"How to Read a Book" by Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren (2010-11-12 10:19:52)

囫囵吞枣地看完了这本书，已经续借了两次了。真是书非借而不能读也。这样的书如果是买了，估计要等我退休了才看。梁文道的《我读》中推荐的，正好也为我的读书计划做一个良好的开端。图书馆借来的书真是过瘾，泛黄的图书了，好古老呀。

Levels of reading:

The first level: Elementary Reading

The second level: Inspectional reading: Systematic Skimming or prereading; inspectional reading

The third level of reading: analytical reading:

Pigeonholing a book

X-raying a book

Comng to Terms with an author

Determinining an author's message

Criticizing a book fairly

Agreeing or disagreeing with an author

Stages of Analytical Reading:

I. The first stage of Analytical reading: rules for finding what a book is about

1. Classify the book according to kind and subject matter.

2. State what the whole book is about with the utmost brevity

3. Enumerate 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

II. 2nd stage: rules for interpreting a book's contents

5. Come to terms with the author by interpreting his keywords.

6. Grasp the author's leading propositions 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 author knew he had failed to solve.

III. 3rd stage: rules for criticizing a book as a communication of knowledge

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 disputatiously or contentiously.

11. Demonstrate that you recognize the difference between knowledge and mere personal opinion by presenting good reasons for any critical judgment you make.

B. Special Criteria for Points of Criticism

12. Show wherein the author is uninformed.

12. Show wherein the author is misinformed.

14. Show wherein the author is illogical.

15. Show wherein the author's analysis or account is incomplete.

IV. 4th stage: Syntopical reading

Step 1 Finding the relevant passages;

Step 2: Bringing the authors to terms: As we proceed on our project of syntopical reading we must begin to build up a set of terms that first, helps us to understand all of our authors, not just one or a few of them, and second, helps us to solve our problem.

Step 3: Getting the questions clear;

Step 4: Defining the issues

Step 5: Analyzing the discussion



Approaches to Different Kinds of Reading Matter

How to read practical books

How to read imaginative literature: expository books try to convey knowledge - knowledge about experiences that the reader has had or could have.  imagaginative ones try to communicate an experience itself - one that the reader can have or share only by reading - and  if they succeed, they give the reader something to be enjoyed.  We experience things through the exercise of our senses and imagination.  To know anything we must use our powers of judgement and reasoning, which are intellectual.

Don't look for terms, propositions, and arguments in imaginative literature; don't criticize fiction by the standards of truth and consistency that properly apply to communication of knowledge.

The beauty of any work of art is related to the pleasure it gives us when we know it well.

How to read History:

If you can, read more than one history of an event or period that interests you; read a history not only to learn what really happened at a particular time and place in the past, but also to learn the way men act in all times and places, especially now.

How to read Science and Mathematics

How to read Philosophy

How to read Social Science



Reading and the Growth of the mind

You must tackle books that are beyond you, or, books that are over your head.  Only books of that sort will make you stretch your mind.  And unless you stretch, you will not learn.

A good book does reward you for trying to read it. First, there is the improvement in your reading skill tha toccurs when you successfully tackle a good, difficult work; Second, a good book can teach you about the world and about yourself.  You learn more than how to read better; you also learn more about life.  You become wiser, in the sense that you are more deeply aware of the great and enduring truths of human life.