Nick Milo – How to Work a Book

How to Work a Book is Nick Milo’s two-hour recorded workshop on engaging with nonfiction as a tool for thinking and learning. Rather than focusing on reading more quickly, it introduces a practical approach to working with a book’s ideas.

Reading skills you’ll build

• 1. Techniques for active reading and engagement with the text.
• 2. Methods to summarize and retain key concepts.
• 3. Strategies for applying knowledge gained from books.
• 4. How to develop critical thinking skills through reading.
• 5. Tips for creating actionable plans based on insights.
• 6. The importance of reflection and discussion with others.

What’s included

Nick demonstrates his approach by working through a book in a note-making walkthrough. Guided exercises give you opportunities to practice the techniques during the session.

The materials include an Emergent Book Note template for Obsidian, designed to help make your own thinking visible and useful. A transcript from the original audience chat captures questions, discoveries and insights shared during the workshop.

The recorded workshop

The workshop runs for approximately two hours and uses examples to explain the approach. You can pause or rewind the recording as you work through the material, and no prior experience with Obsidian or a particular note-taking framework is needed.

The downloadable materials include PDFs.

How to work through a book

The session starts with a shift away from treating a book as content to be consumed from beginning to end. Instead, Nick presents it as a resource for developing your own thinking.

• Context before content: Build a mental setting for ideas before concentrating on their details.
• The meta question: Use a central question to change how you approach a book.
• Books as thinking tools: Reconsider conventional expectations about reading and use books to support your own thought process.
• Emergent engagement: Ask better questions and let the reading process shape what you explore.
• Reading between the lines: Look for the underlying structure of a book to deepen your understanding.
• LiDAR for books: Survey a book’s terrain and identify the sections that resonate with you.
• Have dessert first: Explore an approach to reading that starts with what draws your interest.
• Embodied learning: Bring your body and surroundings into the reading experience.
• Sparks into remarks: Articulate passing insights so they become clearer and easier to use.
• Growing concepts: Return to promising ideas and develop them over time.
• Putting ideas to work: Move beyond highlighting and consider how to act on what you read.

Who can use this approach

The workshop is for readers who collect highlights but rarely return to them, struggle to recall useful ideas, or feel pressure to finish every book in a prescribed way. It also considers how notes can become useful in conversation, writing and further thinking.

Although the examples focus on nonfiction, many of the techniques can also support reflection on fiction. The approach can be used by students working with textbooks, creatives gathering ideas and knowledge workers developing their thinking.

Nick Milo’s approach to note-making

Nick Milo is known for his work on thinking, learning and note-making. In this workshop, he brings those interests together in a flexible process for engaging with books and returning to the ideas they spark.

Frequently asked questions

What does How to Work a Book cover?

The workshop covers ways to map a book, build context, ask questions, capture insights and develop ideas over time. It focuses on nonfiction, though some techniques can also be used with fiction.

Do I need to know how to use Obsidian?

No prior knowledge of Obsidian or note-taking frameworks is required. The included Emergent Book Note template is for Obsidian, but the principles can be used with digital or paper notes.

What materials are included?

The materials include a recorded workshop, guided exercises, an Obsidian template and a transcript of insights from the original audience chat. PDF files are also included.

Who is the workshop suited to?

It is suited to readers who want a more useful way to engage with books, including students, creatives and knowledge workers. It also addresses the problem of highlights and notes that are difficult to revisit.