Kindle
$9.99
Available instantly
Paperback
$15.29
Kindle Price: $9.99

Save $7.00 (41%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Sönke Ahrens
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking Kindle Edition

by Sönke Ahrens (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,405 ratings
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
This is the second, revised and expanded edition. The first edition was published under the slightly longer title "How to Take Smart Notes. One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking - for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers".

The key to good and efficient writing lies in the intelligent organisation of ideas and notes. This book helps students, academics and other knowledge workers to get more done, write intelligent texts and learn for the long run. It teaches you how to take smart notes and ensure they bring you and your projects forward.
The Take Smart Notes principle is based on established psychological insight and draws from a tried and tested note-taking technique: the Zettelkasten. This is the first comprehensive guide and description of this system in English, and not only does it explain how it works, but also why. It suits students and academics in the social sciences and humanities, nonfiction writers and others who are in the business of reading, thinking and writing.
Instead of wasting your time searching for your notes, quotes or references, you can focus on what really counts: thinking, understanding and developing new ideas in writing.

Dr. Sönke Ahrens is a writer and researcher in the field of education and social science. He is the author of the award-winning book “Experiment and Exploration: Forms of World Disclosure” (Springer).

Since its first publication, How to Take Smart Notes has sold more than 100,000 copies and has been translated into seven languages.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    178 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 8, 2022
  5. File size
    1570 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
Next slide of product details

Get to know this book

Previous page

  1. What's it about?

    This book is about a note-taking technique called Zettelkasten, which is based on established psychological insight and helps students, academics, and other knowledge workers to get more done, write intelligent texts and learn for the long run.

  2. Popular highlight

    Write exactly one note for each idea and write as if you were writing for someone else: Use full sentences, disclose your sources, make references and try to be as precise, clear and brief as possible.
    4,117 Kindle readers highlighted this

  3. Popular highlight

    We need a reliable and simple external structure to think in that compensates for the limitations of our brains.
    3,301 Kindle readers highlighted this

  4. Popular highlight

    Writing is not what follows research, learning or studying, it is the medium of all this work.
    2,992 Kindle readers highlighted this
Next page

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Sönke Ahrens is a writer and researcher in the field of education and social science. He is the author of the award-winning book "Experiment and Exploration: Forms of World Disclosure" (Springer).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09V5M8FR5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 2nd edition (March 8, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 8, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1570 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 178 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1542866502
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,405 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Sönke Ahrens

Sönke Ahrens

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,405 global ratings

Customers say

Customers say the book provides good practical advice. However, opinions are mixed on the writing style, with some finding it the ultimate guide to structured note-taking, while others say it's poorly written and far too little.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
PracticalityWriting style
14 customers mention "Practicality"12 positive2 negative

Customers find the book light on practical advice, but backed by insightful excerpts and examples. They also say the idea is simple but well constructed. Customers also say it's inspiring at first, then frustrating.

"...approach to content retention and recall, backed by insightful excerpts and examples, makes it the go-to methodology for anyone seeking to enhance..." Read more

"...and other methods, this feels like the first book that has actionable advice for helping me do more and learn more...." Read more

"...The IDEA in this book is amazing. But the actual book is very badly written...." Read more

"There is quite a bit of insight in this short and concise little book. This is really about the art, science and habits of learning...." Read more

14 customers mention "Writing style"6 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book. Some find it the ultimate guide to structured note-taking using a connection-based process, and a short read that's very worthwhile. However, others say that the book is poorly written, redundant, and wordy. They also say the format is disappointing, and the author uses many compound and complex sentences to express his idea, which is unnecessary.

"...Again, great idea, but this is a really terrible book when it comes to execution or "how-to."" Read more

"This book is the ultimate guide to structured note-taking using a connection-based process...." Read more

"...in the book that had some numbering but for a book like this, far to little. good luck. I think i will be returning it." Read more

"...the pudding a month from now, but I definitely think this short read is very worthwhile." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Fredrick Tipton
5.0 out of 5 stars Manual for Mind Mapping Framework
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is the ultimate guide to structured note-taking using a connection-based process. Its unparalleled approach to content retention and recall, backed by insightful excerpts and examples, makes it the go-to methodology for anyone seeking to enhance their ability to apply and maintain concepts. If you're looking for a foolproof way to boost your memory and maximize your retention skills, then this book is an absolute must-read.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Very easily understamdable
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book helped me very much. Thank topic for the help with learning. When I red previously, I have never taken notes now if instead a short article entry to so!e it up in a sentece. I'm still getting better at getting the main point within my notes thank you.
Helpful
 Report
Eitan Rude
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly useful for academics and independent workers
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
I didn’t start reading this thinking about it as a book about productivity, but as a graduate student who’s tried (and failed) to implement GTD, calendaring, and other methods, this feels like the first book that has actionable advice for helping me do more and learn more. Of course, the proof will be in the pudding a month from now, but I definitely think this short read is very worthwhile.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
JG
5.0 out of 5 stars Wasn’t really what I wanted
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
This explains how to take notes for writing a report and doesn’t cover other forms of note taking. It seems like a good solution for it’s topic based on the skim trough I gave it
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Elliot
3.0 out of 5 stars Perfect example of taking a great idea and beating it to death
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
I have no idea why there are so many praises for this book. The IDEA in this book is amazing. But the actual book is very badly written. The system discussed in this book is not even something the author created, so I don't think this author should be celebrated for telling other people about someone else's great idea, when the author just basically spends 170 densely packed pages saying the same thing over and over, and over, and over, and over...without really doing an even mediocre job of showing anyone how to really implement this great technique. I think part of the problem is that he is continuously singing the praises of the technique and repeating himself so often, that any actual descriptions of how to 'do the thing' are lost among the endless rambling. Again, great idea, but this is a really terrible book when it comes to execution or "how-to."
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
S Quinn P
4.0 out of 5 stars Insight is the Purpose of Consuming Content
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Ahrens extols the Zettelkasten method of notetaking that Niklas Luhmann used to produce a huge catalog of original writing (books and articles) over his lifetime. Luhmann kept atomic notes where each note captured a single idea, often in response to what he was reading. He then connected the idea to other existing ideas that were related. Finally he used a set of connected notes on a given topic to create a book or article.

