How to Memorize a Book Verbatim Following This Simple Plan

by Marko Martelli
how to memorize a book verbatim

You wonder how to memorize an entire book verbatim?

Excellent. Then keep on reading… because… in this article you will learn how to memorize large amounts of texts.

NO secret memory technique.

NO complex methods to learn.

How? We’re going to use a time-tested method that’s has been developed a very long time ago.

A method that’s been used by ancient people to commit to their memories: entire books, scripture, religious teachings, legends… often exceeding the size of the Bible.

But you see, nowadays, in the age of printing and digital information, this old art of memorizing enormous texts has almost vanished. Today, if anyone would quote long passages from the Bible, then this would seem extraordinary.

The good news is: anyone can develop an outstanding high-performance memory. NOT through hard work… but rather through patience, slow and steady progress.

The best way to memorize long texts is to do it ‘one-brick-at-a-time.’

 

Memorization Without Artifical Memory Tricks

You will not use any memorization tricks (aka mnemo-techniques) with this method. If you follow this system, you will treat your memory as a muscle. You’ll increase its power gradually by strengthening your ability to recollect information. Your goal is to train your mind so that you’ll be able to commit any kind of information to memory… and recall this information with ease.

Basically, you’ll develop your memory as a whole and exceed your current skill to remember any information… far beyond your current level.

This ancient memory system is based on two core elements: continuous practice & periodical reviews.

Before I explain the exact steps on how to memorize an entire book word for word, let’s look at the benefits you’re getting out of committing large texts to memory:

 

What Are The Benefits of Memorizing an Entire Book?

  • Add a massive amount of new words to your active vocabulary.
  • Instantly quote any piece of the text you’ve memorized (without flaw or hesitation)
  • The material becomes an integral part of your active mind, and thus,  can change your habits, your thinking, may uplift and motivate you. (This is very powerful if you decide to burn inspirational text into your memory)
  • Improve the ability to express yourself (in speaking and writing)
  • This memory method will increase your capability to memorize and recall information in general
  • Reviewing your material will feel like a vitalizing meditation. You’ll enjoy the process more and more from day to day.

Then, the next question that arises is…

 

What Should You Memorize?

If you don’t need to memorize anything for school, studies or work… then choose something you’d love to carry around in your memory… for the rest of your life.

Do you have a favorite poem? Or do you want to memorize a textbook? Do you want to commit parts of the Bible to your memory? Or any piece of literature that makes you smile, inspires you, charges you with positive energy or gives you cheerful goosebumps?

Whatever you go for, choose something important, meaningful to you.

Personally, my current memorization project is The Greatest Salesman in the World — by Og Mandino. This brilliant book of distilled motivation contains 10 the ‘Scrolls of Wisdom of the Ages’… in total about 9,500 words. (By the time I’m writing this, I just finished the 3rd of the ten scrolls — 3,339 words).

Ok, finally, let’s move on and talk about…

 

How to Memorize a Book Verbatim:

Remember, this method is based on taking baby steps. So, even if you feel confident with doing more than suggested, please proceed with patience. Patience will pay off big time in the end and keep you motivated.

Follow this simple plan:

Day #1: Chose the text you want to memorize. Start by learning just the first phrase or verse of your chosen book. Read it out loud – slowly – and commit it to memory, piece by piece… until you can remember the whole part without checking your text. Speak out loud from memory. You’re done if you can recall it with ease and confidence.

Day #2: Review yesterday’s phrase or sentence. Repeat it out loud from memory. If you struggle to remember, or if you’re not entirely sure about a single word (which is totally normal), then consult your source material. Once you’ve got this right and repeated correctly, add another sentence or verse to your memory.

Day #3: Now, again, as you did yesterday, review everything you’ve committed to memory so far and add your third phrase or verse to your memory.

Continue in like manner until you’ve committed the whole text, poem, script, etc. to your memory. Though, after a few weeks (usually 2-4 weeks) you’ll recognize your overall ability to file-away new information has grown.

Now you may add two sentences or verses per day to your memory. Then, a few weeks later (perhaps the 2nd month), 3 sentences or verses per day… and so on. This has, of course, its limitations. I suggest you increase the amount to memorize (very slowly) as long you’re comfortable with it. As soon as you feel you’ve reached your daily capacity, stop increasing the information chunks.

If, later on, you find yourself spending too much time reviewing (because of the growing amount of text memorized), you can split it up into two parts. Review one part today, the other part tomorrow.

Just make sure you keep reviewing something every single day in order to keep your recollection-muscle in shape.

Follow these simple steps and surprise yourself (and your friends) with your brain power and the amount of information you can burn into your memory with this simple method.

 

Start Memorizing a Book Today

Now that you’ve learned how to memorize a book verbatim choose a book you love. Something of great personal value to you. Words that you’d like to carry around in your head for good. Open it up and start with your first sentence.

 

Please let me know, in the comments below, what you’ve decided to memorize.

