Show HN: Made a web app to read a book carefully, paragraph by paragraph(readwok.com)
readwok.com
Show HN: Made a web app to read a book carefully, paragraph by paragraph
https://readwok.com
33 comments
Your method resonates as a self-nano-implementation of "Learning By Teaching" methodology[1] and "Rubber Duck Debugging"[2].
I regularly work with students using "active learning" methods and having people express what they just learned/experienced/used is a powerful way to build up understanding! So not surprised to see this technique applied to self-reading.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_by_teaching
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging
I regularly work with students using "active learning" methods and having people express what they just learned/experienced/used is a powerful way to build up understanding! So not surprised to see this technique applied to self-reading.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_by_teaching
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging
Interesting! Do you then move on to reading "normally" after applying this method to the first few pages? Seems tough to stick with for a whole reading session.
Reading physical books also may to be correlated to higher, active comprehension: "human beings need a knowledge of where they are in time and space that allows them to return to things and learn from re-examination" (article with related discussion https://readup.com/comments/the-guardian/skim-reading-is-the...)
Reading physical books also may to be correlated to higher, active comprehension: "human beings need a knowledge of where they are in time and space that allows them to return to things and learn from re-examination" (article with related discussion https://readup.com/comments/the-guardian/skim-reading-is-the...)
Yes.
This is a warm-up routine when I can't focus on my reading. After one or two pages, I feel focused and engaged.
One or two times I had to stick with it for longer. Or even in the middle of a reading session, in a very obtuse book.
This, obviously is for technical (or non fiction) books.
This is a warm-up routine when I can't focus on my reading. After one or two pages, I feel focused and engaged.
One or two times I had to stick with it for longer. Or even in the middle of a reading session, in a very obtuse book.
This, obviously is for technical (or non fiction) books.
Cool! just an FYI, if you are using the kindle app to read, you can enable the reading ruler which does something similar https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=20906594011
great stuff, can you make it bigger btw? does it helps you to read better actually?
Hey!
It's just yet another way to read a book, that can be useful in some cases and can make the reading more interesting and clear.
The idea was initially simple - split it to read it. Reading paragraph by paragraph might help you to read more slowly, carefully, and deeper.
Also, I've added a lot of themes, fonts, and effects to let anyone set up their own style of reading.
It's just yet another way to read a book, that can be useful in some cases and can make the reading more interesting and clear.
The idea was initially simple - split it to read it. Reading paragraph by paragraph might help you to read more slowly, carefully, and deeper.
Also, I've added a lot of themes, fonts, and effects to let anyone set up their own style of reading.
This is exactly what I wanted. I was looking to build something that highlights sentence by sentence, but now I realize paragraph works much better. The themes, wallpapers and font options makes it even better. Thanks a lot for this app.
Can you make it not scroll the text when it's not necessary? Sort of pop the new paragraphs under the one I just read, keeping the latter in place, until the screen fills up.
Hi!
Just to clarify, when you click on the next paragraph button - next paragraph will appear on the screen without scrolling and changing your current paragraph?
Maybe multi paragraphs mode that you can find in the settings can help you to read in a such way?
Just to clarify, when you click on the next paragraph button - next paragraph will appear on the screen without scrolling and changing your current paragraph?
Maybe multi paragraphs mode that you can find in the settings can help you to read in a such way?
Yeah, the currently active paragraph seems to be always at the same position on the screen (seems to be somewhere in first 1/3 of the screen height). If I've finished reading paragraph i and the next one is i+1, i+1 will appear where i was and i will go up.
I'd want i to stay in place and i+1 appear under it (and become active). This way there is less movement on the screen and I don't have to scan the screen up identifying where the new active paragraph starts, just keep reading the new paragraph where the old one ended.
I imagine it like the difference between scrolling a text with mouse when reading it, or with page-down button. I prefer the latter, this way your eyes move through screen as they would do with paper instead of picture moving and your eyes staying on the same place, and you can also utilize location memory (“I remember that author said X at the bottom right of the page while the top of the page was saying Y”). The other thing is, it provides another way to split the text into “pages” and give you a natural feeling of how much you've read (location memory again, “author is introducing X, I remember that they've set up the scene for it two pages back”).
The current mouse-wheel-scrolling-like approach seems to be more like audiobook that gives you book contents in a continuous stream, while the page-down approach is more like paper split into pages. I think both must have some benefits and looks like your tool (with some change) can accommodate both types of readers.
I'd want i to stay in place and i+1 appear under it (and become active). This way there is less movement on the screen and I don't have to scan the screen up identifying where the new active paragraph starts, just keep reading the new paragraph where the old one ended.
I imagine it like the difference between scrolling a text with mouse when reading it, or with page-down button. I prefer the latter, this way your eyes move through screen as they would do with paper instead of picture moving and your eyes staying on the same place, and you can also utilize location memory (“I remember that author said X at the bottom right of the page while the top of the page was saying Y”). The other thing is, it provides another way to split the text into “pages” and give you a natural feeling of how much you've read (location memory again, “author is introducing X, I remember that they've set up the scene for it two pages back”).
