It is well known that fast feedback loops are incredibly valuable in developing software. Test-driven development, continuous integration and continuous deployment are all designed to speed up the feedback loop. In learning & creative endeavours, there is a similar concept called the short knowledge cycle, which brings the same benefits to knowledge digestion and creation.
When we read a book, instead of finishing a long chapter in one go and coming back to review, trying to cram many may or may not be related concepts in our brains during the process, it is easier to read a single idea (perhaps one paragraph, a few paragraphs or a couple of pages), pause, do a bit of research if needed, link the idea to something you already know, find a few examples to support it, and perhaps take a short break, and come back and repeat the process.
This practice allows you to get multiple slices of work done in a single day, and move large projects forward without being paralysed by not knowing how to start a large complex project or being overwhelmed by the volume of the work.