Questions About How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

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Answered Questions (11)

Is reading this really worth it? I've started but it's so boring and don't bring much to the table. Will this book really change something on my reading life? It seems it's only stuff I know covered up by beautiful words and tiresome repetitions.

Jignesh Darji Yes, this book is worth it. Yes, this book will change a lot on your reading.

This book was written in a very different time where authors like to tal…moreYes, this book is worth it. Yes, this book will change a lot on your reading.

This book was written in a very different time where authors like to talk too much and convey too little. Author has filled it with sound advice wrapped in a lot of criticism of the education system and approach to education and reading. To really learn from the book, you'll need to see past the rhetoric.

How to go about reading this book if you find it too boring, and/or repetitive:
- Look at the outline - understand the structure of the book and draw the big picture.
- Read a summary of the levels of reading the author mentions (Elementary, Inspectional, Analytical, and Syntopical) and the steps to achieve each level. The book is about these 4 levels and how to achieve them. That's all. If you know this, you can skip all the rhetoric and finish the book really quickly while still taking-in all that the author wanted to convey.

I hope this will be of some help. (less)

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My problem is that I can't recall what I read to be able to describe it to someone else. I have Bipolar Disorder & not remembering things is a side effect of it. Will this book help me recall the main points of what I read enough to describe it to someone else? I love reading & read non-fiction Christian books one right after the other.

Claire What you describe sounds more like a learning disability (LD): LD can be comorbid with other psychological/cognitive disorders or you can mimic such d…moreWhat you describe sounds more like a learning disability (LD): LD can be comorbid with other psychological/cognitive disorders or you can mimic such disorders when taking prescription drugs to treat other disorders.

I am a former sufferer of depression, and a graduate in psychology. I struggled in school but, when I complained to my health care providers, they always blamed the disorder or the drugs and said there was nothing I could do. After suffering for more than a decade, I stopped treatment AMA (it worked well for me, but I do not recommend this) and wound up in remission (my body finally recovered but the drugs were interfering with my body asserting itself). I still struggled with reading problems. Finally, being off meds and medically diagnosed as in remission, they listened to me and referred me for testing: turns out, I have had Learning Disabilities - including a form of dyslexia - since birth and they were always blaming something else.

My point is that Health Care Providers can get a little lazy, attributing everything to one diagnosis and missing the rest of the picture. I would ask your psychiatrist for help investigating this issue: some psychiatrists are qualified to diagnose cognitive issues/psychoeducational issues, most are not but they can refer you to an appropriate provider (usually a psychoeducational psychologist) for testing and consult. If you can afford it or your insurance will pay for it, it is worth it even later in life.

This book probably WON'T help with your issue: this book discusses different methods of reading, and changing your method will change your processing of the material, which may alter your memory of the material, it does not help with working memory. It will teach you how to find the main points, but that may not be enough if you have a memory issue.

That said, book club members often take notes as they go along and bring them to group: if you keep a book journal, know how to analyse such things and write them down as they occur to you (with an extra "download" or review when you finish the book), you will have more than enough material to describe and discuss. Going over notes will also strengthen your memory, and this book will teach you to take notes.

Good luck!(less)

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How to read "How to Read a Book"? It's so boring and dry. I've started reading this like 3 month ago and I haven't made it past part II yet. I want to read it so that I can get through other books I've abandoned like "The Intelligent Investor". But I can't get through this book even!

Chad

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

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Is there an alternate short book on "How to Read"?

Benjamin Beserra There's the first edition of this one, which I believe was some 200 pages shorter.…moreThere's the first edition of this one, which I believe was some 200 pages shorter.(less)

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I know this book is really demanding, so I was thinking of taking notes. Did you guys make notes? If so, how, what was the process?

Karen I followed Adler's suggestions int the book on "How to Make a Book Your Own" as well as the suggestions in the book on outlining the book's structure.…moreI followed Adler's suggestions int the book on "How to Make a Book Your Own" as well as the suggestions in the book on outlining the book's structure. (less)

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