Why book summaries don’t work?

To understand the difference between reading a book summary and a book, let us first understand the difference between sympathy and empathy. “Feeling exactly how the other person is feeling is empathy. Relating to others’ feelings is sympathy, and there is a difference.”

Sympathy vs Empathy

Let’s understand with an example. Consider John, Ryan, and Adam are best of friends. A few years back Adam lost his mother. One day, they got to know that John’s mother passed away suddenly.

Now a question to you – who will be able to empathize with John? Adam who lost his mom a few years back? Or Ryan?

Having gone through the same plight of losing a parent, Adam will be able to empathize with John. Ryan will be able to sympathize with John being his best friend [1].

This difference in the degree of emotion in this example is the same difference between reading a book vs a book summary.

Feeling and Retaining

A book is a long and detailed conversation with the author or with the central figure of the story. It evokes emotions, which aids memory. Book summaries cannot evoke the same emotion – be it happiness, sorrow, humor, or angst.

According to speed reading and memory expert, James Kwik, “What we feel, we remember”.

“What we feel, we remember”
– James Kwik

Like we may have difficulty recalling the name of the restaurant where we had a delicious meal. But even after many years, we still recall the taste or the experience. In the same way, our childhood memories are devoid of details but have only feelings, a breakup or heartbreak is difficult to forget.

Feelings and emotions are the key aspect of learning and retaining what we have learned.

Aristotle’s treatise on the art of persuasion

The Greek philosopher Aristotle in a treatise art of persuasion, titled ‘Rhetoric’[2], shared a formula for a persuasive write-up, dialogue, or speech. He said, for writing to impact, it should have three key elements-

• Ethos – credibility

• Logos – logic

• Pathos – emotions/feelings

At times, books sell because of the Ethos or credibility of the author. For instance, a book authored by Shashi Tharoor or Michele Obama may become a bestseller. Not all readers will not remember specific chapters or incidents from the books. However, the feelings or emotions they experienced while reading the narrative will remain.

Credibility is developed not just through the socio-political status of the author, but also by the groundwork or research done by the author. The research is what builds both ethos (credibility) and logos (logic).

Book summaries cannot evoke the same emotions or feelings as a book would. Let’s say if the author is not a well-known figure, a summary of his/her book would offer a crux of his thoughts but will not offer credibility for the arguments.

Reading book summaries can be compared with motivational messages we find on social media. We read the message and move on to the next without internalizing it. Because we have difficulty remembering, in the absence of emotions and feelings.

Book summaries are useful only at a time when one is interested only in a particular idea the book/author has to offer, for research or reference building. Also, when one wants to make an informed choice in picking a book to read, book summaries are a reliable source.

However, if you want to imbibe the core learning in the book or experiment on key learning, there is no shortcut. You must make time to read the book.

So go on, pick your next book.

[1] Example adapted from a lecture on sympathy vs empathy

[2] How to use rhetoric to get what you want

#LearningNeverEnds #CuriousTitans