{"id":34005,"date":"2013-06-17T16:38:40","date_gmt":"2013-06-17T21:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=34005"},"modified":"2022-06-20T15:59:26","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T20:59:26","slug":"how-to-read-a-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/leisure\/books\/how-to-read-a-book\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Read a Book"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vintage<\/p>\n

1. Open book.<\/p>\n

2. Read words.<\/p>\n

3. Close book.<\/p>\n

4. Move on to next book.<\/p>\n

Reading a book seems like a pretty straightforward task, doesn\u2019t it? And in some cases, it is. If you\u2019re reading purely for entertainment or leisure, it certainly can be that easy. There\u2019s another kind of reading, though, in which we at least attempt to glean something of value from the book in our hands (whether in paper or tablet form). In that instance, you might be surprised to learn that it\u2019s not as simple as opening the book and reading the words.<\/p>\n

Why Do We Need Instructions on How to Read a Book?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. \u2013Francis Bacon<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 1940, Mortimer Adler wrote the first edition of what is now considered a classic of education, How to Read a Book<\/i><\/a>. There have been subsequent editions that contain great information, but the bulk of what we\u2019ll be covering today is from Adler\u2019s words of advice from nearly 75 years ago.<\/p>\n

He states that there are four types of reading:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Elementary <\/b>\u2014 This is just what it sounds like. It\u2019s what we learn in elementary school and basically gets us to the point that we can understand the words on a page and read them, and follow a basic plot or line of understanding, but not much more.<\/li>\n
  2. Inspectional <\/b>\u2014 This is basically skimming. You look at the highlights, read the beginning and end, and try to pick up as much as you can about what the author is trying to say. I\u2019ll bet you did plenty of this with high school reading assignments; I know I did. Think of SparkNotes when you think of inspectional reading.<\/li>\n
  3. Analytical <\/b>\u2014 This is where you really dive into a text. You read slowly and closely, you take notes, you look up words or references you don\u2019t understand, and you try to get into the author\u2019s head in order to be able to really get what\u2019s being said.<\/li>\n
  4. Syntopical <\/b>\u2014 This is mostly used by writers and professors. It\u2019s where you read multiple books on a single subject and form a thesis or original thought by comparing and contrasting various other authors\u2019 thoughts. This is time and research intensive, and it\u2019s not likely that you\u2019ll do this type of reading very much after college, unless your profession or hobby calls for it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This post will cover inspectional and analytical reading, and we\u2019ll focus mostly on analytical. If you\u2019re reading this blog, you likely have mastered the elementary level. Inspectional reading is still useful, especially when trying to learn new things quickly, or if you\u2019re just trying to get the gist of what something is about. I won\u2019t cover syntopical reading in this post, as it\u2019s just not used much by Average Joe Reader.<\/p>\n

    Analytical reading is where most readers fall short. The average high schooler in America reads at a 5th grade level, and the average adult American reads somewhere between the 7th and 8th grade levels. This is where most popular fiction actually falls. For men, think Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Louis L\u2019Amour, etc. These are books that are incredibly entertaining, and a great way to spend a weekend afternoon, but if we\u2019re honest with ourselves, don\u2019t challenge our intellect all that much. There are some fine examples of manhood in those characters to be sure, but the point is that you won\u2019t get more out of reading them once than you will out of reading them five times. It\u2019s also why these are the types of books that are always on the bestseller lists — they cater to the level that most Americans can actually read at.<\/p>\n

    How come people can\u2019t read at a higher level? Are we a society full of dopes? Hardly. Adler argues that the reason actually lies in our education. Once we reach the point of elementary reading, it\u2019s assumed that we can now read. And to a point, we can. But we never actually learn how to digest or critique a book. So we get to high school and college and get overloaded with reading assignments that we\u2019re supposed to write long papers about, and yet we\u2019ve never learned how to truly dissect a book and get the most value out of it.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s our task today with this post. Again, I\u2019ll mostly cover analytical reading, but I\u2019ll also touch on inspectional reading, and a couple other related tidbits as well.<\/p>\n

    Inspectional Reading<\/b><\/h3>\n

    \"VintageAs mentioned above, there are certainly times when inspectional reading is appropriate. It\u2019s particularly useful when you\u2019re at the bookstore trying to pick out your next book and deciding if the unknown object in front of you is worth the dough. (The good news is that you can also do this with ebooks — in most cases you can scan the cover, the table of contents, the introduction, etc. before actually buying.) This type of reading is also handy when trying to learn new things quickly, or when you\u2019re just trying to get the gist of something. It\u2019s great for the kind of reading you should be doing to stay current in your career as well; books related to a certain industry can often be full of fluff and chapters that just don\u2019t apply to your particular job, and inspectional reading lets you glean the things that are actually helpful without wasting time on irrelevant material.<\/p>\n

