How To Read A Book- A Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading - Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren [0]
renewed 1967 by Mortimet" /.Adler
Copyright o 1972 by Mortimer]. Adler
and Cllarlea Van Doren
AU rightl reHJWd
Including tlla right of reproduction
m whole or m part m any form
A Touclaone Book
Pubu.laed by Simon & SchUlter, Inc.
Rockefelkr Center
lJ30 Avenue of tlla America, New York, New York 10020
TOUCHSTONE and colophon are reglltered trGt:lerrb of Simon & SchUlter, Inc.
ISBN 0-871-21280-X
ISBN 0-871-21209-S Pbk.
Ubrary of Congre" Catalog Card Number 72-81451
Dedgned by EdUh Fowler
Manufactured m the UnUed Statea of America The excerpt� from the blograplalea of Cllarlea Darwin and]. S. Mil are re,mted from Great Boks of the Western World, by perm1n of Encyclopedle BrUannka, Inc.
so 49 48
CONTENTS
Preface
ix:
PART ONE
THE DIMENSIONS OF READING
l. The Activity and Art of Reading
3
Active Reading 4 • The Goals of Reading: Reading for Infonnation and Reading for Understanding 7 • Reading as Learning: The Difference Between Learning by Instruction and Learning by Discovery 11 • Present and Absent Teachers 14
2. The Levels of Reading
16
3. The First Level of Reading: Elementary Reading 21
Stages of Learning to Read 24 • Stages and Levels 26
•
Higher Levels of Reading and Higher Education 28
•
Reading and the Democratic Ideal of Education 29
4. The Second Level of Reading: Inspectional Reading 31
Inspectional Reading I: Systematic Skimming or Pre-reading 82 • lnspectional Reading II: Superficial Reading 86 • On Reading Speeds 88 • Fixations and Regressions 40 • The Problem of Comprehension 41 •
Summary of Inspectional Reading 48
v
vi Contents
5. How to Be a Demanding Reader
45
The Essence of Active Reading: The Four Basic Questions a Reader Asks 46 • How to Make a Book Your Own 48 • The Three Kinds of Note-making 51 •
Forming the Habit of Reading 52 • From Many Rules to One Habit 54
PART TWO
THE THIRD LEVEL OF READING:
ANALYTICAL READING
6. Pigeonholing a Book
59
The Importance of Classifying Books 60 • What You Can Learn from the Title of a Book 61 • Practical vs.
Theoretical Books 65 • Kinds of Theoretical Books 70
7. X-raying a Book
75
Of Plots and Plans: Stating the Unity of a Book 78 •
Mastering the Multiplicity: The Art of Outlining a Book 88 • The Reciprocal Arts of Reading and Writing 90 • Discovering the Author's Intentions 92 • The First Stage of Analytical Reading 94
8. Coming to Terms with an Author
96
Words vs. Terms 96 • Finding the Key Words 100 •
Technical Words and Special Vocabularies 108 • Finding the Meanings 106
9. Determining an Author's Message
114
Sentences vs. Propositions 117 • Finding the Key Sentences 121 • Finding the Propositions 124 • Finding the Arguments 128 • Finding the Solutions 185 • The Second Stage of Analytical Reading 186
10. Criticizing a Book Fairly
137
Teachability as a Virtue 189 • The Role of Rhetoric 140 • The Importance of Suspending Judgment 142
•
The Importance of Avoiding Contentiousness 145 •
On the Resolution of Disagreements 147
Contents vii
11. Agreeing or Disagreeing with an Author 152
Pre;udice and Judgment 154 • Judging the Author's Soundness 156 • Judging the Author's Completeness 160 • The Third Stage of Analytical Reading 168
12. Aids to Reading
168
The Role of Relevant Experience 169 • Other Books as Extrinsic Aids to Reading 172 • How to Use Commentaries and Abstracts 17 4 • How to Use Reference Books 176 • How to Use a Dictionary 178 • How to Use an Encyclopedia 182
PART THREE
APPROACHES TO DIFFERENT KINDS
OF READING MATTER
13. How to Read Practical Books
191
The Two Kinds of Practical Books 198 • The Role of Persuasion 197 • What Does Agreement Entail in the Case of a Practical Book? 199
14. How to Read Imaginative Literature 203
How Not to Read Imaginative Literature 204 • General Rules for Reading Imaginative Literature 208
15. Suggestions for Reading Stories, Plays, and Poems 215
How to Read Stories 217 • A Note About Epics 222 •
How to Read Plays 228 • A Note About Tragedy 226 • How to Read Lyric Poetry 227
16. How to