Re: Tips on using Org-mode to manage a reading list

[Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@gmail.com>]

Sébastien Gendre <seb@k-7.ch> writes:

> I want to use Org-mode to manage a reading list and I'm looking for
> tips.
>
> My goals are to:
>   * List books and articles I want to read
>   * Track books I have to buy and which I already own
>   * Track books and articles I have read
>   * Take notes on books I have read

I think the ideas you proposed already covers most of your needs.
Note that apart from heading, you can set book status
(TO-READ/TO-BUY/etc) via todo-keywords. Owning a physical copy can be
marked by a tag. Completed books can be marked DONE.

I am personally using somewhat similar system, though geared to handle
my over 3k books and articles.

I am structuring books/articles by topic using
SOMEDAY/TODO/NEXT/DOING/CANCELLED/FAILED/DONE todo keywords.
I keep the digital copies in attachments and notes under the book headings.
I capture new books/articles automatically from websites using
https://github.com/yantar92/org-capture-ref
I query the books with various status using agenda and helm-org-ql.

Example:

* NEXT Getting things done (GTD) \ time management \ planning :COMMON:AREA:NOREFILE:
:PROPERTIES:
:CATEGORY: GTD[T]
:ORG-TIME-BALANCE-MULTIPLIER: -0.5
:END:
** Bookmarks \ References :NOARCHIVE:REFILE:
*** DONE #spaced_repetition Sung Cho [getdnote] (2018) Learning More Vocabulary Using My Own Open Source Software | Dnote :BOOKMARK:
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: getdnote_cho2018_learn_more_vocab_using_my
:CREATED: [2020-08-02 Sun 22:20]
:Source: https://www.getdnote.com/blog/learning-vocabularies-using-my-open-source-software/
:SUMMARY:  Check spaced repetition discussion
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- Refiled on [2020-11-19 Thu 21:43]
- State "DONE"       from "NEXT"          [2020-11-19 Thu 21:43]
- Note taken on [2020-11-08 Sun 21:01] \\
  Check spaced repetition discussion
CLOCK: [2020-08-13 Thu 21:22]--[2020-08-13 Thu 21:25] =>  0:03
- Refiled on [2020-08-03 Mon 09:40]
:END:
:BIBTEX:
#+begin_src bibtex
@misc{getdnote_cho2018_learn_more_vocab_using_my,
  author =       {Sung Cho},
  howpublished = {getdnote},
  DATE_ADDED =   {Sun Aug  2 22:20:19 2020},
  note =         {Online; accessed 02 August 2020},
  title =        {Learning More Vocabulary Using My Own Open Source
                  Software | Dnote},
  url =
                  {https://www.getdnote.com/blog/learning-vocabularies-using-my-open-source-software/},
  year =         2018,
}
#+end_src
:END:

Spaced repetition is not only useful for learning languages, but can be used to remind some useful practices, which cannot be immediately used. For example, some code snippet may only make sense next time some algorithm is being used, but that time is not known a priori. Normally, it would be forgotten by the time it could actually be used. However, spaced repetition can help to keep it in mind.

*** DONE Newport [Penguin] Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World By Cal Newport :BOOKMARK:FLAGGED:book:ATTACH:
CLOSED: [2021-02-27 Sat 22:33]
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: goodreads_digit_minim_choos_focus_life
:CREATED: [2020-07-28 Tue 10:18]
:Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40672036-digital-minimalism
:Effort:   0:20
:SHOWFROMDATE: 2020-09-25
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- State "DONE"       from "NEXT"          [2021-02-27 Sat 22:33]
:END:
:BIBTEX:
@book{newport2019digital,
  title={Digital minimalism: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world},
  author={Newport, Cal},
  year={2019},
  publisher={Penguin}
}
:END:
Related:
- [[id:d958888ab75ad2c5819d36b05fc494ef513c0e5a][Subrisk [Habr] (2020) 4 часа без смартфона. Дурацкий пост на серьёзную тему]]
- [[id:lesswrong_benkuhn2020_tools_keepin_focus][#attention_management #mindless_browsing benkuhn [lesswrong] (2020) Tools for Keeping Focused]]

Many of the modern apps are over-utilising various techniques to keep out attention.
The reason is simple - it is their way to get more revenue. 
With many different apps we use every day, it transforms in several hours every single day people spend checking their phone or scrolling social media pages on average. *This is a huge chunk of a day*.

