Most avid readers like to finish one book in a week.
However, after doing so, they directly search for the next book which they can read. If you, too, are an avid reader, you might be following the same practice.
By the end of the year, you would likely have read over 40 books. Even then, the habit remains the same. After completing a book, you search for the newer one.
Have you ever thought, should I read the same book twice?
In that case, after a few months or a year, you might think about rereading the same book.
However, is it beneficial to do so?
I will provide answers to all these questions and more in my post today.
In short, should you read the same book twice?
Reading the same book twice is recommended as it leads to better retention, discover new ideas, increases your patience, aids you in taking action, and offers many other benefits.
I will go into the details of all these benefits below so that it is easy to understand why it makes perfect sense to read the same book twice.
1. Better retention
Irrespective of the type of book you are reading, you will not retain more than 50% of it by reading it once. That, too, will fade away over some time.
When you’re reading the same book, it is easy for you to increase the retention percentage after some time. The higher your retention, the more you can benefit from the book. It is one of the main reasons why you should read the book twice.
2. Discovery of newer ideas
When you’re reading a book to gain something from the book, it is not easy to grasp each and everything in a single read. You might end up missing a few ideas. These ideas can be pretty beneficial to you.
To gain maximum benefit from such a book, it is always better to discover as many ideas as possible. Rereading it will certainly help you do so.
Not only that, it increases the retention of the ideas which you have grasped and also helps you in gaining more ideas. It means that you can benefit more from the same book by rereading it.
3. Increases patience
Have you ever wondered why you haven’t read a book twice till now?
In many cases, even if you have started reading such a book, you will not continue. That is because you might think that you have already read the book and know everything there is within the book.
It takes immense patience to reread the book.
When you’re regularly reread books after a while, you can increase your patience due to the same.
The advantage of higher patience is that you can plan your life better and gain more from the book.
While this benefit might not be directly related to the book which you are reading but it is certainly a skill worth developing.
Thus, increased patience is one of the main benefits of rereading the book.
4. Helps you take action
Every book helps you in learning something new. It is easy to incorporate at least a couple of ideas into your daily life once you complete the book.
The problem is that most people do not take action. They just grasp the ideas, think the ideas are great and do nothing about them. Ignoring the ideas after reading the book is quite easy.
However, when you read the same book twice, you will be prompted to act on it. That is because you might have come across the same idea earlier and still not executed it. When you read the next time around, it is easy to convince yourself to take action.
Once you take action, you can benefit from the book immensely.
If you think that you lack action despite being an avid reader, reading the same book twice will certainly help you take action.
5. Helps you connect the dots
When you’re reading the book for the first time, you do not know what will come ahead.
You have to go on grasping the ideas and the knowledge in real-time. Many times, it might so happen that when you progress through the book, you might forget a few ideas. That is why connecting the dots is difficult.
When you’re reading the book for the second time, it is effortless to connect the dots. That is because you will remember what lies ahead in the book. Not only that, you will pick up ideas which you had forgotten as well.
The overall amount of ideas that you can retain from the book will help you connect the dots. Once you join the dots, you can put the ideas into action. Doing so will undoubtedly benefit you.
6. Easy to create a blueprint
The best way to benefit from any book is to create a proper blueprint depending on the ideas which are taught in the book. Executing a single idea from the book will provide you a limited benefit. However, if you create a blueprint based on the book's ideas, it will become easier for you to benefit immensely.
Rereading the book will provide you with the clarity you need to create such a blueprint.
Once the blueprint is ready, you can formulate a strategy to incorporate those ideas into your life. Doing so will once again help you progress through your life and excel in that particular aspect that is covered in the book.
7. Increased comprehension
Whether you’re reading a self-development book or a novel, or any other book, the level of comprehension certainly goes up when you reread it. It is easier for you to understand the words, context as well as flow of the book.
The increased comprehension is one of the main reasons why you should think about reading every book twice.
These are the seven reasons why you should attempt to read a book twice rather than a single time.
I’m sure you will have some other questions as well regarding reading the books twice. I will answer most of them below.
How long should I wait to read a book again?
Generally speaking, you can reread a book after a year. However, a lot depends on the book.
If it is a novel, of course reading it after a year is a good idea. The only exception is that when there is a twist at the end or something you did not understand, you can reread it immediately or after a couple of months in that case.
On the other hand, if you’re reading the self-development book, you can reread it as frequently as once a month. Every time you read the book, you will pick up something new which you can use to improve your life.
What to do to read a book one time and remember everything for a long time?
If you still want to stick to reading the book only once, there are a few tips that can help you remember most of what you have read. I will highlight these below.
1. Take notes
The most basic tip which you can follow is to take notes while reading. It will allow you to retain more. That is because you will be typing or writing the notes with your hand. Once you do so, they will be engraved in your memory for a longer period.
2. Try to act on ideas the same day
In case you want to act on certain ideas in the book, it is a good idea to act on those ideas on the same day. Once you act, it will become really difficult for you to forget those ideas.
Doing so will certainly help you remember them for a long period.
3. Write a short summary of the book
After you complete the book, you can write a small summary of the book. You can do so in your diary or on your computer, or even on your smartphone.
While writing the summary, you have no other alternative but to remember the book's strong points. Only then can you read the summary. Once you note down the stronger points, you can remember them for a long period.
Thus, if you want to read the book just once, following these three tips will allow you to remember most of it for a long period.
Is it okay to read a book again when I know everything about it?
Yes, it is okay to read a book when you think you know everything about it. The reason for the same is that it is not possible to grasp 100% of every book.
Even if you think that you know everything about it, once you reread it, you will realize that there are newer ideas which you had missed earlier.
That is why it is completely fine to read the book again.
So, yes, you should definitely attempt to read every book twice. Doing so has numerous benefits which you might otherwise miss out on. Using our guide above, it is easy to understand why it is, in fact, essential to do so. The next time around you’re searching for a new book, do try to recall if there is any such book that you should reread twice rather than searching for a newer one
