How to Take Smart Notes

One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers

by

Audiobook

English language

Published 2021 by Sönke Ahrens.

Audible ASIN:
B09HSWF24B
4 stars (2 reviews)

The key to good and efficient writing lies in the intelligent organization of ideas and notes. This book helps students, academics, and nonfiction writers to get more done, write intelligent texts, and learn for the long run. It teaches you how to take smart notes and ensure they bring you and your projects forward.

The Take Smart Notes principle is based on established psychological insight and draws from a tried-and-tested note-taking technique. This is the first comprehensive guide and description of this system in English, and not only does it explain how it works, but also why. It suits students and academics in the social sciences and humanities, nonfiction writers, and others who are in the business of reading, thinking, and writing.

Instead of wasting your time searching for notes, quotes, or references, you can focus on what really counts: thinking, understanding, and developing new ideas in writing. It does …

6 editions

reviewed How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens

Inspiring, but the process description lacks clarity

4 stars

I found this book very inspiring, but when I actually tried to start using the Zettelkasten method, I found that I needed to find other resources to get enough clarity to get started. If you need to be sold on the merits of the method or want inspiration , this book may be helpful for you. If you just want to learn to use the Zettelkasten method, the abundance of freely available resources online is probably a better place to start.

reviewed How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens

Excellent reference of Luhmann's zettlekasten system

4 stars

The subtitle describes the book well, in that the book is aimed to students, academics, and book writers. While a great source of knowledge around Luhmann's zettlekasten and the theory around it, it does spend a lot of time focusing on the academic side of the system.

Dr. Ahrens breaks down the key parts of Luhmann's system, how to implement it yourself, and points out new starter pitfalls by directing you to understand that it is a system of note-taking, not a component part that you can easily integrate.

Worthy of a read if you're interested in PKM, knowledge management, and note taking.

Subjects

  • notes
  • study
  • academia
  • Science
  • Zettelkasten