Notes & Highlights: How to read a book by Mortimer J.

Adler Charles Van Doren

Part One: The dimension of Reading

Chapter 1: The Activity and Art of Reading
 Reading is an act of communication between the writer and the reader – where the
writer should put effort into exerting his ideas and views in order to give the message
across readers. Readers on the other hand must put in effort to receive and understand
this message.

 Therefore as reader we have a lack of understanding which we must grasp from the
reader which has superior understanding (insight) on a given topic.

 To be informed is to know simply that something is the case. To be enlightened is to

know... what it is all about: why it is the case, what its connections are with other
facts... being informed is a prerequisite to being enlightened.

 Therefore don’t stop at being just informed  in lieu treat this as your first step.

 While a living teacher will give you answers to your questions with a writer (absent
teacher) you may have to find/answer those questions yourself.

Chapter 2: The Levels of Reading

 Depending on the goal of the reader – whether it’s for entertainment, information or
understanding – determines the way he reads.

 There are four levels of reading which are distinct from each other but cumulative in
effect

 1st level of reading  elementary reading involves recognising individual words on

the page and asking yourself; what does this sentence say?

 2nd level of reading  inspectional reading: the goal of this level is to get the most out
of a book within a given time. Inspectional reading the art of skimming
systematically. Aim to examine the surface of the book – What is this book about and
what is the structure of this book?

 3rd level of reading  analytical reading: the best, most complete reading possible
given unlimited time. This is highly active reading. Analytical reading is not
necessary for informational or entertainment reading. Analytical reading is pre-
eminently for the sake of understanding.

 4th level of reading  syntopical reading: the most complex and systematic of the four
levels. This is “comparative reading” in which many books are read in a given topic.
Through synoptical reading the reader will be able to develop and synthesize new
analyses of the subject that are not available in any of the individual books.
Chapter 3: The First Level of Reading viz.
Elementary Reading
 Increase basic vocab + some advanced vocab to grasp what the author is meaning.

 The above should prepare the person to read pretty much anything.

Chapter 4: The Second Level of Reading viz.

Inspectional Reading
 Skim the following: Title Page, Preface, Table of Contents, Index. This should give
you a good sense about the author’s main contention and what kind of book has been
written.

 Select a few pivotal chapters and read a few paragraphs here and there. In particular,
pay attention to the ends of chapters and the final chapter. Read the last 2-3 pages as
the author is more likely to provide summaries or highlights of the ideas he or she
consider most important.

 “In tackling a difficult book for the first time, read it through without ever stopping to
look up or ponder the things you do not understand right away.”

 The author emphasizes that multiple readings may be necessary for better
understanding.

 “If you insist on understanding everything on every page before you go on to the next,
you will not get very far. In your effort to master the fine points, you will miss the big
points…”

 Speed of reading is dependent on the goal of the reading activity. Inspectional reading
is done quickly because the goal is to get the gist of the book and the overarching idea
(similarly “analytical reading” will be performed more slowly).

Chapter 5: How to be a Demanding Reader

 The fundamental prescription for active reading: asking questions while you read –
questions that you yourself must try to answer in the course of reading.

1. What is this book about as a whole? Discover the leading theme of the book.
2. What is being said in detail, and how? Discover the main ideas, assertions and
arguments
3. Is the book true, in whole or part?
4. What of it?
  Marking a book or taking notes is an indispensable part of reading – here are some
recommended methods:

1. Underlining (to emphasize statements)

2. Vertical lines at margins (to emphasise passages)
3. Star, asterisk or other margin markings (emphasise passages)
4. Number in the margin (to indicate sequence of points)
5. Number of other pages in margin (to reference related points found elsewhere in
the book)
6. Circling key words or phrases
7. Writing in the margin or at the top or bottom of the page (to record questions and
salient thoughts)

 Three types of note-making:

1. Structural notes: notes about the structure of the book

2. Conceptual notes: notes about the author’s ideas/subject matter
3. Shape of the discussion notes: comparative notes in which other authors ideas are
assessed alongside the current book.

