"I read the whole 480-page book a few years ago and I currently remember less than the outline given in that single article." It sounds like you're implying th

"I read the whole 480-page book a few years ago and I currently remember less than the outline given in that single article." It sounds like you're implying that the value of reading a book can be measured by how much of it you can consciously recall at some given instant after you've read it. But what if there's more to it than that? You also mention enjoyment of the experience of reading the book. But is there yet more? I propose that reading a book can stimulate thought that a mere summary would not. Reading a book can generate ideas that a summary might not. Reading a book can change you in ways that a summary would not. Summaries also frequently omit critical details. Summaries are often biased, unfair, and inaccurate. You may not remember much about a given book you've read, but that doesn't mean that the most you got from it was whatever enjoyment you had of reading it at the time.