Honestly, reading a book and knowing How to Read a Book is a skill.

I highly recommend this book for that reason: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Classic-Intelligent/dp/...

A much shorter answer: yes, it's possible. Before getting into a serious self-study of literature I highly recommend reading and studying this book first: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Classic-Intelligent/dp/...

Consider pre-reading it first. If a book is hard, if it’s over you head, try going through the whole book w/o stopping on things you don’t understand (don’t fixate). In this way you’ll grasp the major points, ideas and themes. Only then read it carefully — you’ll understand better and get more out of the book.

It’s similar to progressive JPEG rendering. Your first pass is pre-processing resulting in fuzzy understanding of the whole that you then refine in the subsequent pass(es). Progressive way is more natural and effective.

I highly recommend reading Adler’s “How to Read a Book” [1]. This exactly the guide you want to read if you want to know how to learn well from books.

1. https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Classic-Intelligent/dp/...

There's "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer Adler[0] which is quite nice in that it presents a systematic way to engage with the content of a book. That may or may not help with the attention span.

[0]https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/...

When I read a textbook, a specification or an article or something technical that I consider important parts I use the Feynman Technique[0].

As from what the linked article says,

    The technique is simple:          1. Get a piece of paper         2. Write at the top the idea or process you want to understand         3. Explain the idea, as if you were teaching it to someone else      What’s crucial is that the third step will likely repeat some areas of the idea you already understand. However, eventually you’ll reach a stopping point where you can’t explain. That’s the precise gap in your understanding that you need to fill. 

I used to repeatedly explain the idea to myself. At first I find it hard to recall though I don't feel discourage when I'm unable to hold it on my mind at first and just think that there are a few that can but once I train myself I'll eventually improve.

When reading blogs, HN comments, novels etc., I usually read it once just like I'm watching television or a movie.

I don't worry that I read slow since when I've found out that Donald Knuth also reads novels very slowly[1].

If you want a more systematic reading, there is a book[2] which has been mentioned often here in HN.

> Is there an app that you use?

I use org-mode for everything

[0] - http://calnewport.com/blog/2012/10/26/mastering-linear-algeb...

[1] - http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/retd.html

[2] - https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/...

"How to read a book" should be the first book gift you ever give. It changed my life. https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/...

It depends on your definition of "reading a book."

Wait, what?

I've been reading a book called, I kid you not, "How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading."

Adler and Doren identify four levels of reading:

1. Elementary: "What does the sentence say?" This is where speed can be gained

2. Inspectional: "What is the book about?" Best and most complete reading given a limited time. Not necessarily reading a book from front to back. Essentially systematic skimming.

3. Analytical: Best and most complete reading given unlimited time. For the sake of understanding.

4. Synoptical: Reading many books of the same subject at once, placing them in relation to one another, and constructing an analysis that may not be found in any of the books.

Amazon link for those interested: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/...

I highly recommend reading this book, of the same title: http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/d...

It expounds on what is mentioned in the blog post, and it is something I really wish I had truly grasped when I was in college, but has helped immensely since then.