This book is focused on something called a slip box, which is a literal box where you keep all your notes from researching a specific topic. There are many examples of how to use it, but it assumes you already know the topic you want to research and write about. It is not particularly helpful for learning how to take notes while reading things for exploration and for figuring out what topic you might want to research or write about in the future.

The two big takeaways: read with a pen in your hand, and add your own thoughts as to why you felt a particular passage was worth copying or highlighting.

Could be very helpful for people learning how to study a known specific topic, but not as helpful for just building general knowledge. ( )

Shorter would be even better

The idea at the centre of this book it brilliantly simple, and simply brilliant. Which might be its shortfall.

My reason for not giving it 5 stars is a tendency for repetition. Reading between the lines, I sense Ahrens' possible frustration that fellow academics just don't "get it" (because Zettelkasten is too simple) so it must be said multiple times. Perhaps he's trying to make it more complicated?

Overall, the central thesis - and practice - is something I wish I'd discovered a long time ago. And will recommend it to anyone seeking to improve their thinking.
( )

Interesting read! This book is almost required reading for anyone interested in PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) right now, and I can see why. It makes good points, but it's very very theoretical. If you actually want to make practical use of the ideas in this book, you're still left with heaps of questions, especially on how to actually connect notes.

Still, inspiring and motivating and a very good starting point for some literature notes you can then turn into permanent notes etcetera. Even if you don't intend to actually write there's a lot here. I might actually reread this in a year or so, I think it's very different whether you're just starting out or dealing with a mature Zettelkasten. ( )

Life changing ( )

This book reads a bit like a little red book written by a zealot who thinks he has discovered the best thing since slice bread and that people who do not adopt the system used by his mentor is a jackass. There are a few good things to say about this book and a lot of negative.
On the positive side the book wraps up quite nicely the note-taking system of Niklaas Luhmann and describes in detail how it works and why it supposedly works so fine. It is also a good effort at trying to promote it and demonstrating the benefit for research and for learning.

However quoting dozens of papers is not enough. A lot in there is unconvincing, starting by the failure to account for the most basic logic: the author argues that Luhmann’s career and volume of academic production is a proof of the effectiveness of his system, however the history of science is made of hundreds of individuals who have produced more than Luhmann, either in quantity or in quality terms. Let’s face it, this Luhmann is a nobody and I would prefer to write one great paper in my career than 200 mediocre ones. Another criticism also pertains to the lack of logical rigour of the author: even if Luhmann’s system has some good ideas in it, does it necessarily mean that it should be strictly replicated? Do all people of a given career track have to have exactly the same productivity system?

There is a lot more (of negative) that can be said about this book but I prefer to cut it there. If you want to get some inspiration for a note-taking system aiming at academic research, there are a few ideas to pick there, even if a 1000 signs article from the internet will likely get you almost as far. The poor writing and fanatical standpoint are a bit of a turn-off nevertheless.

Strong points
1. Good presentation of the Zettelkasten
2. Developed arguments to support it
3. Grounded in research

Weak points
1. Work of a zealot
2. Claims for scientific rigour but does not obey elementary logic
3. Poor writing and scornful regarding alternative approaches. Just get laid, man. ( )