How to Read a Book

     For over two decades this book has sat on my shelf with a bookmark sticking out the top. I got about a third of the way through. I was too busy--reading.  Adler and van Doren's book is a true classic. It first appeared in 1940 and continues in print, with subsequent revised editions. I'm sure there is sage advice here. After all, these were the guys who came out with The Great Books of the Western World series. Topics such as "Levels of Reading," "How to Be a Demanding Reader," and "How to Read Philosophy" are covered.



  



                                                                                                    HumHuHHFF

Human nature being what it is, though, we all have our own ways of doing things and too often we think our way is superior. (Maybe that's why I didn't finish Adler and van Doren?) So, I offer here my own "How to Read a Book."  (Don't feel bad if you don't finish reading this blog post.) Disclaimer: I have FDD--Fiction Deficit Disorder, so this method is skewed toward non-fiction.

1) Consume caffeine steadily while reading; it aids comprehension. Coffee or tea for non-fiction, Coke for literary fiction, Mountain Dew for all other fiction. Save wine for your book group.

2) Sit comfortably.

3) Sit beneath good lighting.

4) Use three bookmarks: one for your place, one for your place in the Endnotes, and one for your place in the Bibliography.  No Endnotes and Bibliography? Choose a different book.

5) Read the Introduction. (Have you skipped an Introduction at some point in your life? Then, if Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, read five long Introductions for penance; if Episcopalian or Lutheran, tell your best friend you once skipped an Introduction and move on. All other Protestants: try not to wallow in guilt. If Jewish, this is a non-issue; you always read Introductions--as do Unitarians, Agnostics, and Atheists.  All other world religions: just try to get in the habit.)

6) Read the Bibliography. If you own the book, place a checkmark by those items you have already read. Place a line by those you would like to read. Don't forget to refer to this two years later when you are in a dry spell and can't find a good book to read.

7) Minimize background noise, although either the Chopin Nocturnes or John Rutter's Requiem are suitable for evening reading. Slow jazz is a distraction--especially for non-literary fiction.

8) If you own the book, underline salient points or quotable material. Then note the page number in the back of the book with a word or phrase to jog your memory a decade later.

9) If you do not own the book, take notes on either college rule notebook paper (wide rule is unacceptable; it makes you look elementary, my dear Watson) or on cheap printer paper. Save your 100% cotton rag for serious letters or people you want to impress.

10) If consuming food while reading, use a book weight. This allows you to read "hands free"--at least for a couple pages, avoiding accidents. The book weight is to reading what the blow dryer is to hair styling.

11) If you thoroughly enjoyed the book, send the author a "thank you" note. Sometimes they will write back. Two notes tucked in their books I particularly appreciated were from Joseph Epstein and Fritz Stern. (If you're really lucky, when the author passes on, you can auction the note at Sotheby's and retire early. Note: this should not be your sole or even main motive for expressing gratitude.)

12) If it is a truly outstanding tome, look for the author's e-mail address, either in the book or online and send an e-mail of gratitude. You will have made someone's day brighter and often will receive a reply. Here is an example:

 

Thanks  for the compliment, and may all of  the books you read be golden.  S0

From: Brazeal, Jana S. [mailto:JBrazeal@stlcc.edu]
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2012 10:20 AM
To: Ozment, Steven
Subject: Thank you

Dear Prof. Ozment,

Thank you very much for your excellent and accessible scholarship. I have read, with pleasure, about five of your books over the years—beginning with Age of Reform. I am currently reading A Mighty Fortress and I’m looking forward to reading your book about Luther and Cranach.

You have given the gift of intellectual enjoyment to a Reference Librarian in St. Louis, MO.

Vielen Dank!

Jana Proske Brazeal

  

The above method does not pretend to be comprehensive nor "The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading" ala Adler and van Doren, but it is a lot shorter than their 419-pages of How to Read a Book.  May all the books you read be feasts for the mind and soul.