Tag: note taking

Take it further

June 16th, 2025

Watts advocated not just listening to lectures but taking detailed notes, then reworking the notes themselves-all of this imprinting the knowledge deeper in the brain. Faraday would take this even further.

Attending the lectures of the popular scientist John Tatum, each week on a different subject, he would note down the most important words and concepts, quickly sketch out the various instruments Tatum used, and diagram the experiments. Over the next few days he would expand the notes into sentences, and then into an entire chapter on the subject, elaborately sketched and narrated.

Excellent example of “active” learning. Taking notes is the first step. Reviewing and reorganizing the notes is the alpha.

As read from Mastery, by Robert Greene

Greene, Robert. Mastery. United States, Penguin Publishing Group, 2012. pg97
Walk much and contemplate. Thomas Hobbes’ idea practice

April 18th, 2025

He meticulously cultivated new ideas and distilled them into words. “He walked much and contemplated,” wrote his contemporary John Aubrey. “and he had in the head of his Staffe a pen and inke-horn, carried always a Note-book in his pocket, and as soon as a notion darted, he presently entered it into his Booke, or else he should perhaps have lost it.

As read from George Dyson’s all-to-relevant book on modern times, but was published in 1997 – Darwin among the Machines.

Love a good notebook story. Don’t you?

Dyson, George. Darwin Among the Machines: The Evolution of Global Intelligence. United States: Basic Books, 2012. pg5
Keeping a commonplace book is hard.

February 19th, 2025

Brett McKay: Do you keep a commonplace book?

Roland Allen: Do you know what? Literally two weeks ago, I thought I’m going to have to do this. I started one and what I did was I went and got a little Moleskine address book. I’m holding it in my hand now. You know, the sort which has the tabbed pages.

Brett McKay: Yeah.

Roland Allen: Because what I wanted to avoid was having to go through and if I would need to write down the Alphabet and all the head words hundreds of times. So, yeah, so I’ve got those little tab pages down the side and I’ve made a few entries, but really, I should be making more. You’ve reminded me. But like I say, keeping a commonplace book is hard work.

It is hard.

Worth it.

As heard on the latest Art of Manliness podcast: The Power of the Notebook — The History and Practice of Thinking on Paper

McKay, Brett. “Podcast #1057: The Power of the Notebook—The History and Practice of Thinking on Paper.” Art of Manliness, [Date of Publication]. https://www.artofmanliness.com/living/reading/podcast-1057-the-power-of-the-notebook-the-history-and-practice-of-thinking-on-paper/.
Fillin’ up an honest memo book

September 21st, 2024

Inspired by the vanishing subgenre of agricultural memo books, ornate pocket ledgers, and the simple, unassuming beauty of a well-crafted grocery list, the Draplin Design Co., Portland, Ore. – in conjunction with Cloudal Partners, Chicago, Ill. – brings you “FIELD NOTES‘ in hopes of offering “An honest memo book worth fillin’ up with GOOD INFORMATION.”

Wow. That is a long sentence.

This from the inside back cover of any Field Notes memo book.

Fun marketing that makes you feel like a ranch hand, lone-ranger, or early 19th century boxing correspondent.
How do you practice your scales?

June 8th, 2024

The ability to distinguish relevant from less relevant information is another skill that can only be learned by doing. It is the practice of looking for the gist and distinguishing it from mere supporting details. As we are forced to make this distinction when we read with a pen in our hand and write permanent note after permanent note, it is more than mere practice: it is deliberate practice repeated multiple times a day. Extracting the gist of a text or idea and giving an account in writing is for academics what daily practice on the piano is for pianists: The more often we do it and the more focused we are, the more virtuous we become.

– Sönke Ahrens

Note-taking is thinking. A method and practice for helping one pay attention to the world.

Plan accordingly.

Ahrens, Sönke. How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking. Germany, Sönke Ahrens, 2022. pg82

Tag: note taking

Take it further

Walk much and contemplate. Thomas Hobbes’ idea practice

Keeping a commonplace book is hard.

Fillin’ up an honest memo book

How do you practice your scales?