Two main driving forces used by mobile apps are: (1) immediate positive reward; (2) social feedback [unpredictable reward is [[id:7ab8e592-a045-4c04-9a02-3af765247aec][most desired]]]
The example of social feedback is posting on platform with many likes/upvotes.
Example of unpredictable reward is mindless browsing when you may (or may not) stumble upon something funny.

Social feedback is even more dangerous than one may think. Because of instant messaging and popup notifications, our urge to continuously communicate with friends/relatives (social validation) goes overboard and we may check/reply messages even when inappropriate (car). This may reach anecdotal levels when people chat with others during date - the thing some cafes are even marketing on by adding electromagnetic insulation around to cut-off the interned and phone during dinner [I have read about such cafe in Great Britain, do not remember the source].

The solution advocated by this book is embracing *digital minimalism* - if any technology is providing any drawbacks (even though there are advantages), do no use it. Only if something is really useful, that piece of technology is being used.
** No deadline :NODEADLINE:SKIP:REFILE:
*** SOMEDAY Kelly, Lynne [Pegasus Books, Ltd] (2021) Memory craft : improve your memory with the most powerful methods in history :BOOKMARK:book:SOMEDAY:
:PROPERTIES:
:TITLE:    Memory craft : improve your memory with the most powerful methods in history
:BTYPE:    book
:ID:       kelly2021-memory-craft-improve-629
:AUTHOR:   Kelly, Lynne
:YEAR:     2021
:PUBLISHER: Pegasus Books, Ltd
:URL:      https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Craft-Improve-Powerful-Methods/dp/1643136887?dchild=1&keywords=memory+craft&qid=1633205234&sr=8-2&linkCode=ll1&tag=rbersblog-20&linkId=b2197da32553e348da6904162dd3c7d5&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
:CREATED:  [2021-10-24 Sun 16:59]
:HOWPUBLISHED: Amazon
:ISBN:     1643136887
:NOTE:     Online; accessed 24 October 2021
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- Refiled on [2021-10-24 Sun 20:28]
:END:
*** SOMEDAY [#A] [Mbork] Marcin Borkowski: 2022-05-09 My productivity system - implementation :BOOKMARK:misc:SOMEDAY:
:PROPERTIES:
:TITLE:    Marcin Borkowski: 2022-05-09 My productivity system - implementation
:BTYPE:    misc
:ID:       Mbork-marcin-borkowski-2022-f3e
:CREATED:  [2022-05-11 Wed 22:47]
:HOWPUBLISHED: Mbork
:NOTE:     Online; accessed 11 May 2022
:URL:      http://mbork.pl/2022-05-09_My_productivity_system_-_implementation
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- Refiled on [2022-05-11 Wed 23:37]
:END:

> Do you have any suggestions or idea ?
>
> I don't know how to manage books with several volumes.

> Do I create a heading for each volumes ?
> Do I create one heading for the whole collection ?
>
> The first is easy with 2 or 3 volumes, but not when I got 23 or more in a collection.

I simply create a parent headline tagged :collection: and dump all the
volumes/editions under the same headline. The collection can be a child
of some other collection/subject field.

Number of volumes does not matter. After the collection is fully read,
notes can be summarised right under the collection heading. Before that,
the unfinished volumes are just marked TODO and can be easily filtered
with sparse tree.

> Do you have idea to manage borrowing and loaning books ?

You can also use a special todo-state or TODO + put a note (C-c C-z) to
remind what you want to do about the book. Then, you can assign a
deadline on when you need to return/repay the book. That book heading
will appear in your agenda in appropriate time.

Best,
Ihor