**Starter Document** 2023-Oct-28: Mortimer Adler How to Read a Book ====================================================== I read a heading I don't remember where that said: > It doesn't matter how many books you read, what matters is how many summaries you write. And I think there is a lot of truth to that sentence. However even writing a summary is a lot of work, So I need a way to produce summaries of books in a fast way. Fortunately there is a book called "How to read a book" By Mortimer Adler that I think is a master class on how to be an honest intellectual. What follows is the summary of the How to read a book. So that I can use it to produce summaries. This one is taken from: https://www.scribd.com/document/311241114/Adler-How-to-Read-a-Book ## 0. Systematic skimming or pre-reading 1. Look at the title page and preface, try to pigeonhole type of book. 1. Study the table of contents look for structure / roadmap for the trip. 1. Check the index try to estiate range of terms and topics; look up some passages that seem crucial. 1. Check the publishers blurb / summary of the book. Also the preface 1. Look for chapters whic seem most pivotal: read opening or closing pages carefully. 1. Thumb throught he entire book, reading a few paragraphs here and there, esp. at the en looking for the main arguments. ## 1. Superficial reading 1. Read thourugh "without ever stoppyng to lookup or ponder the things you do not understand right away" 1. "Go right on [until] you come to things you do understand. Concentrate on these. keep on this way." (e.g. reading Shakespeare!) a. "Many book are hardly worth even skimming" a. "some should be read quickly" a. "a few should be read, quite slow... allowing for complete comprehension".. Like little sips. Even difficult books have some material which can be read quickly. a. "Race through even the hardest book". the first through. a. "You will then be prepared to read it well the second time." ## 2. Inspectional reading 1. What is the book about as whole? Subject / classification 1. "What is being said in detail, and how?" Terms / interpretation 1. "Is the book true, in whole or part?" Truth / evaluation 1. "What of it?" Significance / Response ### Three kinds of note taking a. Structural about the content of the subject a. Conceptual about the truth and significance a. Dilectical about the shape of the argument in the larger discussion of other peoples ideas. ## 3. Analytical Reading ### Fist stage of analytical reading #### Rule 1. You must know what kind of book you are reading, and you should know this as early in the process as possible, preferably before you begin to read. / Classify the book according to kind and subject matter. (p. 60) #### Rule 2. State the unity of the whole book in a single sentence, or at most a few sentences (a short paragraph). State what the whole book is about with the utmost brevity. (pp 75-76) #### Rule 3. Set forth the major parts of the book, and show how these are organized into a whole, by being ordered to one another nad the unity of the whole. / Enumerate its major parts in their order and relation, and outline these parts as you have outlined the whole. (p. 76) #### Rule 4. Find out what the author's problems were. Define the problem or problems the author has tried to solve. (p. 92) ### Second stage of analytical reading #### Rule 5. Find the important words and through them come to terms with the author. Come to terms with the author by interpreting his key words. (p. 98) 1. Find the key words (words which are emphasized, repeated, defined, and or italicized, 'fighting' words) 2. Find the meanings of those words from the context, like "putting a jigsaw puzzle together". #### Rule 6. Mark the most important sentnces in a book and discover the propositions they contain. Grasp the author's leading propositions by dealing with his most important sentences (p. 120) #### Rule 7. Locate or construct the basic arguments in the book, by connecting the sentences. Know the author's arguments, by finding them in, or constructing them out of, sequences of sentences. (p. 120) Arguments are statements which offer the grounds of reasn for the authors judgments and conclusions. How to find the key sentences and propositions: 1. Look for signs: underlining; italics; location 1. look whele you seem to be "perplexed" 1. Look for statements containing key terms 1. look for a sequence in the arguments 1. separte complicated sentencs into more than one proposition 1. See if you can state the authors argument in your own words. 