What do you think is the most effective way to soak in information from the books?
E.g. try to make notes and summaries and revise regularly
And what shouldn't you do?
Try this method for reading, its threefold:
1st time: Skimming for general ideas and overview- just getting an idea of the main points and the paramaters of the info. (Doesn't matter if you don't "get" it at this point, simply note what jumps out at you).
* Then do a mini sketch of what main ideas/points you've picked up.
2nd time: Reading more carefully, and focus on the key points you've picked up. Annotate the margins with you're interpretation of what you've read, any questions you have, underling any confusing words or lines.
3rd time: Reading specifically the underlined parts and the parts you've highlighted as strange or problematic.
THEN do notes, which should be alot clearer than just regurgitating the text as you've probably grasped the key points and the main ideas the writer is trying to express by now.