The current mouse-wheel-scrolling-like approach seems to be more like audiobook that gives you book contents in a continuous stream, while the page-down approach is more like paper split into pages. I think both must have some benefits and looks like your tool (with some change) can accommodate both types of readers.
thank you! for your time and such a detailed response, it sounds very reasonable
Having the text jump in position isn't great for the reading experience. The previous paragraph is also disappearing and reappearing. It's like reading via flash cards.
Scrolling is a more natural way of reading.
Scrolling is a more natural way of reading.
Congratulations on finding a good harmony between flipping a page and scrolling it— flip to the next paragraph and scroll up to see all the previous ones. I think it’s great. I’d like to test it out on the Bible.
I wish you enjoy your reading!
Cool! Reminds me of speed-reading tools, but those ususally only keep a few words in focus, not whole paragraphs. This is almost the opposite, way more relaxed!
What really helps me with reading long articles online is a little "% read" counter in readup.com. This app tries to track exactly what you're reading. The feeling of getting credit for actually reading something adds motivation to read it, and helps me get through small moments of distraction (disclaimer: I'm working for Readup. Here's how that tracking works! https://blog.readup.com/2020/11/02/how-readup-knows-whether-...)
What really helps me with reading long articles online is a little "% read" counter in readup.com. This app tries to track exactly what you're reading. The feeling of getting credit for actually reading something adds motivation to read it, and helps me get through small moments of distraction (disclaimer: I'm working for Readup. Here's how that tracking works! https://blog.readup.com/2020/11/02/how-readup-knows-whether-...)
Congratulations on launching! I spend quite some time reading online. Just last week, I wanted to optimize the efficiency of my reading. I find myself spend quite some time in locating which line I am currently reading because 1. jumping to the wrong line and 2. scrolling messes with the visual page progress.
I thought of having a browser plugin + a javascript library would greatly help reader and website developer adoption. Since now you have a product, you might find it useful. (I might still build it)
I thought of having a browser plugin + a javascript library would greatly help reader and website developer adoption. Since now you have a product, you might find it useful. (I might still build it)
Beautiful app and brilliant idea, wi5cat. You might consider marketing this to writers. A common method for editing is to change the font type/color/size of the text, which makes your brain less likely to skim over mistakes.
This app makes that technique very easy to accomplish, plus helps the reader concentrate, plus allows in-tool editing. I'll be sending the link to this to several of my novelist friends, and I suspect they'll love it.
This app makes that technique very easy to accomplish, plus helps the reader concentrate, plus allows in-tool editing. I'll be sending the link to this to several of my novelist friends, and I suspect they'll love it.
Hi, paperwasp42. It's sounds very cool. It would be great if you can share your expertise somehow!
Interesting idea. After testing it a bit, I felt that 'tail-read' mode may be a tiny bit better if the bottom/active paragraph always started at the same screen location. That way the eye gets used to return to the same reading start instead of hunting each time.
You already seem to be doing that that for single-para mode and it does feel more consistent.
You already seem to be doing that that for single-para mode and it does feel more consistent.
Thank you, that's a great suggestion
Overall I got sucked into reading Alice in Wonderland, either by the virtue of the writing, or the convenience of your tool.
My only suggestion would be to allow you to use something like space bar instead of the down arrow or scroll wheel. (Or if there are other buttons I could press, to make that clear somehow.)
My only suggestion would be to allow you to use something like space bar instead of the down arrow or scroll wheel. (Or if there are other buttons I could press, to make that clear somehow.)
space bar actually is a very good idea, thank you!
I love how you guys made a web app that will probably make my reading habits more productive. The UI is quite minimalist and have a modern feel. It's just it can definitely make my brain relax and probably go into "reading mode".
Interesting, that would be a handy feature to have on my Kobo eReader.
This is useful and I like it. My request would be pdf support.
Glad you like it. Do you usually read books in pdf format and choose it over other formats?
Not the parent but since I get most of my academic literature for university from libgen I usually have .pdfs. Also, I export my university transcripts to .pdf so there's that, too. I read them using a customized Zathura but I really like the concept you put up. I can imagine using this tool for learning for exams, as an example. Have you thought about making a local, offline client? Looks very promising!
Not the parent either but some texts and/or books are only available in PDF. I would never choose PDF when epub (or rtf, docx, txt) are available, but it happens that it is the only option.
Of course sometimes PDFs are just image files attached together and in that case it's impossible to do paragraph reading or any good stuff, but even in that case being able to synchronize position across devices would be a plus.
Of course sometimes PDFs are just image files attached together and in that case it's impossible to do paragraph reading or any good stuff, but even in that case being able to synchronize position across devices would be a plus.
For every paragraph you read, take note of any idea, comparison or memory you had while reading it.
If nothing came, actively ask yourself: what is the author saying here? Explain this paragraph, in written form, to yourself as if you're explaining it to someone else.
In my experience, in the end of the first page I'm already fully concentrated and my brain feels warmed-up.
The written notes are important. I feel like writing forces the brain to enter a "rational, active mode", instead of the "low energy, low attention, low reasoning" day to day mode.
This, obviously, is not a data-driven, scientifically informed method. Is just my personal experience.