Mike Rohde

This was a good way to get some ideas on how to expand my bujo repertoire. It was a fast read because it was entirely sketchnotes, so that was cool. I also learned that this type of note taking works best for conferences and big idea discussions. For the day to day minutia of meetings at work, this probably won’t work as well.

Even before I purchased this book I knew I was going to be disappointed. There is a lot I need to learn about how to use brain/mind mapping techniques (the approach I equate with sketchnoting) when it comes to taking notes. I use a word-heavy version, but I particularly like the approaches which use images in conjunction with words in an attempt to help stimulate thought and bring ideas to mind quicker.

And so I purchased The Sketchnote Handbook with the hope that it would add insights into show more the development and production of those notes. But I think I intuitively knew that this approach to note taking is not brain science –that there is no fantastic, life altering approach out there. I think I already understood the basics of how it is done and that it was just a matter of going out and really trying it.

But I had hope. This book came with hype from people's opinions I respect and (as they are designed to do) the blurbs made wonderful promises.

It is not to say that the contents of this book are horrible. But I found nothing groundbreaking or eye-opening within. In fact, the contents seem to be the rehashing of basic concepts anyone even aware of the concept already know.

To understand what I mean, let's walk through the reading experience. It all starts with an introduction, a chapter on what sketchnotes are, and a chapter on why someone should use sketchnotes. Maybe it is just me, but all three of those seem to be introductions. So we are already 40 pages into a 200 page book (that is 20% for the math geeks out there) and all it is doing is telling us why we should care. (Now, at this point I'll defend this approach in two ways. First, with a new concept – which this probably is to many readers –you do have to explain why someone should care. Second, Rohde is already laying out examples of how it works and is introducing the reader to the mechanics.)

Next is a chapter devoted to how one should listen. This seems very basic. Again, maybe it is new to many people and Rohde does speak to how this specifically applies to sketchnoting, but there was not any real new material.

Next – ah, some meat – The Sketchnote Process. Unfortunately, much of this is just the preparedness someone should go through to be actively involved in any presentation. I'm not saying any of us do it, but it is, again, common sense. Buried within this chapter is the meat that we have been promised – the design of a page, the way content should be showed. And some of this is continued in the next two chapters on types of sketchnotes and approaches. However, even these chapters feel like they rehash material we've all seen elsewhere.

The last chapter is a section on techniques to use for visual drawing. (And the one place I learned something brand new – two tips on how to quickly draw cartoon bodies. I will use this.)

All of the foregoing probably comes off too harshly, but I want to make the point of my disappointment – the feeling that there could have been so much more that was practical and useful. Maybe this is introductory; maybe (aside from my drawing skills) I need the intermediate course.

And, with all the above being said, that doesn't mean I will bury this book in the pile of books-I-never-want-to-see-again. Reading the book has made me recommit to using the approach in the next seminar/conference I attend. I have the feeling this is a book that, while it did not give me a short term payoff, will turn into a long term reference – something I will continue to refer to.

So the recommendation is this: If you are looking for a brand new introduction to the subject then this is a good book. However, if you are looking for much more, then this is a kind of nice to have, but other alternatives may provide more value. show less

I’ve always been a very visual learner — things just stick in my brain better if you’ve painted a mental picture for me than if I just hear something simple. Perhaps this is why books work for me. ;)

This book teaches you how to take visual notes. You don’t have to be an artist, or even any good at drawing to “sketchnote”. If you can draw a square, circle, triangle, line and dot, you can do sketchnotes!

The whole book is full of examples, and even gives you several ideas of methods show more you can use to sketchnote (for example, you can do so horizontally across the page, vertically, on a ‘path’, etc.).

I loved this, and plan to practice sketchnoting! Besides… it’s a great excuse to go buy a new notebook & pens (and I love me some office supplies! LOL) show less

A very worthwhile successor to Sketchnote Handbook. This one recaps Handbook and then works through a broad variety of applications for sketchnoting. I appreciate the author's willingness to showcase so many other artists' work, which opens the doors of imagination broadly for us who are finding our own way to Sketchnote in particular, but be more creative in general.