How to Read a Book

Rating:
Summary: How to (Properly) Read a Book
Review: The correct title of this book might be "How To PROPERLY Read A Book". You are not offered any shortcuts, but in fact are told that by its very nature, reading should not involve shortcuts. This is especially the case for important reading (for work or school or business) but even in leisure reading, you should not just go through the motions. A good book is one you can understand, learn from AND enjoy.

Among its many great qualities, this book has the unique ability to allow one to practice the techniques it teaches as you go along. It certainly isn't the type of typical "how-to" book, the type which promise you can read once, put away and be miraculously improved.

I hope to use the book's tips and advice for the rest of my life and greatly enhance my reading skills!!

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Summary: Must Become a High School Pre-requisite
Review: While this book assumes the reader knows how to read, this book also teaches the reader to read each category of reading material: books, newspapers and magazines, with specific questions in mind.

And the most important thing that I have gained from reading this book was how important it is not to read books in a hurry, but to read, as you have a conversation with the author. Expect more from the authur. And reread each book, to draw out more of yourself.

This book also helped me to publish my first articles, as a Journalist - my proudest identification.

I suggest that every parent, and teacher encourage high school students to read this book, before completion of high school. And to read it not just once, but at least 3 times. This is what will impress upon them how to get the most out of their lives, and be productive people.

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Summary: Changed the way I read
Review: The suggestions about reading in this book are invaluable for anyone who wants to get (or give)a great education. It will tell you some rules that you think you have to follow but you don't, and other rules that you would never have thought of. Not only that, you get a little philosophy in the bag. Check it out before you start into that serious book you've been planning to make yourself read.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference, thought provoking...
Review: "How To Read A Book" is enjoyable to read, as well as being a helpful reference to refer to again and again. (I only wish I had the copy I loaned to someone ten years ago...!) It is worth purchasing again.

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Summary: A prequel to all books
Review: This book is a must read for anyone who is serious about his/her reading. The authors offer some perceptive tips, suggestions and ideas that are aimed at helping the average person imporve his/her reading skill. This is a book for graduate students who need the best 'how to' techniques to help them get the most out of their reading. This is also a book for the serious reader who is not content with turning page after page - going through the mechanical motions of reading. This is a book for anyone who believes that reading a book is a small life-changing exercise.

The authors begin by distinguishing between 4 levels of reading and provide techniques and examples for each level. What I found to be especially interesting are the chapters on how to read the different subjects: The authors introduce a single methodolgy for effective reading and then proceed to customize it for reading books on the sciences, philosophy, literature, fiction, etc.

Even if you consider yourself an effective reader, you'll be surprised at some of the insights that you will receive from this book. This is an excellent book, well written and well researched and it should be on every reader's shelf.

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Summary: Outdated book! Misleading title!
Review: I bought this book because it is said to be the best on the subject. After having read the book i can only give you the advice not to read this book if you want hints and tricks to improve on your reading skills. This book was born in 1940 - and it shows. They tell you to read the new testament! However, the release dat can also be positive. It's a rich, logical and very formal language. You won't find so much perfection in a book nowadays.
The authors EXPALAIN HOW A BOOK IS STRUCTURED AND HOW IT WAS WRITTEN, but they don't give you much hints, which would help you. They just say: Read carefully, read slowly, compare the books to other books. But hey, don't YOU know that? They explain WHAT DIFFERENT KINDS OF BOOKS EXIST - but: who cares! I want to know "how to read a book" and nothing else!
I read the book completly, but it was not an enjoyment for me.

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Summary: A wonderful guide to reading well
Review: It's a common misconception that a person who has read a large number of books is therefore "well read". To be in fact well read according to this book's author, would be indicated not by the amount of books read, but by how well the books were read. Reading well is what "How To Read A Book" is all about.

This book is a course on the anatomy of a book, the peeling of its contents in exposing the central theme or message of its author. This is accomplished by the structured, methodical autopsy performed by the reader, who, in extracting the central contents, is rewarded with a much deeper and increased understanding.

Reading is looked upon by the author as an art. The reading of a good book, one that stretches you mentally, takes a high degree of skill and is a major exertion. It is very active. The reader, armed with pen in hand, is taking notes, underlining principle ideas, noting structure, asking questions of the author, thinking, concentrating. It is by no means passive.

This book comes highly recommended and is a real treasure. It will be with you for life (I am currently on my second copy, the first having been retired and permanently shelved following much use). One final word of note- It is the authors' goal to present the "Ideal" form of reading, however it is also the authors' understanding that not many readers have the time nor the desire to read every book in this manner (given the unlimited amount of time in both analytical and syntopical readings described in the book, it could take years of study if a person elected to do so). It is the authors' assertion that "you are a good reader to the degree in which you approximate it".

