The Lamppost
Over the course of the last year as I have been thinking of starting Seminary, I decided that I was going to increase the veracity of my reading. Last year, I read about eighty books. This year I set a goal to read one hundred and twenty. Some of these were academic, some a bit fluffier and over a broad variety of genres. Honestly, my goal was to learn to read a bit faster and comprehend a bit more. Also, Minnesota winters can be long and facilitate reading.
On December 31st, I hit my goal. Sitting next to you all in Oxford I became a bit dismayed though. Dr. Clark told me {us} that I was reading at a simple elementary level and there were three more levels of reading to learn to begin reading at a doctoral level. I felt defeated before Seminary was really beginning. Though it was as if a door was slammed shut and I felt I could not progress to a higher level, I decided to open the door and look through the doorway into a whole new world of learning. I tried inspectional reading with a few leadership books that had been collecting dust on my shelf. I set a timer for an hour and decided to ingest as much information as I could in that time and move on. After a couple of books, I have learned to be okay with not reading a book cover to cover.
Entering a new doorway and finding myself along a new learning pathway I was still a bit in the dark about what to do with all the information. I had a hard time remembering what I read a week ago, much less a few months ago. Then came Zettlekasten and Obsidian. Like a lamppost along the path, this idea of taking structured and organized notes has illuminated a way forward for me in this program. I began taking notes on each book I read and learning how to link notes and hashtag words. Like one of our colleagues, the idea of taking notes almost seems exciting now. Ahrens writes, “The ability to spot patterns, to question the frames used to detect the distinctions made by others, is the precondition to thinking critically and looking behind the assertions of a text or a talk” (Ahrens 2022, 82).
I realized that taking notes could tie together many of the books that I have read over the last couple years. So, I took to task and book by book I have established a note for each book I have read over the last two years. {As I said, Minnesota winters can be long}. I can see that note taking is itself the work of learning, assorting, and writing. I realize I still have a long way to go regarding comprehension of so much material. Yet, the lamppost that is Zettlekasten has illuminated what once was a dark and scary path.
Works Cited
Ahrens, Sönke. 2022. How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking. 2nd edition, Revised and Expanded edition. Hamburg, Germany: Sönke Ahrens.
About the Author
Adam Cheney
I grew up in California, spent five years living along the beautiful coast of Kenya and now find myself working with refugees in the snow crusted tundra of Minnesota. My wife and I have seven children, four of whom have been adopted. I spend my time drinking lots of coffee, working in my garden, and baking sourdough bread.17 responses to “The Lamppost”
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Thanks for sharing Adam! I’m excited for this new note taking venture as well. I’d be curious as you go along what questions you are asking of the books you read and how you are categorizing your thoughts with a template in Obsidian? Thanks for the metaphor of the lamp post and I think you’re right about the Smart Notes concept.
Ryan,
I am not asking enough of the books that I have read, but essentially I have organized every note with the same format.
Title.
Author.
Year published.
Publisher and notes about author.
Classification. (Such as a # with Christianity or Muslim).
Connections. (Who or what do I connect this book to?)
Main point. (What is the book about? What is the author saying)
Notes: (I add quotes from the book I think might be helpful in the future or that might help me remember what the book is about).
I overuse hashtags and links. I have also started to do this with a slightly different format for the Bible as well so that I don’t connect other books but biblical passages as well.
Adam, I love the metaphors of the “door” and “lamppost” that you created. Very CS Lewis-like.
Seriously, though, I am super impressed, and a bit jealous, that you went back to create smart notes for every book you read in 2023. I bet these will be helpful as you research your NPO. What categories/themes/subjects did you use when you were creating links?
Graham,
At this point I have quite a bit of links. Often, the genre is listed on the front cover for books stores to list the book. I use those categories and will cross pollinate them. I just read a book for my NPO. I linked; Islam, Christianity, immigration, Muslim, Norway, Mecca, hospitality. Honestly, with just the links alone you probably have a pretty good idea what the book was about and would even be able to guess the title if you saw the book mixed with others on a shelf.
