Add your promotional text...

en
en

How to Read Better: Learn to Absorb Knowledge Like the Great Minds

Discover how to make your reading more powerful, absorb more knowledge, and apply wisdom like the greatest minds in history. A guide by Gabriel D’Áz.

5/21/20253 min read

The Kind of Reading That Changes You

There’s a kind of reading that puts you to sleep...
And there’s another that wakes you up.

This isn’t about flipping pages fast or reading 50 books a year.
This is about transforming through what you read.
It’s the kind of reading that leaves a scar — the good kind.

The kind that sharpens your silence.
That makes your thinking more precise.
That turns information into wisdom.

And that’s what we’re here for, right?

So today, I want to pass down to you what time has taught the few:
how to read like someone who came to stay.

Why Most People Don’t Really Read

The problem isn’t that people don’t read.
It’s that they read without direction. Without digestion. Without discipline.

They highlight quotes but don’t reflect.
They turn pages but don’t turn themselves.

They confuse speed with depth. Volume with value.
And the worst part? They forget 90% of what they read in a week.

Reading becomes entertainment — not evolution.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Real Reading Builds Legacies

Marcus Aurelius, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon, Nietzsche, Malcolm X…
What do they all have in common?

They read like their lives depended on it.
And in some ways… it did.

These were men who didn't read to impress. They read to lead.
They read to think better, decide better, and build something that would outlive them.

That’s the spirit you need.
That’s what we’re reviving here.

So How Do You Actually Absorb What You Read?

Let’s break it down.
Here’s the step-by-step method to reading with purpose and power:

1. Choose Books That Hurt You (In a Good Way)

Pick books that challenge your thinking.
Books that make you uncomfortable — that expose your ignorance and demand your growth.

"If the book you’re reading doesn’t wake you up with a punch… why are you even reading it?"
— Gabriel D’Áz

2. Read with a Pen, Not Just Your Eyes

Underline. Take notes. Argue with the author in the margins.
A passive reader is a forgetful reader.
Engage like a fighter in a ring.

3. Summarize After Every Chapter

Close the book. Ask yourself:

  • What did I just read?

  • What idea stood out?

  • How can I use this in real life?

Even 3–4 sentences make a difference. That’s your mind retaining.

4. Teach What You Learn (Even If No One's Listening)

Want to retain? Teach.
Write a post, record a voice note, explain to a friend — or even to the mirror.
Teaching forces clarity.

5. Apply One Thing Immediately

Don’t wait. Take one idea from the book and bring it to life that same week.
Reading without action is just mental hoarding.

6. Revisit Your Notes Monthly

Reread your highlights and summaries. That’s where the real retention happens.
You don’t need more books. You need deeper memory.

Bonus: The Gabriel D’Áz Ritual

Create a reading ritual — a sacred space in your day.
20–30 minutes. No phone. No noise. Just you and the book.
This isn’t Netflix. It’s mental weightlifting.

Build it into your identity:

“I’m the kind of person who reads daily to sharpen my mind.”

Final Reflection

The best books don’t give you answers.
They give you better questions.

If you walk away from a book thinking more clearly, doubting more precisely, and acting more intentionally — you’ve read well.

So read less... but deeper.
Read slower... but with fire.
And above all — read to become.

Six Books. Six Masters. One Journey Within.

In the corner of this page, you won’t just find book covers.
You’ll find gateways.
Into yourself.
Into the world.

Each of these books was chosen not for status, but for substance.
They’re voices that have endured because they carry truths that never expire.
Readings that don’t end when the book closes — they keep shaping you in silence.

The Council of Timeless Minds: