My experience attempting to optimize information intake:
-Many books are no better than podcasts or articles, and only leave you with a handful of takeaways.
-But the best books are fantastic and well worth the time/money.[1]
-Audiobooks are great if you integrate them into your routines. Think commuting, getting ready in the morning, exercising, etc.
-Videos (e.g., documentaries) tend to be the most informative per unit time for non-technical content, but there are far fewer of them for most topics.
-Re-reading/viewing the best content repeatedly addresses forgetting and amortizes purchase prices.
[1] This may not be a result of them being books per se; it could be more that the top .1% of content on any medium tends to be excellent, and reading books gives you access to another pool of top content. Though I've also found that many people who really know what they're talking about or have exceptionally interesting lives write books, not articles. This might be because articles are too short, they know that people will pay for their content, and/or they want the reputational benefits of publishing a book.
-Many books are no better than podcasts or articles, and only leave you with a handful of takeaways.
-But the best books are fantastic and well worth the time/money.[1]
-Audiobooks are great if you integrate them into your routines. Think commuting, getting ready in the morning, exercising, etc.
-Videos (e.g., documentaries) tend to be the most informative per unit time for non-technical content, but there are far fewer of them for most topics.
-Re-reading/viewing the best content repeatedly addresses forgetting and amortizes purchase prices.
[1] This may not be a result of them being books per se; it could be more that the top .1% of content on any medium tends to be excellent, and reading books gives you access to another pool of top content. Though I've also found that many people who really know what they're talking about or have exceptionally interesting lives write books, not articles. This might be because articles are too short, they know that people will pay for their content, and/or they want the reputational benefits of publishing a book.