I found the Ahrens support for the Zettelkasten method convincing. Enough so that I am incorporating it in my own life. The book gave me a new perspective of why I capture notes on content I consume. It is not so much to memorize the content but to incorporate the ideas in my own life somehow. The notes are meant to help with my own insights on the material.

It is important to recognize that the atomic notes represents your interests, rather than a regurgitation of something you read, heard or saw elsewhere. So you are inherently invested (i.e., passionate) in your notes. The Zettelkasten method is actually a tool for thinking and organizing your original ideas, so that when the time comes for you to write any sort of content (thesis, book, documentary, YouTube video, and such), much of the writing is done. You spend your time filling in gaps in your arguments, organizing your ideas for coherency, editing and proofreading. In other words, your Zettelkasten system already contains your future output!

Zettelkasten is a useful tool for writers, academics, lawyers, students, and content creators (anyone who wants to deliver their original ideas on a given topic for others to consume). Whatever I am consuming from other creators does not go wasted because of poor memory. I now record my thoughts and ideas in a single database (along with another database to record info about the resources that sparked my ideas). I use a digital database tool for this. I am eager to see how the connections will grow and the content I will create professionally. That content springs forth when I start to see the breadth of the connections I make!

My big gain from using this system is the ability to focus on what I am ready to focus on. I don’t need to focus narrowly on 1 project at a time. I can have ideas percolating and writing many different stages of development all at the same time. If I am stuck on one project, I can work on something else.

Lastly, I can trust the system as a container for ideas and inspiration and future work. It reminds me of Getting Things Done (GTD), where you build a system without any open loops where information, work, to dos, and so on can escape. If I use an idea from my catalog to create content, I don’t need to spend any time trying to recall which resource sparked the idea, nor do I need to spend a ton of time finding supporting evidence to back up my idea because I have already built those relationships in the system.
45 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Guilherme da Nobrega
5.0 out of 5 stars The book felt new and promising.
Reviewed in Brazil on June 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
Thank you for presenting me to Luhmann’s awesome slip box, and to his perception of writing as part of learning, instead of a after-learning step. The book is a fair description of how I’ve aways felt about writing, though I never stood at all close to yours and Luhmann’s clarity on this. So revealing.

The book mostly refers to scientific production. But I see how the approach can enhance all learning and production - including fiction, languages, linguistics, etc.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Michael Barr
5.0 out of 5 stars An updated version of an excellent book
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
I read the first edition of this book four years ago just prior to commencing a doctorate and it helped me set the foundation of a method of writing that has transformed my writing. There’s no easy button and no tricks; it involves self discipline, being organized, and, most importantly, writing every day. My zettelkasten is based in Roam Research, a tool that I use in my doctoral writing and in my professional practice. Regardless of the tool you use, this book will help you organize the DNA of your personal slip box. Don’t enter into this method lightly thinking it’s something you can pick up in a weekend. Give it a year of intentional practice, and it will become your conversation partner for the rest of your writing life.
Report
KANE
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book I recommande
Reviewed in France on June 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
I really recommend this book, not only for the zettelkasten system because everybody have their own way and methods of learning. But for me it can be I good start if you are in the journey of finding your own system. Like Bruce Lee said "Absorb what is useful discard what is not add what is uniquely your own ".
To finish a think that it can be shorter.
Report
MaxM
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro eccellente: vorrei averlo scoperto anni fa!
Reviewed in Italy on February 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Che dire? una perfetta e molto concreta introduzione al metodo Zettelkasten, con utili spunti ANCHE per l'implementazione con tecnologie attuali (software). Consigliato a tutti quelli che studiano o che comunque desiderano alimentare un bagaglio di conoscenze.
Report
I.E
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
I came across the zettelkasten (slip-box) method but I was continuously put off by the complex and elaborate digital zettelkasten setups found on YouTube etc. The book provided a very intuitive and robust introduction to the concept and made a convincing case for the effectiveness of the method.

Whenever someone asks me about the zettelkasten method, I recommend them this book. I believe that is enough to be said.
8 people found this helpful
 Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report