{"id":39298,"date":"2021-06-21T19:53:49","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T23:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=39298"},"modified":"2021-06-22T21:50:20","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T01:50:20","slug":"how-to-absorb-information-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Would you like to get more done by learning how to absorb information better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Smarter Faster Better<\/em>, Charles Duhigg shares insights on how to absorb information better. Ultimately, this results in greater productivity. He addresses information blindness and provides examples of how others interact with data effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to learn how to absorb information better and get more done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

A Powerful Force for Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One method you can use to boost your personal productivity<\/a> is learning how to use data productively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to improvements in technology and the omnipresence of the Internet, we have access to vast amounts of data, both about ourselves and about the world at large. We can measure and track everything from our spending habits, to our calorie intake, to the number of steps we take every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we make the most of this data\u2014if we learn how to absorb information better\u2014it can be a powerful force for change. We can track patterns, identify areas for improvement, and use the data to drive personal growth<\/a>. We can even use data to help us solve problems and make better decisions<\/a>. However, the idea of \u201cmaking the most of the data\u201d is easier said than done. While having access to lots of data can be very useful, it can cause problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies have shown that if we\u2019re presented with too much data at once, we can enter a state called \u201cinformation blindness.\u201d Our minds simply cannot cope with the huge amount of data they\u2019re being asked to process\u2014so, we stop trying. We either start to ignore some of the data, misinterpret the data, or become so overwhelmed that we refuse to engage with it at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to avoid information blindness and effectively absorb the data that\u2019s necessary for your work, you can\u2019t passively allow that data to wash over you. If you do, the brain won\u2019t process it thoroughly. Instead, you have to interact with the data in a meaningful and effective way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Absorb Information Better by Doing Something With It<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to learn how to absorb information better, you have to do more than just look at it: you have to do something with it, too. <\/strong>It almost doesn\u2019t matter what you do, as long as you do something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u201cdoing something\u201d can take many forms, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Writing the data out by hand <\/li>
  • Plotting the data on a graph<\/li>
  • Explaining the data to another person<\/li>
  • Incorporating the information into your daily life\u2014for instance, if you learn a new word, forcing yourself to use it in a sentence<\/li>
  • Asking yourself questions about the data and making choices based on your answers. For example, if the data is a long and complicated wine list, you could ask yourself, \u201cdo I want red or white? What is my price range?\u201d and then choose a wine accordingly. Breaking large amounts of data down into smaller chunks like this makes it easier to digest. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The process of interacting with data in this way is sometimes referred to as \u201ccreating disfluency.\u201d \u201cCreating disfluency\u201d means adding extra effort to the process of absorbing information, thus making this process a little more difficult. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Adding this element of effort and difficulty forces you to pay extra attention to the data as you take it in. To fully absorb the data, you have to look at it closely and think about it deeply. This ultimately helps the information to stick in your brain; you become so engrossed in it that you automatically process it in a more thorough way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Example: South Avondale School, Cincinnati <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    In the mid-2000s, South Avondale was one of the worst-performing elementary schools in Ohio. Its test scores were very low. For years, the city of Cincinnati had flooded the school with resources to try to improve it. This included giving teachers software that used huge amounts of data to track the performance of each student. The software collected data on everything from participation levels in class, to test scores, to each child\u2019s attendance record. Teachers were encouraged to use this data to ascertain each student\u2019s specific needs and the assistance they required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The city felt that if teachers could learn how to absorb information better, it could help to turn the school around.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unfortunately, this simply wasn\u2019t happening. The vast majority of South Avondale\u2019s teachers confessed that they hardly ever looked at the data, let alone used it. So, in 2008, the city decided it was time for a new approach. They devised a program called the Elementary Initiative (EI.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Was the Elementary Initiative? <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    The EI focused on helping teachers to effectively use the data at their disposal. It tried to encourage them to actually interact with the data. Surprisingly, this didn\u2019t involve looking at the online data dashboards that the city and the school had spent so much time creating. Instead, the EI introduced a new approach to data analysis. Each school had to have a \u201cdata room,\u201d a room where teachers could go to interact with data on their students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Teachers were encouraged to visit the room to write down data such as test scores and attendance on index cards. Then, they had to sort those index cards \u2013 and thus the data \u2013 into different groups. For instance, they could group cards based on which students were excelling and which were struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The teachers were also encouraged to use the data to draw graphs charting student progress. They were also told to run experiments based on what the data showed \u2013 for example, investigating whether placing students in smaller reading groups could boost their test results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Using the EI to Create Disfluency<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Did South Avondale teachers learn how to absorb information better? At first, they were reluctant to use the data room; it seemed like a waste of time, especially considering they already had all of the data on their easier-to-use computer systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, they eventually realized that visiting the room and interacting with the data was helping them to spot patterns they\u2019d otherwise have missed. They could then take steps to change these patterns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, one teacher found that some of his students struggled with learning fractions, but had easily got the hang of pronoun use. Another teacher found that his students were in the exact opposite situation: struggling with pronouns, but excelling at fractions. The teachers swapped lesson plans, and in both classes, students\u2019 test results improved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Over time, it became clear that the EI was highly effective. By the 2010 to 2011 school year, South Avondale was transformed. Student performance had increased drastically; test scores had shot up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This success was down to the fact that the EI harnessed the power of disfluency. The process of working with the data in such a hands-on way had helped it stick in the teachers\u2019 minds. They were now able to recall the data effectively, analyze it much more thoroughly, and spot areas of strength and weakness in their students. They could then act on the data to help their students to progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    People who are highly productive have learned how to absorb information better. You, too, can learn this important skill and get more done every day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Would you like to get more done by learning how to absorb information better? In Smarter Faster Better, Charles Duhigg shares insights on how to absorb information better. Ultimately, this results in greater productivity. He addresses information blindness and provides examples of how others interact with data effectively. Read more to learn how to absorb information better and get more done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":39313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,30],"tags":[387],"class_list":["post-39298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-improvement","category-work","tag-smarter-faster-better","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Want to get more done? You can boost productivity by learning how to absorb information better.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Want to get more done? You can boost productivity by learning how to absorb information better.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-21T23:53:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-06-23T01:50:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"276\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-21T23:53:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-23T01:50:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\"},\"wordCount\":1242,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Smarter Faster Better\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Self-Improvement\",\"Work\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\",\"name\":\"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-21T23:53:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-23T01:50:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Want to get more done? You can boost productivity by learning how to absorb information better.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":276},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done - Shortform Books","description":"Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Want to get more done? You can boost productivity by learning how to absorb information better.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done","og_description":"Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Want to get more done? You can boost productivity by learning how to absorb information better.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2021-06-21T23:53:49+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-06-23T01:50:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":750,"height":276,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done","datePublished":"2021-06-21T23:53:49+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-23T01:50:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/"},"wordCount":1242,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg","keywords":["Smarter Faster Better"],"articleSection":["Self-Improvement","Work"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/","name":"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg","datePublished":"2021-06-21T23:53:49+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-23T01:50:20+00:00","description":"Feeling paralyzed by too much information? Want to get more done? You can boost productivity by learning how to absorb information better.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg","width":750,"height":276},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-absorb-information-better\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Absorb Information Better & Get More Done"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-absorb-information-better.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39298"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39857,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39298\/revisions\/39857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}