Table of content
Start of Chapter : Learn to skim read
Previous: Skim reading structured content
Index
The index provides an alphabetical summary of the facts, people, and places that are most important in a book's content. For example, an important event, person or date will have many references in the index. That tells you that the author considers those items very important. These will need your full attention when you read that information. By skim reading this section, you'll have a better understanding of the vital elements of the text. For example, below is an excerpt from the index of the imaginary book.
C
Credit bureaus, 21
Credit cards,
Credit counselling agencies, 35-36
Findinglower-rate credit cards,30
Hidden risks of, 25
Interest rates, 31-32
Missing payments on, 29
Monthly debt obligations, 17
Paying off, 52
Statements, 30
Six steps for cutting back on, 31
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The partial listing under the "C" category shows the information available concerning credit cards. By skimming it, you discover that there's quite a bit of information available on the hidden dangers of credit cards, how to find cheaper interest rates for those cards, and other important subjects relating to credit card usage.
The presence of an index can also be a good indicator of the quality of the book. If there is no index, you might want to consider using other references if possible.
Major and second level headings
Major and second level headings in a text provide you with specific clues regarding important ideas contained within an article or book. By skim reading these headings, you gain a deeper level of understanding of the content. Below is an excerpt from the chapter on reducing and eliminating debt.
Cut up (almost) all those cards!
Credit card addiction is a way of life for many people!. It's important for you to remember that millions of people have fallen into the trap of paying for purchases on credit cards. The trap is paying minimum amounts on debts with 18% or more interest rates. Debt keeps building and building! It's time to take control of your addiction by following the six steps outlined below.
Step 1: Figure out a budget-right now! Set limits on your spending. It's a great way to keep debt under control.
Step 2: Limit yourself to one lower-interest credit card. One credit card is all you really need. Keeping more than one is just an invitation to keep on spending.
Step 3 ...
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From the bold-faced major heading it's clear the author considers cutting up credit cards very important. From that heading and the following bold-faced, second-level headings, it's easy for you to determine that the information in this section is designed to show you how to reduce debt by taking some very specific steps.
All text in bold or italics, diagrams
As you saw in the excerpt above, the mere fact that the author has chosen to bold-face or italicize information tells you this information is important and needs to be understood. Visual displays, such as diagrams, charts, and other graphics, are also important because they provide visual explanation of essential information. Our imaginary chapter on reducing and eliminating debt doesn't have any diagrams in it. However, a real book on credit and debt might include a sample credit report from a major credit-reporting agency. This is easier and quicker to digest than paragraphs of text describing the contents.
First and last sentences of paragraphs
Often, the first sentence of a paragraph states the main idea of that paragraph while the last sentence provides a quick restatement of that same idea. You can read these lines to pick up the information you need. It's important to remember that this technique is valuable but doesn't work for every author. Some writers write clearly while others bury information in complex sentence structure and make it difficult for the reader to pick out and understand key concepts. In such cases, it will call for a closer read than is provided by skim reading. Below, read the first and last sentences from a paragraph in our imaginary book and see how they provide a good idea of the main thrust of the information in this passage.
One of the great problems with credit card debt is called interest. What is interest? It's the money you pay lenders for the privilege of borrowing money from them. From the lenders' point of view, you're an investment on which they earn money (interest). Credit card companies are lenders, and when you borrow money from them (i.e., use their cards), they can charge you interest ranging anywhere from 9 to 21% interest or more, depending on economic conditions. This rate is called the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), and, combined with the compound interest charge, it can cause your debt to grow like a virulent cancer.
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By skim reading the first and last lines of the above paragraph, you can pick out the main point-credit card interest can seriously damage financial well-being.
Next: Summaries
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