How to Read a Book: Based on Mortimer Adler's Book of the same Name

2. “We know more about the world than we
used to, but knowledge is not really a
prerequisite to understanding, we do not
have to know everything in order to
understand it. Too much can be a larger
obstacle than too few!”
Is this true? Take 5 minutes and write down if you agree or
disagree and why?

4. ACTIVE

5. NOT ACTIVE

8. THE ESSENCE OF ACTIVE READING
The FOUR Basic QUESTIONS a Reader asks. It is important to ask questions
while you read, questions you want to answer in the course of your reading.
WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT AS A WHOLE? You must try to discover the
leading theme of the book, and how the author develops this theme in an
orderly way by subdividing it into its essential subordinate themes or topics.
WHAT IS BEING SAID IN DETAIL, AND HOW? Discover the main ideas,
assertions, and arguments that constitute the author’s particular message.
IS THE BOOK TRUE, IN WHOLE OR PART? Only answer after you answer the
first two. As a reader you are obligated to make up your own mind, knowing
the author’s mind is not enough.
WHAT OF IT? What is the significance? Why does the author think it important to
know these things? What is further implied or suggested?

10. HOW I MARK IN A BOOK: MY VERSION OF
ANNOTATION
1) Underlining- of major points, or important statements.
2) Vertical Lines at the Margin- To emphasize a statement already underlined or to point to a passage
too long to be underlined.
3) Star, ASTERIK, Doodad- to emphasize important passages in the book
4) NUMBER or LETTERS in the Margin- to indicate a sequence of points made by the author.
5) NUMBERS of OTHER PAGES- to indicate places where the author made similar points, or
contradictions, to tie up ideas in the book.
6) CIRCLE- key words or phrases
7) WRITING in the MARGIN- to ask questions (?) to indicate a note to yourself.
Three TYPES of Note MAKING
Structural NOTES: What kind of book is it? What is it about as a whole? How is it arranged?
STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK.
Conceptual NOTES: Concern the author’s concepts and also your own as they develop through reading.
Dialectical NOTES: shape of the discussion from several different books it involves a structure of
concepts an order of statements and questions about a single subject matter.

13. Enough Said

15. 2 TYPES OF INSPECTIONAL READING
Systematic Skimming or Superficial Reading
Pre-Reading
HOW TO SKIM:
When tackling a difficult book
Look at the TITLE PAGE and the for the first time, read it
PREFACE (except lit)- through without ever
indications of scope or aim of stopping.
book
Study the Table of Contents- to
obtain a general sense of
structure
Ponder the things you do not
Check the INDEX- range of understand right away.
topics and the kinds of books
the author is familiar with and
refers to
Look at the Chapters (Which are
more important? Which are
pivotal?)

16. ENOUGH SAID

19. OUTLINING AND STRUCTURE: THE FIRST 4
RULES
RULE 1: CLASSIFY- You must know what kind of a book you are reading! (Inspectional)
Practical vs. Theoretical: Theoretical books teach you that something is and practical books
teach you how to do.
RULE 2: X-RAY a book- State the unity of the whole piece in a single sentence of short
paragraph. (discover the theme or main point)
RULE 3- ORDER: Show how the major parts (important) of the book are ordered one to
another and organized into a whole. You cannot grasp the complex unity if you only know
how it is one. There is a difference between a heap of bricks and the house.
RULE 4- OUTLINE THE BOOK- Find out what the author’s problems were. The author of a
book starts with a questions or a set of questions. The book contains the answer(s).
THE FIRST STAGE OF ANALYTICAL READING allows the readers to tell what the book is
about and to outline its structure.

21. THE 2ND STAGE: COMING TO TERMS WITH THE
AUTHOR
RULE 5- FIND THE IMPORTANT WORDS COME TO TERMS WITH THE
AUTHOR- locate the important words then determine their meaning.
Rule 6- FIND THE PROPOSITIONS: grasp the most important propositions by
interpreting and analyzing the most important sentences and paragraphs
RULE 7- Find if you can the paragraphs in a book that state its important
arguments; but if the arguments are not thus expressed, your task is to
construct them, by taking a sentences from paragraphs until sequences are
gathered that state propositions and compose arguments. KNOW THE
AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT BY FINDING THEM IN, OR CONSTRUCTING
THEM OUT OF SEQUENCES OF SENTENCES
RULE 8- FIND OUT THE AUTHORS SOLUTIONS- What problems did the author
solve? What did he not solve? On accident or on purpose?

