Bookish notetaking…now with Moleskine
Regarding the previous post on How to read a business book, Mike Rohde had a great thought about using Moleskines (or any notebook, really).
Mike and I are alike in the fact that we both read a lot of library books. As you may be aware, it is unkind to write in library books. Moleskine to the rescue.
Here’s the deal… Keep a moleskine handy for bookish notetaking. Each moleskine will hold notes for several books. Keep note sections seperated with stick-on tabs. Each book section ought to have a start page with book info–title, author, edition, date read, etc. This’ll make it easier to reference page numbers in the book if you need to get a copy of that book again later.
As you begin to populate the moleskine with your book notes, write the titles of the books on the spine of the moleskine using a white marker. Also, in order to make referencing specific moleskine pages much easier, be sure to number each moleskine on the spine AND number each page in the notebook. So, if in moleskine #5, you remember some notes from #3, you can find the relevant page number (3-72, for example) and reference that in your notes in moleskine #5.
I’ve kept book notes in moleskines for a while, but haven’t implemented anything resembling this, though. If anyone is doing something similar, I’d love to hear about it…
Related Stories
POSTED IN: books, creativity, reading, tips and tricks
8 opinions for Bookish notetaking…now with Moleskine
Marc Orchant
Jan 30, 2005 at 7:29 am
Bren: This might sound crazy but I keep a list of the journal and page numbers I’ve built up in this fashion in a file on my Tablet PC. I first tried an Excel spreadhseet but now keep the list (yep, another list) in Outlook in an undated task (I hate Outlook’s notes). So, if I’m working on my Tablet and need to find a set of notes I’ve written in one of my journals, I just do a quick search using Lookout by topic or title. Then I grab the appropriate journal off the shelf.
Bren
Jan 30, 2005 at 8:38 am
Whoa, I can’t believe you admitted that in public, Marc! :-)
Actually, that sounds like an excellent way to keep track of journaled notes. Outlook wouldn’t work as well for me, but the same trick in my Palm would be pretty sweet.
Unfortunately for me, I lack the discipline to keep something like that going…
Rosa Say
Jan 30, 2005 at 9:28 am
Okay Bren, now you’re bringing all our book-obsessive habits out of the closet, aren’t you.
After I’d read Sander’s book and started adopting some of his 4-steps for reading a book (aggregation, encoding, processing, application) my books started to look like miniature filing cabinets, stuffed with extra pages that I’d written treatises on after certain “big thoughts” in books lit my fire, and I’d already used up every bit of free-writing space in the book itself. For some I’d print book reviews and stuff those in too, and if I re-teach possible applications to managers I’m coaching I stuff in their coaching plans as well (realtime case studies on if the idea works or not.) If you look on my bookshelf now it’s easy to see which ones made a big impression on me, because they’re stuffed and don’t close well.
So I basically started doing the same thing whenever I had a library book or borrowed book as you describe here, I just used a different type of journal than a moleskine. But it frustrates me: I want to stuff the book and write in it - so if I really get into a library book I return it and go buy my own copy whenever it’s still in print.
My husband says I don’t know how to “just read” books anymore, “she studies them: grab one of her books and a paper drops out, and you’re a dead man.”
Mike Rohde
Jan 30, 2005 at 4:38 pm
Bren,
Wow, thanks for mentioning this tidbit. I’m already planning on getting a lined Moleskine (pocket) for my book reference this week. Just realized I’d followed a similar approach with my personal journal and a business book I liked, but only on one specific idea that resonated with me (5 dysfunctions of a team). I never marked the book name or author in my journal, so I can already see that recording of book data is critical.
I really do like the idea of the notes being modular, mainly because they are kept separate from the book itself. Not only does it work for library books, but if I want to loan a book out, my notes an thoughts aren’t lost should that book never return. Same thing if I loose a book — I can always pick up a new copy, and know my notes are intact in a separate location.
By the way, the reason I choose library books is to save cash on books. I have many interests — so being able to request a library edition online helps me see if I want to own that title. Even with services like 800CEOREAD, it’s always good to see a book first hand. I suppose a trip to Borders or B&N would also work, though I like being able to review a book at my own pace and in a comfy location.
Anyway, thanks for the mention. If I find any hacks to add to the idea, I’ll be sure to post an update on my weblog and let you know. :-)
Ken
Feb 1, 2005 at 6:52 am
Hmm. As a graduate student, I actually find it more useful to carry my PDA and Targus keyboard with me, into which I type my notes (and quotations I might like to use later). When I get to my office, I synch the files (I use DocsToGo) into Word format, storing them in a common folder “Notes.”
At that point, there’s a lot I can do. Since I’m dissertating, I usually want to be able to use these notes in my writing. After write-protecting the original notes, I put a shortcut into a Desktop folder “Text to Process.” Then when I’m not feeling particularly creative, I try to fit the relevant notes from my readings into the outline.
Also, since I’m a pointy-headed academic type, sources are rather important to me; I’ve found it rather helpful to print my electronic notes onto photocopies of the bibliographies.
Another things I’ve found quite helpful is Copernicus Desktop, a freeware program that lets me perform full-text searches on virtually any (including pdf) documents on my harddrive (it also allows me to restrict the search to specific folders). Since I’ve been keeping notes in electronic form for several years now, it’s often the only way I’m likely to “remember” some things.
Cheers.
Mike Rohde
Feb 1, 2005 at 11:48 am
Ken, sounds like good use of technology for your needs. Generally notes from books would be used just for reflection in my case, so I haven’t the need for re-use as you do.
As I always say, use technology where it works best — for you that’s keying into a PDA, for me it’s writing in a Moleskine. :-)
Evelyn Mitchell
Oct 31, 2005 at 7:57 am
I keep notes on books I’ve read in my personal wiki on my laptop. (I use pmwiki, and have just installed the server-side version of tiddlywiki).
Notes on paper are lovely to create, but I find that I never look back on them. If they’re on my laptop, I’ll stumble across them again.
dydimustk
Mar 5, 2006 at 3:51 pm
I use my moleskine to take notes on the fly. The first time I reference a book I write the moleskine page number (4) then REF and the ref it is on that page (2). From then on, I preface the line I am taking a note with:
4REF2p23-”blah blah blah”
I also have a CPen800c for scaning long quotes and saving them for later. I scan the page number and then the quotation, and make a note in the moleskine that the quotation is in the cpen.
That is, until i copy everything into my notebook (emacs-wiki)