Books have too much information. I find I learn what a book is about just by reading magazine reviews or articles about the topic, or seeing the author interviewed on TV. They summarize their thesis and give some examples in 5 minutes. What more do you need to know, and how much more will you remember if you actually read the book?!

Since you’ve already spent the money, I say read the Introduction and the chapter titles. Then do a quick precise of the whole thing, reading parts you find interesting or think may be relevant. You can knock out a book in 30-60 minutes.

Then leave it on your shelf (don’t donate it), and act like you’ve read the whole thing. You can probably pull it off as well as 90% of the people who have actually read the book. This isn’t pretentious, it’s efficient.