How To Read A Book Book Cover

How To Read A Book

Brief summary

This book acts as a guide for readers who aspire to acquire knowledge via reading. The authors Mortimer and Charles help us to understand the process of reading so that we become efficient readers. They list various techniques and methods which can be used by individuals who desire to read skillfully and gain maximum information from a book.

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Lesson 1. Reading- A synopsis.

The traditional belief that reading helps to improve an individual’s understanding of the world has been questioned multiple times. With the advent of technology, it is easier for people to gain knowledge via television or radio. But these new tools of learning bombard individuals with an array of complex elements. This hampers the thinking ability of the person as he or she accepts whatever information is thrown at them without much processing. Thus, reading does have an edge over most other sources which are used for learning.

People believe that reading is passive because writing and speaking are termed active. But it is impossible to practice passive reading; being active is mandatory. Reading complements writing, and the absence of readers will decrease the importance of writers. The art of reading is as complex as writing. A successful reader is the one who can correctly comprehend what the writer tries to convey through their work. The process of reading starts with the mind understanding less, and ends at it understanding more of what is written, without any external assistance.

There are two aspects to reading a book. You either read about something you know or about things that you don’t know. There is no additional information gained in the former, but the latter adds to your knowledge database. There exists a significant difference between learning by discovery and learning by instruction. When one learns via directives, the action is based on someone else’s perception and interpretation. On the other hand, when you try to learn via discovery, we use our mind to think and understand. Thus, the process of observing, imagining, remembering, analyzing and reflecting, enhances our knowledge

There are four levels of reading. These levels are cumulative, so the last level includes the preceding three.

The first level is known as ‘Elementary Reading’. It is the most basic form of reading which we encounter during our initial days of school. Learning this type of reading is the first step towards understanding things that are written.

The second level is called ‘Inspectional Reading’. In this form of reading, the student has to decide and establish a time-frame for the allocated reading material. It uses the technique of skimming while reading.

The third level refers to ‘Analytical Reading’. It is more demanding as compared to the other forms of reading. This form of reading is performed when an individual is assigned a particular set of reading material and is given unlimited time to read it. 

The last level is ‘Syntopical Reading’.

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About the author

Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren Image

Dr. Mortimer J. Adler was Chairman of the Board of the Encyclopedia Britannica, Director of the Institute for Philosophical Research, Honorary Trustee of the Aspen Institute, and authored more than fifty books. He died in 2001. Dr. Charles Van Doren earned ...

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How To Read A Book Book Cover
Chapter List
  • Lesson 1. Reading- A synopsis.
  • Lesson 2. The Art of Reading.
  • Lesson 3. Diverse Aspects of Reading.
  • Lesson 4. Disagreement and its remedy.
  • Lesson 5. Different learnings from different categories-1.
  • Lesson 6. Different learnings from different categories - 2.
  • Lesson 7. Syntopical Reading.
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FAQs

In the summary of How To Read A Book book, there are 7 key lessons. These lessons include:

  1. Lesson 1. Reading- A synopsis.
  2. Lesson 2. The Art of Reading.
  3. Lesson 3. Diverse Aspects of Reading.
  4. Lesson 4. Disagreement and its remedy.
  5. Lesson 5. Different learnings from different categories-1.
  6. Lesson 6. Different learnings from different categories - 2.
  7. Lesson 7. Syntopical Reading.

How To Read A Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren was published in .

Once you've completed How To Read A Book book, We suggest reading out Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant on Resilience as a great follow-up read.

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