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The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking
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This gorgeous, fully illustrated handbook tells the story of sketchnotes--why and how you can use them to capture your thinking visually, remember key information more clearly, and share what you've captured with others. Author Mike Rohde shows you how to incorporate sketchnoting techniques into your note-taking process--regardless of your artistic abilities--to help you b
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Paperback, 224 pages
Published
December 3rd 2012
by Peachpit Press
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Start your review of The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking

Quick review for a quick read. I've recently discovered the process of taking sketchnotes after getting into the habit of bullet journaling. (Bullet journaling is a simple system as created by Ryder Carroll to keep track of tasks and organization, but many people have adapted the process to their own needs and creativity. I've done likewise. ) It was from a number of references that I came across this book.
I really liked how easy this book was to follow along and start getting into the process o ...more
I really liked how easy this book was to follow along and start getting into the process o ...more

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Love the layout and style of the book
I really like the work book part where you get to practise
I like that the book is easy going, an easy and fun read
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I feel that the material is rather thin, so there's a lot of repeating going on and many included parts feel very unnecessary - like a lot is included to fill it out so it can be classed as a book
Summed up: I liked it, it was a fun read but I really wanted some more depth and knowledge going in to it.
...more
Love the layout and style of the book
I really like the work book part where you get to practise
I like that the book is easy going, an easy and fun read
-
I feel that the material is rather thin, so there's a lot of repeating going on and many included parts feel very unnecessary - like a lot is included to fill it out so it can be classed as a book
Summed up: I liked it, it was a fun read but I really wanted some more depth and knowledge going in to it.
...more

I used mindmaps more than anything else to get me through my Masters degree, and so I have a natural predisposition to visually representing information. I also have a good friend who does animated mindmaps (see http://www.chalksmart.org), which I also love. So, sketchnoting was largely a known idea to me, but I did pick up some new techniques and ideas here. It is also completely illustrated, so it is very quick and easy to read (1 - 2 hours) and digest.
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- Not that much substance
- Some good guidelines and drawing tips
- Like the inclusion of exercises to start building a library of icons and practise drawing simple objects
- Understand that the objective is to encourage everyone that they have the ability to produce sketchnotes but the message felt too repetitive
- Maybe the workbook would be more useful for me
- Some of the sketchnote examples were too overwhelming to follow (granted, they show the variety of styles, etc.)
- Some good guidelines and drawing tips
- Like the inclusion of exercises to start building a library of icons and practise drawing simple objects
- Understand that the objective is to encourage everyone that they have the ability to produce sketchnotes but the message felt too repetitive
- Maybe the workbook would be more useful for me
- Some of the sketchnote examples were too overwhelming to follow (granted, they show the variety of styles, etc.)

Can't talk, gotta sketch.
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Book Blurb: This gorgeous, fully illustrated handbook tells the story of sketchnotes--why and how you can use them to capture your thinking visually, remember key information more clearly, and share what you've captured with others.
There are things I liked about this book, and things I did not. I am a really good note taker (not bragging, this is just a fact), and I refer to my notes often. I am however not a visual note taker. I do not have sketches or diagrams in my notes. Arrows, and some ke ...more
There are things I liked about this book, and things I did not. I am a really good note taker (not bragging, this is just a fact), and I refer to my notes often. I am however not a visual note taker. I do not have sketches or diagrams in my notes. Arrows, and some ke ...more

Marvelous book. I read it in just a few hours and all my notes were sketches. The key takeaway is practice, practice, practice, and you will be on your way to sketchnoting everything. Listening is also part of that takeaway. I recently took a course on drawing (for work and notetaking). This supplements that very nicely. Great fun. Mike Rohde practices what he preaches. The entire book is sketched!
BTW this is only available as PDF for those who like their books electronically. I assume the heavy ...more
BTW this is only available as PDF for those who like their books electronically. I assume the heavy ...more

Yes the book is too short and too expensive and too repetitive... but, it is perfect.
I love that he gives examples from more than 10 other sketchnoters for a variety of how people do what they do. I love that they show what they do with mistakes, and that the author shows the difference between a doodle and a high-quality sketch.
YOU can "just doodle." You CAN. What you draw is individual and unique to you. In a world drowning in words, a little more doodling and sketching is what we need.
TIP: To ...more
I love that he gives examples from more than 10 other sketchnoters for a variety of how people do what they do. I love that they show what they do with mistakes, and that the author shows the difference between a doodle and a high-quality sketch.
YOU can "just doodle." You CAN. What you draw is individual and unique to you. In a world drowning in words, a little more doodling and sketching is what we need.
TIP: To ...more

Oct 24, 2017
Lê Quân
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
noter (who note alot)
Instructions with clear examples to follow
Really help to take advantages of your creative right brain's resources ...more
Really help to take advantages of your creative right brain's resources ...more

This book is A-WE-SOME.
It was a great complement to The Doodle Revolution. Not only it makes a great point about why to make sketchnotes, but it is full of practical things one can do in order to improve. It also has some great examples.
It's not a traditional book – instead of just text, it is organized as a sketchnote itself. Not only you get to use them as a medium, but you also see great example.
Seriously, greatly recommended to anybody into visual thinking. ...more
It was a great complement to The Doodle Revolution. Not only it makes a great point about why to make sketchnotes, but it is full of practical things one can do in order to improve. It also has some great examples.
It's not a traditional book – instead of just text, it is organized as a sketchnote itself. Not only you get to use them as a medium, but you also see great example.
Seriously, greatly recommended to anybody into visual thinking. ...more

