# Brief history of note-taking Countless people have practiced note-taking [over the course of history](https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2016/06/22/essay-18th-century-note-taking). Roman and Greek philosophers used to record their thoughts on notes. Plato already considered writing as a form of _artificial memory_. He [pushed his students to take notes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomnema). Those notes stored thoughts, facts, discoveries, and ideas. Famous philosophers like [Seneca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger) also recommended keeping a journal. There are [many](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillow_Book) [early examples](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonplace_book#Early_examples) [like that](https://classicalstudies.org/annual-meeting/148/abstract/ancient-note-taking-first-step-creative-process). Later in history, [commonplace books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonplace_book) helped humanity to accumulate knowledge. Note-taking [blossomed everywhere](https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/4774908/blair_notetaking.pdf?sequence=1). [Polish nobles wrote diaries for their families](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silva_rerum). Through those, they recorded their traditions, major events, anecdotes, and even jokes. Many families have treasured [cookbooks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_cookbooks) with "secret" recipes passed down from generation to generation. Throughout history, note-taking has helped thinkers, philosophers, authors, artists, [inventors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventor%27s_notebook), and even [boat captains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logbook). Leonardo da Vinci wrote [13,000 pages of notes and drawings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci#Journals_and_notes). He wrote those manuscripts throughout his life. He used those to record his interests, his preoccupations, things that intrigued him, his thoughts, ideas, and creations. And so much more that humanity is now grateful to have [inherited](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci#Science_and_inventions). There are countless others like Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Anne Frank, Bill Gates, etc. Check out this article if you want to [learn more](https://culturexchange1.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/a-little-story-of-note-taking). ## References - Through the ages: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2016/06/22/essay-18th-century-note-taking - Plato pushing students to journal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomnema - Seneca's practice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger - The Pillow book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillow_Book - Commonplace books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonplace_book - Ancient note-taking: https://classicalstudies.org/annual-meeting/148/abstract/ancient-note-taking-first-step-creative-process - Blair note-taking: https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/4774908/blair_notetaking.pdf?sequence=1 - Polish nobles diaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silva_rerum - Family cookbooks throughout history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_cookbooks - Inventor notebooks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventor%27s_notebook - Boat captains logbooks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logbook - Da Vinci journals and notes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci#Journals_and_notes - A little history of note-taking: https://culturexchange1.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/a-little-story-of-note-taking