Sincerely,

Marko Martelli

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13 comments

Marcia Balloun August 11, 2022 - 11:16 pm

Checking my memory?
Hi Marko,
Thank you for helping others in memorization development. My efforts are toward memorizing the Bible as well as a specific book in all translations before I pass. Thank you the the method and encouragement.
Kindest regards,
Marcia Balloun

Reply
Nina August 23, 2021 - 3:55 pm

Hi! I have been working on memorizing the book of Philippians and stumbled upon this article. I’m currently about 55 verses in and have definitely noticed that my ability to memorize has improved. Ch. 1 took me about a month and a half, and Ch. 2 will have taken me only 3 weeks. (Both are 30 verses long.) I’ve also memorized a few short poems (“Hope is the Thing with Feathers,” “The Tyger,” “Jabberwocky”) and several psalms, and I really love having all of this wonderful language at my fingertips!

Have you ever tried starting from the end and memorizing backwards? I’ve done this when learning music (piano) and it’s been effective. I haven’t tried it with memorizing long passages of text, but I’ve been thinking about doing that for my next chapter of Philippians.

Thanks for your helpful article!

Reply
Marko Martelli August 27, 2021 - 5:35 pm

Hi Nina!

Don’t you think it’s an incredibly rewarding experience to recognize you can, with stoic patience, absorb whole books?
Yes, I tried memorizing backwards, but also in regard with music pieces for the guitar. But nonetheless, here the same principle applies as with memorizing long texts (though no one wonders about this memory stunt). When learning new pieces of music, we gradually add new material gradually… piece after piece, till, after a couple of years, we may be able to play dozens of songs. Comparable to memorizing dozens of poems or a whole book.

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William April 28, 2017 - 3:31 pm

Oh and I decided to memorise Epictetus’ Enchiridion. It should, hopefully, be a fun ride.

Reply
Marko Martelli April 29, 2017 - 2:16 pm

Fantastic challenge! You certainly picked a text worth memorizing. That’s 7,446 words and absolutely doable if you don’t rush it.
Please let us know, in a week or two, how it works out for you!

Marko

P.S. Here the link to this epic text:
The Enchiridion — By Epictetus

Reply
William April 28, 2017 - 3:00 pm

Great article. Are you suggesting when one first starts just to memorise 1 sentence per day? And build one’s stamina from there?

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Marko Martelli April 29, 2017 - 2:10 pm

Yes, exactly. Take small steps and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to memorize a couple of thousand words.

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James Douglas January 3, 2017 - 7:36 pm

Thank you for posting. i have been using this method for months now, and its really helped me for my biology exams. i can recall all the 100 pages of my biology textbook almost perfectly. However, i have other exams to worry about as well, and recalling my textbook takes up a lot of my time. i was wondering whether i have to recall on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis. i just want to make sure, as i don’t want to lose all the knowledge i have gained over the past couple of months.
Thank you in advance

Reply
Marko Martelli January 4, 2017 - 1:10 am

Glad to get such great feedback from your personal experience of this method!

A truly rewarding experience isn’t it?

If you don’t want to spend that much time with your daily recall session, try splitting up the content in half first. Do one half on one day, the other the next day.
When, after ten to fourteen days, you’re still very confident with your memorized material, break it down into thirds. Keep splitting up the material until you feel it’s getting harder for you to remember. As soon as this happens, go back one step for some time to get more familiar with the your content by, for example, visualizing it and/or writing it down by hand.

Reply
Brandon Cole December 19, 2016 - 3:23 am

Hey there!

I appreciate this post that you’ve written. I think that this is the method that I’ll employ.

I’ve decided to memorize The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. However, since this is actually a compilation of books, I’ll have to tackle it book-by-book, rather than the whole thing. I think that I may start with the smallest book and go from there (or I may start with the introduction).

Thank you!

Reply
Marko Martelli December 19, 2016 - 9:31 am

Hey Brandon,

Great, you’ll see, this is a tremendously enriching experience!
I’d love to hear from you again in a few weeks just to know how it’s working out for you.

Marko

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Cristian Vasile Mocanu August 16, 2016 - 4:21 pm

Thanks for sharing.
It’s actually very similar to what is described in “An approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture” by Dr. Andrew Davis.

Is there any way to use Anki to keep track of the reviews?

Let’s say you have a lot of disparate things that you want to memorize. After a while, some will have to be repeated daily, other weekly, other monthly, etc. depending on the “newness” of the information.

Is there a way to have Anki take care of scheduling the reviews?
If not, what else would you suggest?

Thanks again.

Cristian

Reply
Marko Martelli August 17, 2016 - 7:14 am

Dear Cristian,

Thank you for your comment.

Yes, there is a way you can use Anki to schedule reviews for text memorization (or memorization of anything you want to store permanently).

Here’s how I like to use Anki:

Divide your text or information into digestible chunks (pages, paragraphs, …) and decide for a memory trigger from the first part of this chunk.
Then, for example, add to Anki: (Text from Og Mandino’s scrolls)

Front of card trigger: “New life”
Back of card: “Today I begin a new life. Today I shed my old skin, which hath, too long, …” => Here you paste the whole chunk you’ve selected.

If you have a hard time remembering particular parts, I suggest you add additional cards for the same information using the Anki “cloze” function to create text-blanks.

Marko

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