Remembering What You Read: A Journey with Readwise

The Journey Begins: Analog Note-Taking

Then an idea struck me. To remember the parts I highlighted in books, I decided to write them down in a small notebook. Yes, I would carry this notebook with me, and when someone said, "That's not how it works," I could quickly check my notes and say, "Actually, it's like this. Let me look it up... Yes, here it is!"

And it worked. I truly saw the benefit of note-taking when I started doing it consistently.

Enter Anki: Digital Spaced Repetition

Years later, I discovered Anki, a spaced repetition system (SRS). I wondered if I could commit my favorite parts of books to memory. It seemed like a wild idea, but I was excited to try.

I added my book notes to Anki as flashcards. Now, as part of my daily routine, I could review my book notes and reference them more frequently in conversations. I even started including authors' names in my references, which was a big deal for someone like me who struggles to remember names.

The Digital Dilemma

As time went on, I found myself bouncing between Kindle, physical books, and various note-taking methods. I lost track of what I had highlighted where. I'd mark something in Kindle but forget to add it to Anki, or add something to Anki that wasn't highlighted in my Kindle. Were the quotes in my paper notes added to Anki?

Readwise: The Game-Changer

Finally, I discovered that someone (or rather, a team) who had faced the same struggles had turned this into a proper project. Readwise emerged as an application that could import from various sources, export in different formats, and bring together highlights from multiple platforms.

I had actually tried Readwise before, but at that time, it just randomly emailed results. There wasn't a scientific method like SRS behind it. In April 2022, I attended a PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) conference where the founder of Readwise discussed the latest updates to the application.

I decided to give it another try. I added a few books, and I was impressed. The app, the email digests, the website – everything was well-designed. It had become a complete information management center with a clean, user-friendly interface.

As I explored further, I realized it could be beneficial not just for me, but for others too. People could subscribe to the highlight lists I created. While reviewing my favorite parts from my favorite books to send them a weekly newsletter, I started sharing the most valuable insights I had marked as favorites.

If anyone's interested, they can subscribe to the things I read here: https://readwise.io/@mustafasarac (It comes as a weekly newsletter, nothing else.)

Also, if you want to try Readwise, here's my referral link. It gives 1 month free to me and 1 month free to the new member: https://readwise.io/i/mustafa693

There's nothing more satisfying than knowing that things that have been helpful to me can be helpful to others as well. By leveraging tools like Readwise and embracing the practice of active reading and note-taking, we can not only enhance our own learning but also contribute to the growth and knowledge of others.

Remember, the goal isn't just to read more, but to remember and apply more of what we read. Happy reading, and even happier remembering!