23. Reading a book is a kind of conversation. Some say the
author is doing all the talking but if you find that to be true
you are not grasping your opportunities.
The reader has the last word.
Ordinary Conversations between persons who confront each
other are good only when carried on civilly.
In reading there is an intellectual etiquette to be observed

24. GENERAL MAXIMS OF INTELLECTUAL
ETIQUETTE

25. GENERAL MAXIMS OF INTELLECTUAL
ETIQUETTE
RULE 9- You must be able to say “I UNDERSTAND” before saying “I
JUDGE”
RULE 10- When YOU disagree do so reasonably, and not disputatiously
or contentiously.
There is no point winning an argument if you know you are wrong. When
we regard conversation as a battle you can only win by antagonism, not
with truth.
RULE 11- Respect the difference between knowledge and mere personal
opinion, by giving reasons for any critical judgment you make.
Knowledge- supported opinions that can be defended
Opinions-unsupported judgment

26. CONFLICT
In groups of three make a list of good things to do when experiencing
conflict.
Now, take another 5 minutes and make a list of bad ideas during conflict.

27. AGREEING OR DISAGREEING WITH AN AUTHOR
Not simply by following an author’s arguments, but only by meeting them as
well, can the reader ultimately reach significant agreement or disagreement
with his author.
When you disagree:
1.) Since men are rational animals it is necessary to acknowledge the emotions
you bring to a dispute, or those that arise in the course of it. Otherwise you
will likely vent feelings rather than reasons.
2. ) Make your own assumptions explicit. Know what your prejudices are.
Otherwise you may not recognize that the author may be equally entitled to
different assumptions
3. ) Attempt impartiality.

28. WHEN YOU DISAGREE WITH AN AUTHOR
Uninformed: lacks knowledge relevant to the problem he is trying to solve.
Misinformed: asserts what is not true. Makes assertions contrary to fact
Illogical: committed an error or fallacy in reasoning.
Incomplete: the author has not solved the problem, not made good use of
materials, did not see all the possible implications and ramifications, failed to
make distinctions that are relevant to his undertaking

29. ENOUGH SAID

31. REQUIREMENTS OF SYNTOPICAL READING
1.) Knowing that more than one books is relevant to a
particular topic or subject
2.) Knowing which books should be read

32. 5 STEPS IN SYNTOPICAL READING
1. ) Finding the Relevant Passage-: it is you and your concerns that are to be
primarily served, not the books you read. You must identify relevant books
before relevant passages. Your task is not to understand the book thoroughly
but to discover how it is useful to your purposes, which may be very far from
the author’s purpose(s).
2.)Bring the Authors to Terms: Force an author to use your language rather than
using his/hers.
3. ) Get the Questions Clear: Since we are establishing a set of
propositions, frame questions that shed light on the problem, and to which the
authors answer. Questions must be put in an order that is helpful to us
depending on the subject… Good starting order:

33. 5 STEPS OF SYNTOPICAL READING (CONT)
4.) Define the Issues: If authors answer in different way we discover issues and
they must be defined. Usually differences in answers must be ascribed to
different conceptions of the question as often as different views of the subject.
5.) Analyze the Discussion: To present truth we must do more than ask and
answer questions, we must ask them in a certain order, defend the order,
answer how questions are answered differently, and suggest WHY. Look at all
sides without trying to take sides

34. ENOUGH SAID

35. READING AND THE GROWTH OF THE MIND
Activity is the essence of good reading, the more active reading is, the
better.
You will improve your reading, comprehension, etc.
You will learn about the world and about yourself.
There are problems with no solutions or final understanding and the greatest
books help you think better about these problems
You know when you read great books they are stretching your mind and the
book seems to grow with you. There is new understanding each time you
read.
These books continue your learning and help grow the mind. The mind is not
limited like the body, it can continue growing way beyond normal adult
development. It can also atrophy just like muscles so it must “work out” as
well.