How to Read Science Books (Even Without a Science Background) | Chapterly Blog
How to Read Science Books (Even Without a Science Background) Quick Answer: Reading science books without a science background requires a different approach than reading business or self-help books. The key adjustments: accept that you will need to re-read sections (this is normal, not failure), build a vocabulary glossary as you go, focus on understanding the core mechanism before worrying about details, use visual diagrams to map processes, and read two sources on the same topic to fill gaps that any single author leaves. For general strategies on getting more from nonfiction, see our guide on how to remember what you read. You picked up The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee because someone recommended it. Or A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson because it was on a "best nonfiction" list. Or The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene because you have always been curious about string theory. Fifty pages in, you are lost. The author is explaining something about RNA polymerase or wave function collapse or geological stratification, and you realize you cannot tell whether you are understanding it or just recognizing words. You finish the chapter feeling like you absorbed approximately nothing. The book goes back on the...