Go Ahead, Skim This Email
Plus: 3 New, Must-Read Books 📚
In this letter:
⏩ Learn the skill of skimming to 10x your reading time.
🧠 Check out 3 new business books that will help you level-up.
📖 Enjoy the latest posts from the LinkedIn Career Content Library.
📅 Grab a pre-built learning plan for the week.Word by Word
Simply put:
👉 There’s no trophy for reading every word.
And yet, many of us take this approach to books, articles, and other written content. We start at the first word and read to the last.
Word by word.
Beat by beat.
As a result, the average business book takes more than 8 hours to complete. What’s more, we treat each word on the page as if they were equally valuable.
They’re not.
Hidden within every good book are ideas.
Short, declarative statements that can help you grow and improve. But, in reality, they only comprise a small percentage of the total word count.
The rest is:
Setup (introductions, explanations)
Outros (conclusions, wrap-up)
Examples and reinforcement
And often, fluff
You don’t need most of this.
Enter: Skimming
Let’s say you’re reading a 300-page book.
But within those 300 pages, there are (ballpark) 20 pages that contain 90% of the actionable info. What if you could get to those 20 pages faster?
You’d:
Save time
Free up mental space
Shorten the window between learning and implementation
That’s the idea behind skimming.
To help you dive into this power-packed skill, below are 4 helpful tactics you can put to work starting today.
1. Learn the structure of nonfiction writing
2. Focus on topics that align with your learning goal
3. Ditch common filler sections
4. Embrace "good enough"And if only a few of these tactics look good to you . . .
Skim freely.
Quick explainer.
In this email, I’m talking about “skimming" not “speed reading.”
Skimming = jumping around full sections within a written work to find valuable information.
Speed reading = increasing your words per minute by using proven reading techniques.
Both skills are valuable. And they can be used together.
If you’re interested in learning more about speed reading, reply to this email and let me know.
Learn the structure of nonfiction writing
Impact:
- Orient yourself in any book.
- Learn to spot easily skimmable content.Pick up 5 business books.
Thumb through them, and you’ll notice consistent use of structure.
Book-level structure. Most business books start off with a core idea. They spend several chapters convincing you of the idea before moving on to real-life examples and application.
Chapter-level structure. Most chapters include a main theme in the first few paragraphs. This is the key idea of the chapter - info you’ll want to pay close attention to.
Paragraph-level structure. Most paragraphs kick off with a topic sentence. This is a sentence that tells you the point of the paragraph (and signals whether you should invest time in it or not).
Once you’ve learned to spot these common structural elements, you can use them to inform your skimming approach.
Already sold on the idea and want application?
👉 Skim the first few chapters
Want the #1 takeaway from each chapter?
👉 Skip to the main theme paragraph
Put this into practice:
The next time you dive into a business book, take a quick minute to look at the structure. Book-level, chapter-level, and paragraph-level.
See if you can form an outline in your mind.
Focus on topics that align with your learning goals
Impact:
- Be more targeted in your reading.
- Make sure you walk away with actionable value. Why are you reading this book?
There are millions of other options out there. Opportunity cost out the wazoo. And yet, most folks dive into a book because . . .
I don’t know. It looked interesting.
Interesting is useful, don’t get me wrong. And if you’re building a reading habit from scratch, focusing on interesting is a good way to lower the pressure.
But as your learning skills evolve, you need clear goals.
Here are a few common learning goals:
I need to get better at X right now
I want to learn best practices for Y
I want to expand my mindset on topic Z
Put this into practice:
Cross-reference the mental outline (from tip #1) with your learning goal. See where there’s the most overlap.
Consider: If you only had 20 minutes to read the entire book - let’s say, hypothetically, it will self-destruct at 20:00 - where would you invest your valuable time?
Ditch common filler sections
Impact:
- Get to the good stuff.
- Carve out time for other learning efforts.I’ve read 100s of business books.
And every single one had something that could be easily skipped. Filler sections or predictable parts of the book that added little value.
Here are a few examples:
Forwards. These are often promos for the book, written by a fellow author. If you’ve already decided to read the book, you don’t need this.
Introductions. If you’re sold on the idea behind the book, you don’t need further convincing. This is usually the goal of the introduction.
Lengthy case studies. Most business books include lengthy or multiple case studies either before or after the main idea of the chapter. These can be interesting and informative, but they offer diminishing returns.
Once you learn to identify filler sections, you can skip them guilt-free and move on to bigger, better content.
Put this into practice:
Think back to the sections of the last business book you read. Where was there a high degree of value? And where did you find your mind wandering?
Try skipping common filler content. Afterward, reflect on the new reading experience. Do you feel like you missed anything?
Embrace “good enough”
Impact:
- Lower the pressure.
- Focus on impact, not completion.Fear of missing something important.
For a lot of folks, this is the main driver in reading business books cover-to-cover. What if the one page I skip has an aha moment?
This is an understandable feeling.
One I carried for years.
But, I’d encourage you to consider a few factors:
What is the likelihood you miss critical information?
What do you gain by moving faster through low-value material?
What would it look like to return to a book?
In other words, embrace a “good enough” approach.
Put this into practice:
Before you crack the book open, check your mindset. How are you approaching the content? With fear or with a “good enough” thought process?
