How to push ‘fast-forward’ on your learning

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love books.  I always carry a couple with me when I travel, and I prefer public transport; as (for me) that turns the chore of commuting into the gift of learning.  I typically read books written by researchers or people combining the findings of others to present some bigger message.  I not only need this information in my work, I want it – personally.
 
But books require a significant time investment; regardless of whether they are actual physical books or the audio version.  Personally, I prefer the real thing – as I like to underline, highlight, make notes and stick tabs on key content.  I also like to dive deeper into key parts by reading some of the references cited (* cough … nerd, I know).  This leads to a dilemma:
 
“my curiosity leads me to far more books and articles than I can possibly keep up with”
 
My house is littered with bundles of books queued up to be read.  I sometimes wonder if Book Depository know me by name.  So, if you have the same problem, here are a few ‘hacks’ that I have found really valuable:
 

1. Subscribe to a book abstract service, such as Get Abstract.  This will give you access to most popular titles, summarised down to several pages.  Some blogs will also provide good material – just be careful that it is a summary, not an opinion.
   
   
2. Search for TED talks by the author.  These clips can be a great investment of 20 minutes, but often present a well-rehearsed version of only one or two key elements of the material.
   
   
3. Search YouTube for book review videos.  I have found this to be the most efficient method of understanding what a book will cover.  There are several channels providing numerous reviews presented personally, as a voice-over slide deck or a narration.  You may also find presentations, book launch promo clips or interviews with the author.
   
   

In the space of 90 minutes I can typically watch one or two review clips, a TED talk and a presentation or interview by the author.  I find it to be a valuable time investment as these hacks allow me to answer 2 key questions about a book.
 

1. Is the content likely to be of value to me? And if so …
2. Do I need more understanding than this has provided already?

 
I hope these tips save you some time and allow you to quench your thirst for knowledge.
 
Please comment with other hacks that you have found may help people reading this post.

---