In a recent video essay exploring the mechanics of human memory and literacy, learning expert Scott Young addresses this common phenomenon, revealing a counterintuitive truth about how the human brain retains information. According to Young, what an individual already knows exerts a far more powerful influence on their ability to remember new material than raw intelligence ever does.
This core insight challenges many conventional assumptions about reading comprehension, personal productivity, and how humans build a lifelong repository of knowledge. Rather than treating memory as an isolated filing cabinet where every book read must be painstakingly indexed and cataloged, cognitive science suggests that reading is fundamentally an interactive process—one deeply rooted in pre-existing mental frameworks.
Reading More Equals Reading Better
A persistent debate in literary and self-improvement circles centers on the perceived tension between reading a high volume of books versus slowing down to read fewer works with intense, microscopic depth. When Young and his research team released a video detailing the "AHAB approach"—a high-volume reading method that famously helped him navigate through 105 books during an intensive learning project—the strategy drew immediate pushback from critics who argued that true intellectual growth demands quality over sheer quantity.
At first glance, this argument carries a certain intuitive weight. Spending hours plowing through superficial genre fiction or uninformative literature will clearly fail to yield the profound insights found in foundational texts by thinkers like Tolstoy or Aristotle.
However, presenting this as a strict dichotomy creates an artificial trade-off between the quantity of knowledge an individual possesses and its quality. In practical terms, building the cognitive capacity to comprehend difficult, sophisticated books often requires a broad baseline of prior reading. Skimming across a wider variety of accessible works provides the essential stepping stones and mental scaffolding required to tackle denser, more challenging material later on.
What Sorts of Books Should You Read to Read Better?
If a genuine trade-off exists between the quality and quantity of reading material, it is less about choosing between complex or simple books and more about prioritizing factual accuracy and reliability.
The primary danger of compounding knowledge is the risk of falling down a misleading intellectual rabbit hole. When readers begin their journey with inaccurate books—materials that fail to represent the best available scientific or historical evidence, or that promote fringe viewpoints held by very few experts—they risk entering a self-reinforcing cycle of misinformation. In extreme cases, an individual consuming unchecked, inaccurate literature can end up less informed than someone who simply absorbs brief news summaries on television.
This underlying risk explains the immense value of textbooks and academic survey courses. These resources are specifically designed to introduce novices to a new field while faithfully representing the broad consensus of the academic community.
Among contemporary resources, academic introductory series—such as Oxford University Press’s Very Short Introductions—offer a model for efficient learning. These concise volumes pack a remarkable density of information without overwhelming non-expert readers. Works covering specialized subjects like the science of sleep, geology, or the philosophy of Hegel demonstrate how complex topics can be made accessible without sacrificing academic rigor.
The Paradox of Forgetting and the Myth of Elaborate Note-Taking
Recognizing how easily the human mind lets go of literary details, many readers fall into the trap of believing they must construct elaborate, highly complex note-taking systems before opening another volume.
Structured note-taking techniques certainly have their place. Over the years, avid learners have experimented with everything from sprawling, interconnected Zettelkasten systems to minimalist, single-page summaries for every book completed. For certain individuals, these intricate systems yield exceptional organizational benefits. For others, however, the administrative burden of maintaining the note-taking apparatus becomes a barrier to the act of reading itself.
A similar pitfall can emerge from aggressive retrieval practice, such as converting every chapter of a book into an endless stream of flashcards. While educational research consistently shows that rereading the same book multiple times is less effective than practicing active retrieval, and that practice remains vital for true mastery, reading itself is already a form of retrieval.
The science of reading comprehension demonstrates that understanding text relies just as heavily on retrieving existing knowledge as it does on decoding written symbols. Reading is an active, dynamic cognitive process wherein the brain constantly merges incoming sentences with what the reader already knows.
Whether an individual relies on elaborate mnemonics, digital flashcards, or traditional reading notes, the fundamental mechanism of retention remains unchanged: the key to remembering more is knowing more, and the key to knowing more is reading more. Knowledge compounds over time, and the most effective way to get that intellectual flywheel spinning is simply to read more books.
As readers continue to explore the boundaries of personal productivity and lifelong learning, new perspectives continue to emerge from the community. Author and creator David Kadavy has recently released his new book, Finish What Matters, exploring the psychological divide between perpetual starters of creative projects and committed finishers—offering practical advice for anyone looking to see their major ambitions through to completion.
