Book Summaries Are Not the Same as Reading a Book
You're Not Smarter. You're Just Taking Shortcuts.
I used to think I was being smart.
Instead of spending hours reading a full book, I read summaries. Medium articles, YouTube videos, and quick blog posts. I consumed them all, believing I was saving time while gaining knowledge.
“Why read an entire book?” I thought, “When can I just get the key points in 5 minutes of reading summary?”
But over time I realize that I was the one who was wasting my time.
My Story of Chasing Shortcuts
At first, consuming book summaries felt great and quick.
I felt like one of the most productive people in the world. Reading feels pretty easy, and the great thing is, I don’t need to spend a penny to buy a book. I can open YouTube or search on Google for the book summaries.
The more I read summaries, the better I feel.
“I’m making progress here!”
The Truth Hit Me
One day, I tried to read a book again.
Starting all over from a page, and then the next chapter and the next chapter. But it felt different. As I read the full book, something clicked.
I wasn’t just learning what someone else understood.
I was forming my own thoughts, connections, and ideas.
That’s when I realized:
Summaries filter a book through someone else’s understanding. Not yours!
Reading the full book lets you learn lessons in your own way.
You see something that people’s summaries can never capture. Like, this is the magic with reading.
What I Learned from Reading Full Books
From that time on, I stopped reading book summaries.
I stopped watching YouTube summaries and started reading by myself. Even if I really want to read or consume a book summary from other people, I read the book first. This is when everything started to change.
I didn’t just learn.
I grew.
The lessons you gain from reading often connect to your life. They help you make sense of your struggles and clear up confusion. No matter what book you read, there’s always something that applies to your journey.
I even find great life lessons from reading children’s books.
Can Book Summaries Be Useful?
Book summaries aren’t all bad.
You can still use book summaries at their best.
But the best time for me to read book summaries is after I read the book itself.
Sometimes I didn’t want to read the book and just passed it on. But I really want to get the idea of the book. That’s why I read the summary instead.
This approach did not make me avoid reading at all.
It helped me to read the book I really enjoy and love reading at the same time.
Conclusion
Yes, we are smart.
Reading a book summary is smart.
Watching a book summary is smart.
Consuming a book summary is smart.
But the real approach of reading the real book is smarter. Reading a book—a full book—not only helped you build discipline and focus to read. But it helped you to understand and connect your mind with implementation and life lessons that you might never have had.
Start picking up your book and read it.
You will enjoy it more than reading a book summary.