Read. Skim. Skip. Let AI Decide.

I’m reading six books right now—four nonfiction, two novels.
The challenge: the thickest is over 600 pages, and a few nonfiction titles overlap.

Inspired by a Supreme Court justice’s memoir I was reading, I asked AI: “Judges read a lot—how do they get through it all?”
The first answer made me laugh: “They have clerks.”
But the next suggestion was quite helpful: “And they use efficient reading strategies.”

Efficient Reading with AI

I’ve always known the principle. In college, professors rarely assigned books cover-to-cover. Usually, it was: read Chapter 3, pages 45–78, and Chapter 7, pages 134–162. You focused on what aligned to the course objectives. Simple in theory. Hard to apply on your own.

Chapter titles rarely tell you enough. Without guidance, most of us either commit to a full read, skim ineffectively, or abandon the book halfway.

So I asked AI to help me figure out which chapters to focus on based on my goals. In seconds, it cross-referenced reviews and highlighted exactly where to read, skim, or skip.

How I Do It

I tell AI what I’m reading and what I want to get from it.

• Tech book: I asked which chapters focus on governance debates versus AI fundamentals.

• Supreme Court memoir: I wanted the personal story, skipping constitutional overviews I’d already read elsewhere.

• Novels: I read cover-to-cover—the journey is the goal.

Reading Less, Getting More

I’m moving through my six-book stack faster and smarter, skipping overlapping material and retaining more because I know exactly what I’m looking for. That 600-page book? There’s a good chance I’ll actually finish it. 

The views expressed here are Candice's and not those of any organization she is affiliated with.