After watching couple of workshop videos from Rohde, I was excited to get more info about sketchnoting and ended up reading this book. I loved this technique so much. Can’t wait to try sketchnoting myself soon. The book itself is a Sketchnote so it’s very easy to read and grasp concepts. The book format proves why sketchnoting works. I was able to read quickly but still get all the information, instead of reading boring passages for pages together like in other books. I am planning to convert so
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It's a curious thing to read about a technique that you've intuitively employed for years without realizing that someone has put a name to it. As an educator, I appreciate the way in which Rohde has synthesized the components of this note-taking technique and presented them as a platform, not a prescription.
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This books is 80% on importance and structure of sketchnoting, and only 20% deals with teaching actually how to sketch.
That being said, the way the book develops is organic and the works of "sketchbookers" are inspiring.
If you want to get into giving more time into sketchnoting, then this is a good go to book. I am still looking for a better book on note making though ...more
That being said, the way the book develops is organic and the works of "sketchbookers" are inspiring.
If you want to get into giving more time into sketchnoting, then this is a good go to book. I am still looking for a better book on note making though ...more

This review was originally posted on my blog at MatthewBogart.net
I don't like to write. I'm a terrible speller, and I have terrible sentence structure, I use punctuation haphazardly because I don't truly understand it. I usually embarrass myself when something I've written gets published. (Like, perhaps, right now?) When people say, "I don't know how to draw, I'm not an artist." I understand. I don't know how to write, I'm not a writer. With all that being said, writing is simply too useful for ...more
I don't like to write. I'm a terrible speller, and I have terrible sentence structure, I use punctuation haphazardly because I don't truly understand it. I usually embarrass myself when something I've written gets published. (Like, perhaps, right now?) When people say, "I don't know how to draw, I'm not an artist." I understand. I don't know how to write, I'm not a writer. With all that being said, writing is simply too useful for ...more

I am one of those "visual" people who happened to do sketchnoting before discovering that it IS a *thing*. Stumbling upon this book, the website, community and podcast etc. has been exhilarating, to say the least. I love that this book breaks things down for others, who perhaps are not as familiar with sketchnoting, to learn to do the magic.
I have to say my favourite parts of the book were the "guest spreads" done by various sketchnoters — love that they are dotted in between chapters, love how ...more
I have to say my favourite parts of the book were the "guest spreads" done by various sketchnoters — love that they are dotted in between chapters, love how ...more

This illustrated guide to visual note taking explains how sketchnoting is about breaking away from the compulsion to capture every detail of the meeting, instead tuning into the 'bigger picture, expressing CONCEPTS with drawings, type and text'.
Rohde's book is a series of sketchnotes explaining what they are, why they are a brilliant way of engaging your mind in meetings and how to listen for big ideas. It is also a handbook in the truest sense, outlining different types of sketchnotes and techn ...more
Rohde's book is a series of sketchnotes explaining what they are, why they are a brilliant way of engaging your mind in meetings and how to listen for big ideas. It is also a handbook in the truest sense, outlining different types of sketchnotes and techn ...more

If you enjoy Mike Rohde's work, this is the best example yet. Not only does he share his techniques and process for creating beautiful visual notes, but he also designed the entire book. From the writing to design to the custom fonts based on his handwriting this book is the ultimate showcase of Mike's humor, personality and style. I love the rare book that is both written and designed by it's author.
It's a fun read and just gorgeous to browse. I'd definitely recommend picking up the physical bo ...more
It's a fun read and just gorgeous to browse. I'd definitely recommend picking up the physical bo ...more

The information and skills taught in this book could probably be compressed into a single blog post … but then you wouldn't have the beautiful illustrations and diagrams that are the whole point of sketchnoting. If you've been doing visual note-taking for a while like I have then you will find this book provide you not just the techniques and frameworks but the inspiration to step up your game.
If you like Mike Rohde's books then check out Eva-Lotta Lamm's annually published collection of sketchn ...more
If you like Mike Rohde's books then check out Eva-Lotta Lamm's annually published collection of sketchn ...more

A good quick read for anyone who thinks and learns visually. The concepts presented in this book fit right in with the principles of accelerated learning that I use in safety training so it was well worth my time and I will probably go back to it for ideas in the future. Thanks to my friend Bharat for recommending it!

If you doodle incessantly when you take notes, you might already be a sketchnoter. I had no idea my visual note-taking style (all boxes, callouts, doodles, and arrows) had a name until I laid eyes on this book. It was sort of interesting to read a bit of the psychology behind why I'm drawn to visual note-taking, and this book even provided some ideas for how to get better at it. It's good.
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Lots of (sometimes overwhelming) examples of great sketchnotes and useful tips and tricks to start doing some sketchnoting myself. I found it quite inspiring, it got me to actually start sketchnoting rather than admiring others' work. I hope the inspiration will last...
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Cute little book. Let it give you permission to draw instead of write (if that's what you prefer) and let it help you to do those sketchnotes that look so amazeballs on the interwebs ^^
fun and inspiring. ...more
fun and inspiring. ...more
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