1. See if you can give your own expmplo to make the same point. ### Rule 8. Find out what the author's solutions are. Determine which of his problems the author has solved, and which he has not; and to the latter, decide whicho the author knew he had failed to solve. (p. 135) ### Third stage of analytical reading #### Rule 9 You must be able to say 'I understand'. Before you can say any of the following: - I agree or I disagee or I suspend judgment. Do not begin criticism until you have completed your outline and your interpretation of the book. (pp 142- 143) 1. Recognize your respnosibility of taking a postion. in response to the propositions you have now read. "Reading a book is a kind of conversation.. the author had hi say, and then is the readers turn" 2. Recognize the "role of rethoric" in this process, i.e. the attemn in all communication "to convince or presuade". This attempt is "the ultimate end in view... rethoricla skill is knowing how to react to anyone who tries to convince or persuade us". #### Rule 10. When you disagree, do so reasonably, and not disputiously or contentiously. (p. 145) #### Rule 11. Respect the difference between knwoldege and opnion, by giving reasons for your judgment. (p. 150) ## Chapter 11 - Agreeing or disagreeing with an author ### Three ideal conditions for a well-conducted disagreement: 1. Acknowledge your emotions 1. Make your own assumptions explicit 1. Make an attempt at impartiability ### Foru practial ways to criticize a book negatively 1. You are uninformed 1. You are misinformed 1. You are illogical 1. Youy analysis is incomplete ## How to read practical books What are he author's objectives and means? ### Chapter 14. How to read imaginative literature Don't criticize until you fully appreciate... ### Chapter 15. Reading stories, plays and poems, "Read quickly... suspend disbelief" ### Chapter 16. How to read history Ask authors' purpose/audience/knowledge, etc. ### Chapter 17. Science and mathematics Recognize math as a language to be learned ### Chapter 18. How to read philosophy Identify question(s) and historical context ### Chapter 19. How to read social science Identify point of view & mix of fact / fiction; read syntopically (ie. in relation to other books on the same subject) ## Part 4: The ulitimate goals of reading ### Chapter 20. The 4th lever of reading, syntopical reading #### A. The five steps of syntopical reading 1. Find the relevant passages 1. Establish a common terminology 1. Clarify the questions 1. Define the issues 1. Analyze the discussion: Look for the truth: a. In the order dicussion itself b and in the conflict of opposing answers (weigh the evidence; seek to be objetive) #### B. How to use the Syntopicon A book of 60 books called the great books of the world published by Encyclopedia Britannica. Lists 103, Great Ideas (e.g. "Democracy God, Happiness") ### Chapter 21 Reading the Growth of the Mind #### A. Active reading asking questions and looking for answers #### B. What good books do for us? - Stretch our mind - improve our reading skill - teach us about the world and ourselves #### C. Difference btween good (few thousands) and great books (less than 100) 1. Good books need to have no more than one meaning and one reading 1. Great books have many meanings and need to be read over and over agin #### D. The test of a great a book 1. "Marooned on a desert island": Which ten books would you select? 1. "The book seems to grow with you;" "you see new things" every time you re-read it; The book is able to "lift you" over and over again. 1. "You should seek out the few books that can have this value for you." 2023-Oct-28: How to read a book by Mortimer Adler ====================================================== Taken from this https://www.scribd.com/document/360128823/Mortimer-Adler-How-to-Read-a-Book-pdf ## 1st stage Rules for finding what the book is about: What is the book about as whole? 1. Classify the book according to kind of subject matter. 2. State what the whole book is about with the utmost brevity. 3. Enumarate its major parts in their order and relation, and outline these parts as you have outlined the whole. 4. Define the problem or problems the author has tried to solve. ## 2nd stage: Rules for interpreting a Book's contents. What is being said in deail, and how? 5. Come to terms with the author by interpreting his keywords. Understand literally the words, terms that the author uses. 6. Grasp the author's leading propositons by dealing with his most important sentences. 7. Know the author's arguments, by finding them in, or constructing them out of, sequences of sentences. 8. Determine which of his problems the author has solved, and which he has not; and of the latter, decide which the authr knew he had faild to solve. ## 3rd stage: Rules for criticizing a book as a communication knowldege: Is it true? and what of it? ### A. General maxims of intellectual etiquette 9. Do not begin criticism until you have completed your outline and your interpretation of the book. Do not say you agree, disagree, or suspend judgment, until you can say "I understand") 10. Do not disagree diputatiously or contentiously. 11. Demonstrate that you recognize the difference between knowldege and mere personal opinion by presenting good reasons far any critical judgement you make. ### B. Special criteria for points of criticism 12. Is the author uninformed? 13. Is the author misinformed? 14. Is the author ilogical? 15. Is the author analyisis or account is incomplete? Note: of these last four, the first three are criteria for disagreement. Failing in all of these, you must agree, at least in part, although you may suspend judgement on the whole, in light of the last point.