter mentioning difference learning styles and never tying them back to particular note-taking methods best suited for each (i.e. an incomplete claim). There's also some a few blatant typos (p.129 number 4 is formatted incorrect and repeated twice). And there's also contradictions which aren't clarified (i.e. using the cue section of the notes the author says, don't use the section until you've completed note taking then, later says the opposite, without explanation.
2) Nothing new
There is nothing new, which isn't a problem in and of itself, it's just a waste when again one could google common note taking methods. (Outline, Cornell, Mind-map, Sentences, Charts).
3) Misleading
The title claims to be "Researched-Based", which is mostly untrue. There is only one chapter which is researched based in the technical sense, the rest of the "research" are citation of where the author took information (mostly images) from the internet and compiled them into this conglomeration of a book for you to buy.
Epilogue:
The entire time I read this I thought about returning it, but I've started annotating books as I've read them. So, I'll keep this one and use it as a reference. I personally find it's easier to locate and utilize information and knowledge from a book then online, and stated before, there's nothing wrong with the methods themselves and the chapters around them are fairly succinct. It's more of a question of value, which in the end, is a personal determination.
February 8, 2023
Informational
I'm grateful for this book and it will help with 📚 and studying. I am so glad that this helps me with my certifications and college.
I'm grateful for this book and it will help with 📚 and studying. I am so glad that this helps me with my certifications and college.
March 1, 2023
Picked this one up at random. Found some new ideas and great reinforcement for my own personal note-taking habits.
June 21, 2023
Good Place to Start; Nothing New for Older Students
Brief read at 147 pages.
Covers the most popular systems for taking notes from Cornell to basic Sentence style. Goes too much in depth regarding how people learn separating between visual, auditory, kinesthetic further down to VARK system. And other learning groups like social and introverts.
Unless I’m going to be a teacher, it doesn’t trivia since all I’m after is taking better notes. Much of the information relates to Psychology and NLP as presented in the body Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins that I read back in the 1990s.
Then came the technique every book on learning and education falls back on - lThe Feynman Technique.” Breaking complex parts down to it’s most basic form until it can’t be simplified any more. What remains is the essence of the part being learned. Explaining in your own words to a 5 yr old is the other part of the technique. I believe combining Feynman Technique and Cornell Method of note taking in a Bullet Journal with an index would be a great way to keep notes.
What should have been covered is taking notes rapidly in lectures.
It was mentioned but only related to Sentence note taking method.
Telegraph method should have been covered to break sentence down to noun verbs objects removing nonessential words like a telegraph.
Later on filling in and cleaning up the sentences. Also short hand should have been covered as an alternative to typical g on a laptop in class.
Good book for beginners if not perfect.
Brief read at 147 pages.
Covers the most popular systems for taking notes from Cornell to basic Sentence style. Goes too much in depth regarding how people learn separating between visual, auditory, kinesthetic further down to VARK system. And other learning groups like social and introverts.
Unless I’m going to be a teacher, it doesn’t trivia since all I’m after is taking better notes. Much of the information relates to Psychology and NLP as presented in the body Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins that I read back in the 1990s.
Then came the technique every book on learning and education falls back on - lThe Feynman Technique.” Breaking complex parts down to it’s most basic form until it can’t be simplified any more. What remains is the essence of the part being learned. Explaining in your own words to a 5 yr old is the other part of the technique. I believe combining Feynman Technique and Cornell Method of note taking in a Bullet Journal with an index would be a great way to keep notes.
What should have been covered is taking notes rapidly in lectures.
It was mentioned but only related to Sentence note taking method.
Telegraph method should have been covered to break sentence down to noun verbs objects removing nonessential words like a telegraph.
Later on filling in and cleaning up the sentences. Also short hand should have been covered as an alternative to typical g on a laptop in class.
Good book for beginners if not perfect.
June 15, 2023
Super short and generic read about the importance of note taking to not only have a record but to also aid in comprehension and retention of the material. Numerous methods are introduced (e.g., mind-mapping which has been in vogue with memory experts), but my favorite was the Cornell Method of note taking - divide the paper into a large right column (transcribing the material in shorthand), a small left column (record thoughts, reactions, questions), and a bottom section (summation of the main ideas).
April 1, 2023
Think ethic is Excellent
I am a Retired Knowledge Manager for Oracle hospitality, I really could've used a book like this!!!! The way the author summerized the topics and presented them made this a great tool. I'm recomending this whole series of books one the strength of this one book.
I am a Retired Knowledge Manager for Oracle hospitality, I really could've used a book like this!!!! The way the author summerized the topics and presented them made this a great tool. I'm recomending this whole series of books one the strength of this one book.
June 11, 2023
Basic: probably great for high school students
Skip the first several pages if you want to get to note-taking structures.
This instruction is mostly for high school students, maybe some first-year advanced-degree humans.
Geared toward taking and reviewing lecture notes for learning as you write -- and studying.
Skip the first several pages if you want to get to note-taking structures.
This instruction is mostly for high school students, maybe some first-year advanced-degree humans.
Geared toward taking and reviewing lecture notes for learning as you write -- and studying.
May 14, 2023
for students
The writer focused on ideas and practices for students. If you are a student, this may be very helpful. There is no mention of similar practices as they apply to professional settings.
The writer focused on ideas and practices for students. If you are a student, this may be very helpful. There is no mention of similar practices as they apply to professional settings.
August 13, 2023
Shows good examples on different styles of note-taking. But to be honest you can find better information online. This book does a great way of condensing key points, but if you want to take your note-taking game to a whole new level, I highly encourage you to at least do the exercises in the book.
January 15, 2024
Some useful nuggets- but not really what I expected.
November 7, 2024
Needed more details of the effective note taking
I read through this book with expectations to see more exemplars of different note taking techniques. Not on this book.
I read through this book with expectations to see more exemplars of different note taking techniques. Not on this book.
December 2, 2024
Fascinating, it has alotta good tips
March 15, 2025
Good on the Cornell method. More for students
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews