Recent Readings: Mortimer Adler, How to Read a Book

I read through this book very quickly (it took just two days) and enjoyed it thoroughly. I will not spend time reviewing it but only highlight a couple of areas that stuck.

1. Understand that there are various levels of reading.
A. Not all books have to be read carefully. This is truly a struggle for me. I once told a professor who mentioned that he was considering using a certain book for his course that I would not advise it because it would take too long to read. He replied, ‘you don’t have to read every word.’ I still struggle with this idea. I feel that you must carefully read a book if you are to do it justice. Adler reminds us that all books are not worth ‘doing justice’ to. Read a book quickly at first. Browse it, skim it, find out if it is worthy of your time, and if so, then read (and even re-read) it carefully.

2. Put aside presuppositions in the first reading as much as possible. Get yourself out of the way. Let the author speak fully before you pronounce judgment. This was a point I was first impressed with in C.S. Lewis’ ‘An Experiment in Criticism.’ I must confess I find it hard as well. Especially when reading to my children. It is hard, having a discerning mind, not to pick apart a book before letting the author first paint the picture he desires. It is really only once the whole picture has been viewed that we can determine the value of the work.

I wish I would have had read this book, along with An Experiment in Criticism, years ago and am certainly glad that I found them. I couldn’t recommend either more highly. Don’t just assume you know how to read. Being able to pronounce words is not the same thing as reading. Reading is a skill to be learned and practiced. It ultimately should not be an act at all in some sense (while it must be in another sense) but an experience. And the best experiences change you, open you up, enlarge your mind. Adler’s book did this to me and so I appreciate it greatly.