« BackRao Reading Algorithm (2024)raohacker.comSubmitted by surprisetalk 7 days ago
  • alexpotato 4 days ago

    An "algorithm" that I used to great effect in business school was the following:

    - Most well written books start each paragraph with a thesis statement

    - The next couple sentences are usually in support of that thesis statement

    - The final sentence of the paragraph is usually the thesis statement again

    - Ergo, if you are in a hurry, just read the first sentence of each paragraph.

    A friend had to read a book in only 3 hours and was lamenting that she didn't have time to read and I suggested the above.

    She came back the next day and said:

    "Everyone had only read the first 1/3 of the book but I had 'read' the whole thing and looked like a genius!"

    PS I also made it through 3 out of the 4 semesters of business school without buying any of the books/pamphlets etc but that is a story for another time.

    • jackallis 4 days ago

      dont people just read for fun; grab a book and streach out in the lawn, deck or beach and just read? why does it have to optimized, algorithmized, systamized?

      • mbeavitt 4 days ago

        You can't tease me with "Algorithm" in the title and then not actually define an algorithm... TL;DR: Read lots of widely acclaimed books that are close to the source of what you want to learn?

        • sunrunner 4 days ago

          It's a reading equivalent to the Feynman Problem Solving Algorithm (which I personally think is really just a variant of the universal Nike Algorithm applied specifically to problem solving).

          • mbeavitt 4 days ago

            Is it though? The algorithm you reference is meant to be a joke:

            1) Write down the problem.

            2) Think real hard.

            3) Write down the solution.

            This is not a useful algorithm in any sense, apart from that it might be thought provoking.

            What's the "universal nike algorithm"? I didn't find anything on google.

            • _Algernon_ 4 days ago

              I assume it's a play on Nike's tag-line: "Just do it"

              • mbeavitt 4 days ago

                Oh, I get it. Missed the joke.

        • KnuthIsGod 4 days ago

          AI slop...

          • _Algernon_ 4 days ago

            [dead]