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How to Read a Book
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How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles van Doren (Kwesi 章英狮, Maldita & Dante), Start: November 25, Friday
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Chapter five: How to Be a Demanding ReaderI think this chapter is a preparation for analytical reading, which is discussed in part 2.
Adler and Van Doren says that in order to become an intelligent or skilled reader, you must be demanding in your reading. That is to say, you should make the effort to read and understand what you're reading. You must be motivated by the desire to enlighten yourself, to increase your understanding about matters.
Furthermore, to become a demanding or active reader, you must ask questions while you read. What sorts of questions?
These four, generally:
1. What is the book about as a whole?
2. What is being said in detail and how?
3. Is it true?
4. What of it?
These are also the four questions you ask when you are reading a book analytically. They are applicable to any type of book (fiction or non-fiction), but when it comes to works of imaginative literature, like novels, poems, or plays, these four questions are altered a bit.
Of course, you shouldn't simply ask these questions, you must also do your best to answer them. The first question helps you know the book's type and subject matter. The second question helps you know the book's structure, outline, and its main parts and arguments. The third question helps you know whether the author is right or not, or whether his arguments are true or not. And the fourth question helps you know what the book's significance and implication is to your life.
Adler and Van Doren also says that we must make the book "our own". When we buy a book, it doesn't automatically become ours. That is just the first step. The second step is to read the book and "interact" with the author's ideas by writing on the book or making marks on its significant sentences or paragraphs.
The authors also say that, basically, in order to develop the skill of intelligent reading, you must ask questions and obey those four general rules. Rules are necessarily because they give us structure and help us discipline our reading. At first, remembering and observing these rules may be very challenging, but that is just normal. Any skill is difficult to learn at first, but with habit it becomes easier.
Thoughts:
I loved this chapter!
Basically, the above four questions lie at the very heart of analytical reading. That is, when we read a book analytically, we always ask those four questions and do our best to answer them.
I love the idea of "making a book our own". That's very true. We shouldn't fear marking our book. We must "converse" with the author's ideas. The more we do this, the more the knowledge and insights will stick to us, so that, after answering all those questions at the end of the book, a part of us is already in the book, and a great part of the book is now in us (or, in our minds, at least).
I just find the four questions very helpful. They guide me and provide structure to my reading. Also, they remind me that books are very, very important. Essential, even. So we shouldn't take them for granted. We shouldn't read them casually, especially if we're reading for understanding. We should allow them to influence and affect us. For example, after reading an apologetic book like Reasonable Faith by the Christian philosopher William Lane Craig, we shouldn't just set it aside and act as if nothing happened and nothing changed. We should instead ask ourselves, "Is what William Lane Craig saying true? Are his arguments really good? Does God really exist? If so, what are its implications to my life? What is its significance? What part of my mindset, mentality, philosophy, or worldview should I change, as a result of agreeing or disagreeing with Dr. Craig?"
Done with Part I!I need to take a deep breath before starting Part II. Lol...
Wait! Ngayun ko lang nabasa posts mo! Sorry, may problem yata ako sa notifications ko ulit. Pwede pahingi ng cell number mo Dante?
Sure thing, 09331657010.
Hi Kwesi, musta na? Haha, I got so busy these past few weeks so I wasn't able to touch the book at all.I hope to resume my reading in January hehehe.
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Hehehe... I sometimes hesitate to do this... But sometimes I think it's necessary, because I need to interact with the author, and the only way to do that is to make marks and write down notes on the book. I often write a lot of notes, especially when I'm reading non-fiction. I make markings on the book, then, when I'm done with one chapter, I go back to the markings and underline the sentences. Then, I write my thoughts in the margins. Then, I summarize the chapter in my own words. It takes time, but insights and realizations stick to your mind, and, years later, when you go back to the book, you don't have to read it all over again. All you need is to read your summary.
But if you're using ebooks, the there's no problem. :)
"I have a question, what are the three kinds of note-taking? I only remember reading inspectional type of note-taking."
I can't remember hehehe... But I don't worry about that too much. I just stick with my own style of note-taking.