 Skiing analogy: you must learn to forget the separate acts in order to perform all of
them ... but in order to forget them as separate acts, you have to learn them first as
separate acts.

Part Two: Third Level of Reading viz. Analytical Reading

Chapter 6: Pigeonholing a Book
 1st rule of analytical reading is knowing what kind of book you are reading which
should be known ASAP – preferably before you begin reading.

 This should be categorised into a theoretical book or a practical book – where the
former teaches you something being the case whilst the latter teaches you how to do
something you want or think you should do.

 History, science and philosophy tends to be theoretical books.

Chapter 7: X-raying a Books

 2nd rules is stating the unity of the whole book in a single sentence, or at most a few
sentences (short paragraph).  give an assumption by having a quick skim through.

 3rd rule of analytical reading is to set forth the major parts of the book, and show how
these are organised into a whole, by being ordered to one another and the unity of the
whole book.  the parts are mostly found in the preface/table of contents

 A good book is an orderly arrangement of parts. Being able to understand how the
parts work in concert is critical to being a good reader.
  4th rule of analytical reading is finding out the authors problems.  this is also in the
preface/introduction  where the author of the book starts with a question or a set of
questions. The book ostensibly contains the answer or answers.

Chapter 8: Coming to Terms with an Author

 5th rule of analytical reasoning is finding the important words and through them come
to terms with the author.

Chapter 9: Determining an Author’s Message

 Propositions (views/arguments) are the answers to questions. They are decelerations
of knowledge or opinion.

 Readers shouldn’t blindly follow the author’s proposition – they must know why they
should be persuaded to accept and in lieu question whether the proposition stand
using reasoning of logic (to find validity) and if the argument is sound or not.

 In order to agree or disagree with the author – the reader must first understand the
argument the author is presenting.

 The 7th rule is finding the paragraphs in the book that state important arguments which
are essentially the main point of the book. But if the arguments are not thus expressed,
your task is to construct them, by taking a sentence from this paragraph, and one from
that, until you have gathered together the sequence of sentences that state the
proposition that composes the argument.

 Critical elements to the construction of an argument:

a. Every argument involves a number of statements (some are reasons for why the
reader should accept a conclusion).

b. Discriminate between deductive and inductive arguments. Inductive reasoning

will use particular facts as evidence for a generalization. Deductive reasoning will
use a series of general statements to support another generalization.

c. Observe the author’s assumptions. Which ones are provable or supported by

evidence and which ones are “self-evident” (and possibly fallacious or unproven).

Chapter 10: Criticising a Book Fairly

 The reader gets the last word in the “conservation” between author and reader.

 General Maxims of intellectual etiquette

 1. Do not begin criticism until you have completed your outline and your
interpretation of the book.

2. Do not disagree disputatiously or contentiously.

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

Chapter 11: Agreeing or Disagreeing with an

Author
 Special criteria for points of criticism:

1. Show wherein the author is uninformed.

2. Show wherein the author is misinformed.
3. Show wherein the author is illogical.
4. Show wherein the author’s analysis or account is incomplete.

Chapter 12: Aids to Reading

 Intrinsic vs. extrinsic reading. Intrinsic reading means reading a book in itself.
Extrinsic reading involves use of external references, experiences and sources.

 Extrinsic sources should only be called upon after exhausting your intrinsic methods
with the goal of understanding.

 Sources for extrinsic reading: 1) Experience (common and specialized); 2) Other

similar or related books; 3) Commentaries and abstracts on the book; 4) Reference
books (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.)

Chapter 13-19 where not as essential since they dive deeper into examples of using the skills
presented above.

Chapter 20: The fourth level of reading: Syntopical

Reading
 Since this does not currently apply to me – I have decided to leave this as it is and
instead refer back to link to gather an understanding. [Link]

Chapter 21: Reading and the Growth of the Mind

  “If you are reading in order to become a better reader, you cannot read just any book
or article…You must tackle books that are beyond you, or, as we have said, 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.”

Appendix