What AI Has Given Me…

When we’re kids, we’re taught that books should be read from beginning to end.

Right now, I’m in the process of figuring out how to attract more clients, whether directly or indirectly.

(We’ve all got bills to pay, right? Capitalist society and all that. You know the story.)

But after several months of using AI, I’ve realised something curious: I’ve learned to use books as tools for consultation, not as stories to be consumed cover to cover.

My dissertation already gave me a hint of this back in the day, but I’d never really put it into practice until now.

So, here’s the thing. Indexes. The great underrated ones.

They were invented for more than just listing what’s inside a book.
For me, they’ve become a brilliant way to find exactly the information I need.

So… here’s how I do it:

1. Figure out what you’re curious about. What category does it fall into?

2. Head to your nearest library and check that section. (The libraries in the Community of Madrid 👌).

3. Scan the titles and see which ones feel like they might hold your answer.

4. Open the book and look at the index. Spot which sections could add value.

5. Read that section in depth.

6. Do the same with another book.

7. Stop when you feel you’ve got your answer.

And repeat the process as many times as you need.

The key, as always, lies in combining the digital with the physical.

If the story of Romeo and Juliet still makes sense today, the same goes for the great pieces of content in any field. The form changes, not the method.

Because you don’t need to read the whole book. Reading doesn’t have to be linear. It never was, and it never will be.

So, every time you’ve got a question, ask yourself: what do I actually want to know? Find the books that talk about it, and go straight to the answer.

What I’ve rediscovered today, after going to the doctor. Nothing new. But sometimes it’s worth remembering that the best update… is still a good index.

P.S. The books in the cover photo are the ones I don’t read diagonally. Even Dear Ijeawele. I planned to read it at the library, but it was so beautiful and so deep that the book simply didn’t deserve such treatment.