A Simple Book Notes Template (for Notion)!
About this video
Jeff Su shares his simplified Notion book notes template, built to reduce the friction that made him avoid committing to non-fiction books. His first rule is that reading without taking notes is better than not reading at all, and passive consumption like audiobooks still counts. Inspired by Ali Abdaal’s advice and using Shortform, which sponsored the video, he starts each entry by recording how he came across the book — usually a friend, family member, or colleague — so he can follow up with the recommender for accountability and relationship-building. He then reads Shortform’s one-page summary without taking notes and writes initial impressions, before deciding how far to go: stop at impressions, take notes on the one-pager, use the full Shortform guide, listen on Audible, or read the whole book. One-pager notes follow a pattern of notes, a one-sentence summary of the core message, and ways to apply the learnings. For Shortform guides he adds an ‘Other viewpoints / further reading’ section, illustrated with Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, where the guide surfaces findings that go against the author’s points. He keeps Notion properties minimal — author, a simple genre, status, and format — unlike what he describes as Ali Abdaal’s more complicated template.
Key takeaways
- Lower the barrier to reading: reading without notes, or listening passively, is better than not consuming a book at all.
- Record who recommended each book in Notion so you can follow up with them after starting or finishing it for accountability and relationship-building.
- Start with impressions from a one-page summary read without note-taking, then choose your commitment level: stop, note the one-pager, use a full guide, listen on Audible, or read the book.
- For one-pager notes, write notes first, then a one-sentence summary to check understanding, then ways to apply the learnings in your life.
- Keep properties minimal and add sections only as needed, such as other viewpoints from a guide and top three quotes when taking full notes on a book.
Episode details: published July 27, 2021 · 7:31 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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