    You can often get a pretty good feel for a book with inspectional reading by following the steps below. (To get the most out of this, you can actually follow along with a book off your shelf — it will only take 5-10 minutes.):<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Read the title and look at the front and back covers of the book.<\/b> This seems obvious, but if you pay attention, you can glean much more than you would have originally thought from just the cover of the book. What\u2019s the title? Spend 10 seconds thinking about the title and subtitles. What is it telling you? We often glance over titles, but they often offer deep insight into the meaning of the book. I think of some of the classics I\u2019ve recently read, The Sun Also Rises<\/i>, The Grapes of Wrath<\/i>, even Frankenstein<\/i>. There\u2019s more to these titles than meets the eye. In that last example, I\u2019m told that the book is really more about Victor Frankenstein than about the monster he creates. It\u2019s more about his human character than about horror. Are there images on the cover? What could those images be conveying? An incredible amount of time and money goes into cover art, so don\u2019t neglect it. What does the blurb on the back of the book say? We often quickly scan these, but if we\u2019re paying attention, they give us a great, succinct plot that often reveals what the book is truly about. Now it should be said that sometimes titles, cover art, and blurbs are designed more for marketing and increasing sales than they are about accurately conveying the ideas of the book, but they can usually still provide us with valuable clues as to the book\u2019s content.<\/li>\n
    2. Pay special attention to the first pages of the book:<\/b> the table of contents, the preface, the prologue, etc. These are incredibly useful pages. The table of contents will give you an outline of the entire book, which with non-fiction can tell you much of what you need to know right there. It\u2019s a little harder with fiction, and many novels don\u2019t have a table of contents, but take advantage of the ones that do. Especially with novels that are considered classics, you\u2019ll often get all kinds of introductions and prefaces. For instance, my 50th anniversary one-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings<\/i> has a very detailed three-page table of contents. That\u2019s followed by a \u201cNote on the Text\u201d that gives me a bit of its publishing history and Tolkien\u2019s process in writing. I then have a \u201cNote on the 50th Anniversary Edition\u201d that tells me that certain changes were made using Tolkien\u2019s notes and journals. There\u2019s then a foreword from Tolkien himself that tells a little bit of his own purpose in writing. And then I get to the prologue, which is part of the book itself. Even reading just the first sentence tells me, roughly, what the entire series is about: \u201cThe book is largely concerned with Hobbits, and from its pages a reader may discover much of their character and a little of their history.\u201d<\/li>\n
    3. For non-fiction, skim headings and read the concluding chapter.<\/b> The headings will actually often tell you the bulk of what you need to know of any non-fiction book. The text beneath the headings is often just fleshing out that main thought or theme. You can also read the conclusion to get a feel for what the author thought the main purpose or point of the book was. This is a little harder with fiction, as you don\u2019t often get much for headings (outside of chapter titles), and at least for me, I certainly don\u2019t want to know the end of the book. Although, I do know a fair amount of people who do; I still don\u2019t understand that.<\/li>\n
    4. Consider reading some reviews of the book.<\/b> Your most likely destination will be Amazon. Often the top-rated review on Amazon offers a lot of information about the book \u2013 a summary and\/or some of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, you also have to take Amazon reviews with a grain of salt. Some negative reviews are from people who perhaps read a chapter and didn\u2019t like something (see below regarding how to critique a book), or didn\u2019t read the book at all! And sometimes people simply have an axe to grind against the author and are trying to \u201csabotage\u201d them<\/a>. And sadly when it comes to positive reviews, authors and publishers these days will sometimes pay for fake reviews<\/a> of the book (a good clue for this is a whole boatload of 5-star reviews posted on the very same day\/week the book is released). So look at the aggregate rating the book has received, then read a few 5-star, 3-star, and 1-star reviews and evaluate their credibility in order to get a better overall sense of the quality of the book.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Analytical Reading<\/b><\/h3>\n

      \"Vintage<\/p>\n

      You don\u2019t need to do this type of reading for just anything. Only undertake it if you really want to get the most out of the book in front of you. Even Adler mentioned that not every book deserves this thorough treatment. But, many do. To read a great book and simply throw it back on the shelf to collect dust is in many ways a waste. The tips below apply to both fiction and non-fiction, but I\u2019ll note where something may differ.<\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s find out how to get the most out of what we read:<\/p>\n

      First, look up a bit about the author and the other books he\/she has written.<\/b> This is a personal thing. Before I pick up a book, I almost always look up the author and\/or the book itself on Wikipedia. I like to know how old the writer is, what some of his or her motivations were, how autobiographical it may be if it\u2019s a novel (you\u2019d be surprised how many are), etc. This just gives you a little context into the author’s life that will hopefully help you understand the book a little better.<\/p>\n