Write down two key pieces of information: (1) what you’ll do with the time you save by skimming (aka opportunity cost), and (2) what steps you’ll take if you skim and feel like there’s information missing.
To Wrap
8 hours. 100% of high-value content.
1 hour. 90% of high-value content.
This is the skimming tradeoff.
By focusing on target areas of the book - areas that tie directly to your learning goal - you can blast through large chunks of content.
You can save time.
Then, reinvest that time into:
More books
Practice and application
Conversation
So, the next time you pick up a business book (which I hope is soon), consider these 4 skimming principles. Consider the value of your time.
And get to the good stuff.
Hello, New Books
Is there anything better than a good book?
(Short answer: not really).
And 2023 has featured some great new releases. From big, splashy biographies to scathing looks at the world of crypto, there’s been a bit of everything.
👉 But in the Develop Daily newsletter, we’re focused on actionable content.
So, let’s set aside fascinating economic exploration, and focus instead on books that are packed with immediate takeaways.
Here are 3 books to help you level-up today.
—
📚 Think Faster, Talk Smarter
Stanford lecturer, communications expert, and podcast host Matt Abrahams breaks down the art of spontaneous conversation. In this book, Matt looks at practical ways you can become better on the fly, opening the door for standout connections.
Benefits: At work and in life, there are times you're put on the spot. You can either stumble through a response or wow the room. This book will help you nail your moment. —
📚 Hidden Potential
Organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, has a knack for sharing powerful ideas. In his new book, Adam rewrites the rules of achievement - encouraging us all to look for the hidden potential in our everyday lives.
Benefits: Don't let the societal idea of "talent" hold you back. Grab this book to better understand the factors behind true success stories and how you can harness them to write your own tale.—
📚 How Big Things Get Done
Oxford professor, Bent Flyvbjerg, and NYT bestselling author, Dan Gardner, team up for this in-depth look at big projects. How they get done. And what factors lead to their success (or failure).
Benefits: You tackle projects every day. At work. At home. Set your projects up for success by studying some of the most impactful works to ever get off the ground. Learn from their lessons.—
Top line:
A strong reading habit will change your life.
It fills your mind with:
Powerful inspiration and motivation
Impactful ideas and best practices
Great topics for conversation
So, start reading today.
Grab one of these books. Or reach for a classic you haven’t read yet (Atomic Habits, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.). Pick a topic that ties to your career goals, and dive right in.
Which book are you going to read?
Update: The LinkedIn Career Content Library
This week, the library added 5 new posts. There are now 330 career-boosting posts available anytime.
Here’s what is new:
Alan Harris offers a simple (and powerful) ChatGPT playbook in this must-read post. Generative AI can help you unlock new ideas and game-changing best practices. Use Alan’s prompt format to get started with advanced AI today.
Austin Belcak provides an actionable resource to power your next salary negotiation. Walk in with compelling data - these 7 tactics will help you get there. Find salaries in Colorado. Grab data on Glassdoor and Blind. Find the full breakdown here.
Erin Kennedy challenges job seekers to flip the script. To look at applications from the perspective of a recruiter or hiring manager. With this list of 5 questions, you can put yourself in their shoes and write a compelling resume / cover letter to instantly grab attention.
Wes Kao breaks managing up into 15 helpful principles. From “flag potential issues” to “proactively assert what to do,” this list can help you stand out and nail your next performance review. Plus, Wes is offering a full managing up guide in her newsletter.
Sheril Matthews combed through 25 years of shareholder letters from Amazon’s founder. In this post (part IV of a series), he focuses on the topics of failure and luck. See how one of the most successful founders on the planet approaches experimentation, efficiency, and more.
Friendly reminder. As a Develop Daily subscriber, you have free lifetime access to The LinkedIn Career Content Library. My gift to you.
Develop Daily w/ This Learning Plan
Sunday:
Pull up your calendar; block 15 minutes for learning each day.
Set a (stretch) goal for the week.
Lay a strong foundation with this growth mindset affirmation:
“I am committed to my personal growth and development.”
Monday:
Start by setting a skimming gameplan.
Invest 15 minutes writing down how you’ll approach your next business book. Tip: focus on your learning goals.
Grab a nearby book and practice for a few pages.
Tuesday:
Check out Think Faster, Talk Smarter, Hidden Potential, and How Big Things Get Done.
Read through their Amazon descriptions. Pay close attention to the key takeaways you can expect from each book.
Compare these books to your learning goals. Do any of these 3 peak your interest? Would they help you level-up?
Wednesday:
Now dive into skimming.
Set a timer for 15 minutes. Focus on how many actionable takeaways you can pull from the book (not page count).
Write down your actionable takeaways. Then, take time to reflect on the experience of skimming.
Thursday:
Consider picking up one of the books mentioned in this email.
Before opening the front cover, set a clear learning goal and revisit your skimming approach.
Start reading for high-value info.
Friday:
Share your takeaways from the week with a friend or colleague.
Strike up a 15-minute discussion on a key topic.
Seek out 1-2 resources that argue the opposite point.
Saturday:
Explore freely.
Pull up LinkedIn, your favorite newsletter, or head to the library.
Spend 15 minutes learning something new.
Impact: By the end of the week, you'll have (1) laid the groundwork for an ongoing skimming practice, and (2) identified your next great read. You'll also have picked up some fresh ideas from your reading material.
Total Investment: <2 hours