How do I enhance reading/translating efficiency?

[EugeneTheSage]

Hey, I've recently bought Holsfadter's book "Godel, Escher, Bach" on the recursive nature of reality. The topic fascinates me very much. However, the vocabulary is quite complicated he uses a lot of nuanced words such as "denizen", "wallowing", and technical vocabulary. I also was reading Wikipedia articles about cognitive biases, and logic, and the language is quite complicated here.

English is not my native language.

I want to explore such topics quicker, but what slows me down the most is the need to put off the book, take the phone type in the word, see the translation, and see other translation options. It is quite a long process. I've tried using google assistant but it sometimes confuses the words, and I need to say "ok, google" each time to summon the translating demon.

I also plan to buy a similar book stand to free my hands so that I don't need to put off and grab on the book each time
https://www.amazon.com/Stands-Height-Adjustable-wishacc-Reading/dp/B09LS3JB4Q

The second part of the question is: how do I improve my understanding of academic books? Right now most of what I read I just don't get. Mostly because I don't understand some nuanced words and even if I translate them I still need to simultaneously hold newly acquired meaning and try to understand the complex topic. So first - improve my vocabulary and the efficiency of translation.
 

By the way, I'm interested in logic, mathematical logic, logical fallacies, and cognitive biases.

[Nilsi]

Of course you won't understand everything from the get go.

Just read a lot and learn to ask intelligent questions.

Better read one book well and slow instead of ten poorly.

[supremeyingyang]

tl;dr: either you choose something easier before Hofstadter or you have to fight yourself through - word by word, concept by concept. The second approach is less likely to succeed but 10 times more rewarding.

 

 

- generally I'd advice use kindle for foreign literature, it has a dictionary to whatever language you want to learn

- another approach by a friend of mine (I believe you are a german nativespeaker???):

- regarding Hofstadter or hard stuff in general... you need to invest huge chunks of time for getting the concepts behind the works... a sentence can take days of thinking or to let it sink in.. I remember reading  Harry Potter at 9, Tolkien at 12, Marx and Adorno at 17, then Kant at 22 or so... each time it was super hard at first, but finally I came to a new quality of reading and really understanding. You'd think Tolkien??? But for me it was back then a challenge. You (and me if I'd study Hofstadter) would challenge like a 9 Y/O reading Harry Potter for the first time. I'd struggle withvthe English Names: Dursley. Vernon. Dudley. At Petunia is kind of easy. etc etc you get what I'm saying? My first book in english I read cover to cover was 'the time machine' probably also at age 16 or so with my tutor. It's in easy english but... Every sentence I needed to look up stuff, it was hard work. Then we tackled Harry Potter 6 in English and I couldn't get myself to work through it. Same with movies, back then it was hard, now I like the english original with some rare slang or accent, say NYC Queens-South Jamaica or Irish or some British Dialect. But it took work..

[Michal__]

Unfortunately there's no shortcuts. Except maybe training your concentration. 

Anything, even highly technical texts, is easier to comprehend after a long concentration session.

Speed reading is useless.

[EugeneTheSage]

Ok, but what about translation? Do you know some voice assistants that you don't need to say 'ok google' each time, just say 'translate ...' and he translates and pronounces it to you?

[museumoftrees]

« How can I know what a word means ? »

By reading it’s definition. Use a dictionary and search every word that is unknown to you.