      Second, do a quick inspectional reading.<\/b> This is partially why I wanted to cover inspectional reading in the first place. A good, thorough reading of any book will include it. Look at the cover, always read the opening pages, etc. I know far too many people who never read introductions and just get right into page one. You\u2019re skipping the valuable information that can actually frame the entire way you read the book. You don\u2019t need to jump ahead to the conclusion, but at least get all that you can out of the cover and those opening pages.<\/p>\n

      Third, read the book all the way through, somewhat quickly<\/b>. Adler actually calls this a \u201csuperficial reading\u201d; you\u2019re simply trying to digest the overall purpose of the book. Now, this doesn\u2019t necessarily mean speed-reading. It more means that you won\u2019t stop and scrutinize the meaning of each and every paragraph. It means that when you get stuck in a place that\u2019s hard to understand, you\u2019ll keep on going anyway. It means that when the story slows down a little and gets boring, you don\u2019t just read 10 pages a day, but you\u2019ll keep powering through with the purpose of understanding the flow of the book as well as you can right off the bat. In this reading you are underlining or circling or taking notes on things you have questions about, but you aren\u2019t looking into those questions just yet. When you\u2019re done with the book, go back through and look at what you underlined or circled or took some notes about. Try your best to answer a few of those questions you had. If you have the time and desire, re-read the whole thing again. I often do a semi-quick reading like this for many classics that I\u2019m reading for the first time, but then I\u2019ll go back a few months later (okay, sometimes it ends up being years) and read it a little more slowly.<\/p>\n

      This is where many people struggle with reading older or more complicated books. You might stop 50 pages into The Iliad<\/i> because you\u2019re just too confused about the language and the style. It\u2019s actually best to just power through that and understand what you can, and then come back to your misunderstandings later. Better to have some knowledge than none at all.<\/p>\n

      Fourth, use aids, only if you have to<\/b>. If there is a word you don\u2019t know, first look at the context to try to discern its meaning. Use your own brain to get things going. If it\u2019s something you simply can\u2019t get past, or the word is clearly too important for you to glance over, then pull out the dictionary. If there\u2019s a cultural reference that you can tell is important to understanding the particular passage, Google it. The main point is that you can use the tools around you, but don\u2019t lean on them. Let your brain work a little bit before letting Google work for you.<\/p>\n

      Fifth, answer the following four questions as best as you can. <\/b>Now, these questions could have been listed as the first step, as you should keep these in mind from the second you start reading. But, they quite obviously can\u2019t be answered until you\u2019ve read the book. This, Adler says, is actually the key to analytical reading. To be able to answer these questions shows that you have at least some understanding of the book. If you can\u2019t answer them, you probably haven\u2019t quite paid attention well enough. Also, it\u2019s my opinion that you should actually write (or type) these answers out. Consider it to be like a book journal. It\u2019ll stay with you and become much more ingrained than if you just answer them in your head.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. What is the book about, as a whole? <\/b>This is essentially the back cover blurb. Don\u2019t cheat, though. Come up, in your own words, with a few sentences or even a paragraph that describes what the book is about. This can actually be surface level; you don\u2019t have to dig too deep. For instance, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy makes stupid mistake and distances himself from girl, boy redeems himself and gets the girl.<\/li>\n
      2. What is being said in detail, and how?<\/b> This is where you start to dig a little deeper. When you\u2019re done with that first reading of the book, Adler recommends writing an outline of the book yourself so you get a feel for its organization and overall tenor. Briefly go back and page through the book, jogging your memory of the key points. With non-fiction, outlining is pretty straightforward. With fiction, you could do it by chapter or by setting\/scene. By chapter you would simply list the chapter numbers\/names and a couple sentences of what it\u2019s about. For books with very short chapters, it could even just be a few words. For setting\/scene, you just follow the characters around and say what happened of significance there. I just finished The Sun Also Rises<\/i>, which could be segmented into its various settings: Paris, the fishing trip, Pamplona, and post-Pamplona where the characters go their separate ways.<\/li>\n
      3. Is the book true, in whole or in part?<\/b> These last two questions are where we get to the meat of reading. As before, for non-fiction, this is a relatively easy (or at least easier) question to answer. Is what the author said true? Are the facts they presented true? With fiction, it\u2019s more about asking if what was written is true to the general human experience, or even to your own experience. In The Great Gatsby<\/i>, is that feeling of loss and the futileness of great wealth true to the human experience? I would certainly say so. This is partly what turns great books into classics. They ultimately speak to the most basic truths of humanity in story form.<\/li>\n
      4. What of it? What\u2019s the significance?<\/b> If the book is indeed saying something true about the human experience, or about manliness, what\u2019s the takeaway? If something strikes a chord with you, and you do nothing with it, it becomes at least partially wasted. There is something to be said about literature that stands on its own merits of simply being great literature, like art, but I\u2019ve learned there is almost always a takeaway. Or at least a way in which you may think differently about the world. My understanding of life in America during the Dust Bowl was greatly increased after reading The Grapes of Wrath<\/i>. There wasn\u2019t necessarily something I would do <\/i>in reaction to it, but my appreciation for farmers and farming families of that time period certainly grew. That\u2019s definitely a valuable takeaway.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Sixth, critique and share your thoughts with others.<\/b> Notice that this step is dead last. Only after having read the entire book, and thoughtfully answered the questions above, can you critique or have meaningful discussions about the book. When reading Amazon reviews, it\u2019s clear when someone stopped reading three chapters in and gave a terrible review. Be extra careful about coming right out and saying, \u201cI understand the book.\u201d You can certainly understand parts of a book, but to have no questions at all probably means that it wasn\u2019t actually a good book to start with, or you are full of yourself. When discussing, be precise in your areas of agreement or disagreement. To simply say, \u201cThis is stupid,\u201d or, \u201cI don\u2019t like it,\u201d offers nothing to a conversation. Also know that you don\u2019t have to agree or disagree with everything about or in a book. You can love some parts and really dislike others.<\/p>\n

