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This 400-Year-Old System Fixes Information Overload

Ev Chapman
November 18, 2025
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You want to know what's wild? We have more information at our fingertips today than all of human history combined.

No wonder we are overwhelmed when it comes to note-taking!

But the solution isn't another productivity app or complex system. It's actually a 400 year old practice called - The Commonplace Book.

This practice was used by some of the greats of history to make sense of their world.

And in today's video I'm showing you how to build a modern day version of this ancient practice using Tana. You'll see exactly how I've setup my own digital commonplace book & get the complete step by step setup guide.

This isn't just about better note-taking. It's about creating a quiet, curated space of knowledge that's entirely yours - away from the chaos of social feeds and information overload.

Click Below To Watch ​How To Use Tana As A Commonplace Book 👇

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Whenever You’re Ready To Turn Your 'Notes' Into A Powerful Personal Knowledge Co-Pilot — Here Are Three Ways I Can Help:

  1. Get some easy, quick Tana tips to take your workflows to the next level with my free Tana Toolbox Newsletter.
  2. Check out my Tana Fast Track Course if you want to jump all the way into building an AI Powered Personal Knowledge Co-Pilot that doesn’t just organise your work — but does work for you.
  3. If you're done juggling scattered notes & half built systems and you want to go all in on building a knowledge system where everything works together the way you work - then check out my new membership - ​College of Knowledge​. Workshops, tools, templates & support to help you build a knowledge system that helps you perform at your highest level.

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