"How to Take Smart Notes" is a discussion about the note-taking system of a prolific writer in the 1900's highly regarded for his productivity. His note-taking system, at a high level, involved - Writing stand-alone notes that didn't need much additional context - Prioritizing connections between notes rather than categorization of notes - Standardization of notes to build toward frictionless note taking The book promotes note taking in a way that uses connections to build a complete picture of a concept over time. When a topic reaches a critical mass, it can then be organized into a more cohesive piece and published in a standalone fashion. The book asserts that unwritten knowledge or insight is useless, both to the consumer and to others. The fundamental unit of knowledge is a note.