        Now you\u2019ve read a book for all its worth! Huzzah! To execute all of these practices for every book you read would be exhausting and time-consuming. I know that my enjoyment would probably be lessened if I did this for everything I read. So, take a few points and apply them to your reading. Personally, I resolved to read the difficult books I encounter all the way through (not something I\u2019ve always done in the past), and to keep a short journal of every book I read that answers, at least in part, the four questions above.<\/p>\n

        Why Read Analytically?<\/b><\/h3>\n

        \"Vintage<\/p>\n

        This can sound like a lot of work, and you may be asking yourself if analytical reading is really worthwhile. Isn\u2019t reading something you do for pleasure and entertainment? Partially, yes. You certainly don\u2019t need to be sketching out an outline while you\u2019re reading Dan Brown\u2019s Inferno<\/i> on the beach this summer (although maybe doing so will help you solve the mystery before Langdon does).<\/p>\n

        As the late great Stephen Covey taught us, however, a man should always be \u201csharpening the saw.<\/a>\u201d This means keeping yourself sharp in all areas of your life. Doing any kind of reading is beneficial, but engaging in analytical reading from time to time can greatly enhance these benefits and help us become better men in several ways:<\/p>\n

        Increases your attention span.<\/b> The internet has given us more reading opportunities than ever before. But oftentimes our cyber reading consists of skimming and\/or quickly jumping from one thing to the next without giving each much thought at all. Have you ever tried to talk to someone about something you read on the net earlier in the day only to find you couldn\u2019t really recall much about it? Reading a book analytically gives your focus and your skills for diving into a single thing deeply and mining it for all it\u2019s worth some much needed training and exercise. It greatly sharpens your ability to handle something as a whole, rather than in part.<\/p>\n

        Enhances your critical thinking abilities.<\/b> You can read, but how are you at examining something critically<\/i>? Analytical reading hones your ability to evaluate truth, weigh evidence and sources, synthesize information, make connections between different things, evaluate claims, discover wisdom hidden below the surface, understand others\u2019 motivations, interpret symbolism, and draw your own conclusions. Quite obviously these skills are not limited to helping you better enjoy books, but are absolutely vital in becoming an independent, perceptive, and well-informed citizen and man.<\/p>\n

        Shapes you into a better man.<\/b> A man who sees personal growth as being something important to him will take time to meditate<\/a> on life and consider the areas in which he can improve. Books facilitate this reflection in a unique way because they present us with characters or stories (be they real-life or fictional) that we can relate to in at least some small way.<\/p>\n

        As an example, I just finished the recent sci-fi hit, Wool<\/i>. It\u2019s a unique story with great characters, and the author is fast becoming a celebrity in the indie publishing world. I could have quite easily read it and moved on to the next book in the series. But to pause, and read through passages that I highlighted, and take even just 10 minutes considering what can be learned from the book gave me a greater reading experience. Wool<\/i> forced me to ask myself if there are areas of improvement in my life that I\u2019ve glanced over simply because it\u2019s something I\u2019ve always done. It forced me to ask about the ways in which I\u2019ve lessened risk simply because it was the easier way to live. I learned that doing the right thing is often terribly uncomfortable. It\u2019s not the first time I\u2019ve learned that lesson, but seeing it again in a unique story gives me yet another chance to be reminded of the importance of that lesson.<\/p>\n

        Reading analytically offers valuable opportunities for this kind of needed reflection and can help you think through the kind of man you are, don\u2019t want to be, and definitely hope to become.<\/p>\n

        Additional Reading Tidbits<\/b><\/h3>\n