The genres I have typically been reading over the last year are: Modern Christianity, Islam, Immigration/refugees, Africa (though this crosses over into Immigration and Islam), Leadership, and historical Christian.
Adam, I appreciate hearing about your year of reading.
Thanks for sharing the format you are using for Obsidian. As I get started with it this semester it will be helpful. From talking with some folks and the blogs I have read, there seems to be a theme appearing that preconceived ideas, cautions or about faces might be common at the start of a term for first year students.
Diane,
I am sure we will all go through questioning ourselves throughout this time. Dr. Clark hit the nail on the head when he spoke about imposter syndrome while we were in Oxford. I just assumed he was speaking of me.
Adam, I’m sure you remember enough about the books you read to be like a good librarian, as Jason suggested. 😉 (Speaking as a librarian…)
And I love that you’re ahead of the game in terms of creating the Obsidian note for upcoming books (did I read that right?). Those long winters serve some good purposes, right?
Of all the books you inspected and read last year, I’d love to know what stands out for you? Any special takeaway, or gold nugget?
PS, I saw the title of you post and pictured all of us standing in front of the lamppost in Oxford! 🙂
Adam, I love your commitment to reading over recent years. Inspiring to hear your goals, and congratulations for reaching your targetted goal on December 31st. I also appreciate your response which contains how you classify and tag the books.
In the context of leadership, can you give me your top three leadership books from the last 12 months of reading? (Those outside of the prescribed Doctoral booklist).
Glyn,
Thanks for responding. The leadership books I have read have mostly been regarding cross-cultural leadership.
1. Leading with Cultural Intelligence by David Livermore.
2. Leading Across Cultures by James Plueddemann.
3. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.
Though #3 is not necessarily a leadership book by the title, I do think it is highly relevant for leaders to not be rushed in all that they do. This has by far been my most recommended book to others this year.
Adam, Congratulations on your reading 120 books last year. Almost like what birders term a Big Year, seeing how many birds you can see or hear in one year, instead you did it with reading books. I am looking forward to organizing my note taking and seeing how everything we read with Dr. Clark and research for our NPO tie together. I’m reading through other people’s replies and your comments. My daughter has read Comer’s book and has said it is a great book. Sometime I want to slow down enough to read it.
Jeff,
Yes, pick up Comer and read it. I still haven’t bought into the idea of simply driving in the “slow” lane just because but it did help me slow down my life a bit.
Nicely done Adam! Reading 120 books in a year is impressive. Of the books you read in 2023, what are your highlights? One of my favorites from 2023 was Discernment by Henri Nouwen.
I agree that amping up our note-taking skills is a lamppost! One big lightbulb moment for me has been to become a demanding reader and apply critical thinking to my reading.
Are there any books that you want to go re-read now that you have acquired these new skills?
Christy,
Good question. I don’t think I will pick any up again and reread them but that is also because I was able to go back and take notes on all of them so I was getting a reminder and overview again. I have not read our curriculum books ahead of time because I want them to be fresh on my mind. Nouwen was great. I also really loved “Humble Church” by Percy (partially because I could hear his British dry humor come through the pages as I read it).
Wow! That’s a massive number of books to read in one year. I have heard of people who read large amounts of books are, on average, smarter.
How much time do you devote to reading each day or each week in order to accomplish a reading goal like that — minus the Minnesota winters 😁?
And as far as note taking, how do you connect hashtags to your notes? How does that help your filing system?
Blessings!
I have heard of other people adopting book reading challenges and I have wanted to do that so I wonder if people approach it much like I do my writing — a set aside time each day to write — no questions asked.
80 books last year? And plans to read 120 this year? You’re a madman. But I support you 100% Great reference to C.S. Lewis. You get a nod of approval from Oklahoma. Now that you are using a timer, are you finding it difficult or easy to stop reading when the bell rings? How will you incorporate time to capture notes for your slip-box?
Bonne chance, Adam, on your 2024 reading goals! Besides setting a timer, what else have you found has helped you increase your speed in reading?
PS Timers have become my best companion in sticking to tasks, reading, and writing blog comments. It is going off now!