Rating:
Summary: A promise kept
Review: Adler does exactly what he promises in the title. He tells you how to read a book. I read this book for a high school rhetoric class and though we read it in three weeks, I was so impacted by it that I have tried to apply his many suggestions.

He covers reading very thoroughly. Ideally, when we read a book, we first grasp what the author is saying (the who's and what's), then what he means, then how that relates to our life. These three steps fit into the first three levels of reading. The first asks 'What is the book saying?,' the second 'What type of book is it?,' and the third 'What does the book mean?.' There is another level which basically is a topical study- reading books to find what various authors say about a given topic.

Adler recognizes that we often don't get much from a book because we don't know how to read well. (He covers the relationship between reader and writer and their responsibilities toward each other)So for each level he gives rules and suggestions for how to read on that level. Often these are in the form of questions to ask that book.

Another thing Adler recognizes is that not all books are equal. Many books only need to be read on the first level, some on the second, and a few on the third. This also affects how fast one reads. The speed should match the difficulty, importance, and quality of the reading- even within the same book.

In addition to covering the four reading levels, Adler takes different types of books and gives specific applications of his suggestions to these books. You would not ask the same questions of a history book that you would of a play.

Oh and Adler provides exercises and a very good reading list to get you started on the road to good reading.

So Adler is very thorough and logical in his presentation and the reading is very enjoyable. His style is easy to understand and interesting at the same time. He covers some other topics here and there like reading education and the great books. This is an excellent book for both students (life long learners included) and those who just want to learn and enjoy books more.

Rating:
Summary: Great Explanations of how to read a book
Review: Wow. This book is 346 pages of instructions on how to properly read a book. Add the two appendixes, the first giving a list of books to read to further stretch your mind, the second testing your understanding of the material, and you get a great book.

Unless you have read the book, you probably wonder how it could take 346 pages to instruct you on how to properly read a book. However, the book shows that each page is necessary, and the fact you wonder that shows what little you know about how to read a book properly. Most people are only familiar with the first stage (which must be known to read this book) of reading, Elementary Reading. Few people understand the true activity involved in properly reading a book.

The book is broken into four parts.

The first part starts off with defining some terms, and analyzing different objectives for reading. It also shows that reading is an active effort that cannot be undergone passively. He also explains the beginning two levels of reading. Which are Elementary, and Inspectional Reading.

The Second part deals with Analytical reading. This is by far the meat of the book. It is also the most rewarding. Since it is here that people need the most guidance. Adler explains each of the rules necessary for analytical reading very well. So not one point is missed, or misunderstood. He starts the section off with how it relates to the first stages of reading. He than continues to the instructions.

The third part gives clearer instructions for particular types of reading material(ie. Social Science, History, Philosophy etc). It analyses each type of reading matter individually, first defining it (as best it can be) than giving either variations to the rules, or rules that are primary or more relevant.

The last and final part, talks about the ultimate stage of reading. This part describes Syntopical reading, and gives the rules for it. Syntopical reading involves reading several books for the purpose of understanding a certain topic, than giving an objective analysis of the topic based on those books. This part ends with a short explanation of what reading does in your life. How it is needed to grow, and how the mind, like all other muscles can quickly waste away unless properly used.

Such things that add to the books easy readability is the author's ability to structure the book so that each section coherently fits in your mind. At the same time, repeating certain principles that cause you to remember each instruction correctly. And the summary at the end of the chapters makes it easy to go back and review what you have learned.

One thing to remember about this book is that Adler is obviously gearing this book for the novice as well as experienced readers who share one thing in common. The fact that neither knows how to read a book properly. Because of this, you sometimes get the feeling that Adler is over explaining certain topics. Or that he thinks you have absolutely no common sense when it comes to reading. However, I think this is an inherent risk when writing a book like this. As you will soon find out when reading this book, as the author himself says ,"there is nothing arcane or even really new about what we have to purpose. It is largely common sense" (pg.29). Because of this, there are two factors that may cause one to over explain certain topics. One is that you can't assume the reader knows too much. You have to supply what is necessary for the reader to understand what it is you are trying to teach. The second is that the Author has to know what is common "common sense" for the reader. Because Adler is so knowledgeable about this topic, he may lose that ability to know what needs to be explained and what doesn't.

With this in mind, I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to get more from the books they read. This book will forever change your reading ability.

Rating:
Summary: Required reading!
Review: This book is indispensable in helping a reader develop critical-thinking skills, in sharpening the mechanics of reading, and in revealing the widely scoped canon of Western literature that's freely available to anyone who wants to educate him/herself.

I'd especially recommend this book to home schoolers at any level beyond elementary and students preparing for college/university. If I ran the US Dept of education, I'd mandate that every school district provide a copy of this to every student in the entire US education system. It's THAT widely accessible and helpful.

Thank you, Keith Berry, for turning me on to this book. It's the most valuable thing you ever did for me.