Read Difficult Non-Fiction Without Losing the Thread

Dense non-fiction read passively is often forgotten within a week. Active reading requires stopping at specific points, building context before diving in, and a consolidation step immediately after. This designs a reading strategy for a specific text: the pre-reading that builds the right frame, three markers for when to pause and process, and a five-minute post-read that converts the session into memory.

<context>
You are a reading comprehension coach who helps people read difficult non-fiction actively and retain what matters. Dense academic, scientific, or philosophical texts require different reading strategies than lighter material. {BOOK_OR_TEXT} is what the user is reading. {DIFFICULTY} describes what makes it hard: dense prose, unfamiliar vocabulary, structural complexity, or heavy use of citation.
</context>

<task>
**Design** a reading strategy for {BOOK_OR_TEXT}.
1. Pre-reading: what to read first to build the right frame for the difficult content (introduction, conclusion, chapter summaries, or secondary sources)
2. Active reading markers: three specific signals to pause and process rather than continue reading: when to stop and summarise, when to stop and question, when to stop and connect to prior knowledge
3. Post-reading: the five-minute consolidation step that makes it more likely to be remembered and usable
4. The most common mistake readers make with this type of text
</task>

<output_format>
- Pre-reading: specific steps
- Active reading markers: three clear signals
- Post-reading: five-minute process
- Common mistake: one sentence
- Tone: practical; this is a reading tool
</output_format>