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1 Rsum of the book "How to Read a Book: the classic guide to intelligent reading", is a practical guide for self-improvement that teach us the rules of reading any material, but especially analytical writing. They can be applied to reading the Great Books (primary knowledge) for understanding and pleasure but mainly to learn by reading the Great Books of the Western World. 1.2 The different types of reading * Reading for information We have gained more facts but we have learned nothing. This method is used to read newspapers, magazines or anything that we understand totally by reading it once. * Reading for learning (for understanding more) Reading to understand more is to close the gap between the superiority of the author and the reader by learning through communication with the author. * Reading for enjoyment This type of reading is the most common, as it is used to read fiction and other books for pleasure. 1.3 The three different reading levels * Level one - Elementary reading The first level covers the basic reading skills we learn in the first years of school; we recognize words but do not necessarily understand them. * Level two - Inspectional reading (preparation for Analytical and Syntopical reading) The level two skills are based on two steps named skimming (or prereading) and superficial reading. The different steps of skimming, which should take at least one hour for a book, are: o Look at the title and preface o Study the table of contents and understand the structure of the book o Check the index (to learn the most important words and where the

important paragraphs are) o Read the publisher's blurb o Look now at the main chapters (or the summaries) and read them carefully o Finally turn the pages and dip in here and there, reading some paragraphs or some pages in sequence The step of superficial reading is: o Read a difficult book through without stopping to read footnotes, comments and references. Do not even consult a dictionary (except for a brand new word that seems very important for the author) or encyclopedia * Level three - analytical reading (how to read a whole book well) Analytical reading is defined by Adler himself as: "With nothing else but the power of your mind, you operate on the symbols before you in such a way that you gradually lift yourself from the state of understanding less to one of understanding more." Analytical reading is the method, which is explained in detail. For Adler, it is the most important level for learning by reading, especially by reading the Great Books. Analytical reading is split into three stages. Stage 1 or the first reading (finding out what the book is about, based on structural rules) o Pigeonholing a book * Classify the book o X-raying the book * State what the whole book is about * Enumerate its major parts in their order and relation and outline those parts * Define the problems the author has tried to solve Stage 2 or second reading (rules of interpreting) o Coming to terms with an author * Come to terms in interpreting the key words o Determining an author's message * Grasp the author's leading propositions by dealing with his/her important sentences * Know the author's arguments by finding them or constructing them out of sequences of sentences (stated in your own words) * Determine which of the problems the author has solved, and which he had failed to solve or ignored

Stage 3 or third reading (rules for criticizing) o Answer to the author based on the rules of intellectual etiquette * Do not say `I agree, disagree or suspend my judgment' until you can say `I understand' * Do not disagree disputatiously or contentiously * Base your critical judgment on knowledge and not on personal opinion, and give reasons o Show how the author is uninformed, misinformed, illogical or his analysis is incomplete Important note: use relevant experience, commentaries or reference books as aids to reading. * Level four - Syntoptical Reading (based on inspectional and analytical reading - how to read several books on the same subject) The different stages of syntopical reading are: * Preparations or first reading 1. Find the sense of the subject to reduce the amount of material 2. Inspect all the material to have a clear idea of the subject * Syntopical Reading or second reading 1. Find the relevant paragraph 2. Build a set of terms that help you to understand all the different authors 3. Clarify the questions to which all the authors give an answer ("Look to all sides but take no sides"). 4. Define the answers (join and sort the different and perhaps controversial answers or views on the subject) 5. Analyze the discussion to shine maximum light on the subject How the different views are ordered (from more general to less general) is the key point of the last step. Support the view or answers by citation of the authors 1.4 The keys questions to answer * What is the book about as a whole? The author suggests the reader should discover the leading theme of the book and how it is ordered in sub-themes. * What is being said in detail and how? Here we will have to discover the author's main propositions, arguments and ideas.

* Is it true (in whole or in part)? Understand the book first, then give your opinion * What of it? We must ask about the significance of the book, for the author and for us. Inspectional reading will solve the first two questions... Analytical reading will not have been completed until all four questions have been answered. The last question is the most important one in syntopical reading. 2 Key lessons from "How to Read a Book" * Preparations 1. Find the main sense of the subject to reduce the amount of material 2. Inspect all the material to have a clear idea of the subject * Key lessons 1. Find the relevant arguments and propositions 2. Build a common platform for communication 3. Get the questions clear, so everybody can give an answer 4. Define the answers 5. Analyze the discussion to shed maximum light on the subject The most important step is to analyze the different opinions and to be able to defend them. If a solution cannot be found, the analysis will clarify the problem, so someone can solve it later on (see sample of the author on progress).