Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren have written an insightful guide to reading books that are worth reading. First published in 1940, their advice for understanding the written word has aged well. Their goal is to help us use the best books in our lifelong education. This version, rewritten in 1972, improves on the first release by incorporating recent research on the psychology of reading and reference to current additions to the growing population of worthy books.

This book discusses both how to read and how to decide what is worth reading. There are four different levels of reading. The first is Level 1 Elementary Reading, in which we move straightforwardly through text, absorbing the obvious. It is a perfectly acceptable way to read road signs and the backs of cereal boxes. It is not sufficient for most books. Level 2 Inspectional Reading consists of scanning the structure and skimming the content of a book to get a general sense of its message. It requires fluency in Level 1 skills and is necessary to make an informed decision about whether to invest more effort in a book.

Level 3 Analytical Reading is an advanced skill to which the authors devote seven chapters of carefully-considered description. Analytical readers need to classify a book and relate it to others that quote or supersede it. They need to outline or profile a book and understand its central messages. Analytical reading requires understanding the book's author, including the vocabulary of words, phrases and personal experiences the author uses to communicate and his or her purposes in writing the book. Analytical reading moves beyond understanding and accepting what authors tell us. It requires fairly evaluating their arguments and then taking a stand with respect to them. We haven't really read a book if we cannot clearly identify our points of agreement and disagreement with its author.

The Level 4 Interpretive or "Syntopical" Reader has master the skills of reading related books and synthesizing from them a grasp of the larger body of knowledge. To echo one critic of this book's first edition, they know "How to Read Two Books." The skills of Level 4 Reading are locating key passages in books, identifying the vocabulary, key questions and major issues of the subject area, and analyzing the ongoing discussion between authors of books on the same topic. Far from believing that this four-level approach is all the guidance we need, Adler and Van Doren present strategies for reading various types of books, ranging from poetry and imaginative literature to history, science and philosophy. They leave us well prepared to enrich ourselves from the pages of books.

This is a valuable book for anyone who reads seriously. I'll advise slipping it into the suitcase of a college-bound niece or nephew. It will also reward a snow-bound adult on a chilly afternoon. For those who write as well as read, The Craft of Research is a congenial companion volume. May your reading be rewarding.

I can understand Mortimer Adler's motivation for writing "How to Read a Book" in 1940. Absolutely dismayed by the quality of discussion in his university seminars and certain that his students either did not read the assigned books or did not know how to properly digest them Mr. Adler decided to write a book that spelled out in painstaking and often insulting detail how to read a book.

Knowing the genre of the book and understanding the title are according to Mr. Adler that important first step. Reading the table of contents and skimming the index come next. Inspecting the book, and understanding the different constituent parts will permit readers to better grasp the author's viewpoint and how he constructs his arguments. Then there's the pinpointing and understanding of the author's key words and key sentences, which will permit the reader to better understand the author's reasoning. Once fully confident of the author's thinking may the reader begin to question his logic, reasoning, and completeness of thought -- and the very experienced readers will be able to compare and contrast with other books.

It's a fine public service that Mr. Adler has mechanically systemized a reading process. Teachers and professors show either ignorance or indifference when they just assume that their students have understood the text, and do not do enough to actually pressure the students into comprehending the text. Seminar discussion, papers, and examination questions are too open-minded so as to allow students to bluff their way through, and the SAT is a test which can be coached and beaten. So it's good that finally comes an author, experienced in the tactics and strategies of college students to do the least work for the best grades, who demands that readers actually focus and concentrate on reading.

Unfortunately, the co-authors Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren do it in the most pedantic and professorial, laborious and long-winded manner possible (that's why, I suppose, they didn't do a sequel to their best-seller and entitle it "How to Write a Book"). Consider the classic "Elements of Style" By William Strunk and E.B. White, and how with economy and wit they're able to distill the parts of writing into their most basic and most easily understood constituent parts. Running at 419 pages "How to Read a Book" could easily have just been 50 pages.

It is a conundrum that you have to read a book on how to read a book but the author has done a brilliant job of summarizing techniques for better comprehension . I have adapted some of these techniques to read technical journals and I can testify to the effectiveness of these techniques. A must read!! I wish our school boards would have this book as a must read for sophomores and juniors in high school

you may miss every other book but not this one, it is rewarding just as it's name to teach you "how to read a book"

I was browsing on amazon for LSAT prep books and I came across this particular book. How to Read a Book?! I know how to read a book.. or so I thought. I needed something to get me a higher score on the reading comprehension. Even though I didn't end up taking the LSATs, I think this book really opened my eyes up to how a book should be read. A MUST for college students. Get it earlier, and you'll have an easier time writing papers.

I thought I knew how to read well until I read this book. This has changed the way I will read books, magazines, and newspapers from now on. Well worth the price to learn to read well.

I recieved this book from treasurehopper in acceptable condition. I was glad to have recieved a detailed note with the book explaining the condition of the book and how to contact the seller should I need too. I would continue ordering from this seller. I recieved this book very fast and in time to read with my homework textbooks. Thanks!

This book is about how to read any given book in order to get out of it all that that book contains. The authors say that the art of reading can be conducted at four heirarchical levels: elementary reading (the simplest, which consists merely of recognizing phonetic symbols as "words"), inspectional reading (which consists of "sizing up" a book and reading it superficially), analytical reading (reading a book to truly understand it), and syntopical reading (the highest level of reading, understanding the discussion of an issue across multiple books). It is assumed that the reader knows already how to read at the elementary level (otherwise the reader would not be a reader at all), so not much time is spent on this level. Inspectional reading also receives a cursory treatment- just enough to show what it is, how to do it methodically, and its role in the higher levels of reading. The bulk of the book covers how to read a book analytically, i.e. for understanding: the questions to ask of a book in order to understand its structure and content, and how to reply adequately to the questions which the book, in turn, asks of its reader. The general principles of analytical reading are then shown in concrete examples of various types of literature (e.g. philosophy, science, imaginative literature, etc.).
This book is extremely practical. Applying its concepts makes one not only a better reader, but better at communication and clear-thinking in general. As Wittgenstein said that what can be thought clearly can be expressed clearly, similarly what can be read clearly can be understood clearly. Reading this book in conjunction with a good logic text (such as Peter Kreeft's "Socratic Logic") will certainly help one to understand books, ideas, and life itself more clearly.

I dunno if I learned much from this book in a practical manner, probably because I already knew some of its instructions; but it has great insights on reading. This is not an easy book that you can read while munching on the dinner table, that you have to remember. But Mortimer made it easier by making a review of what has been taught in some of the chapters.

Very good book for those who really want to dig into what a book says.

There's no doubt that effective reading is a skill which has to be developed through deliberate practice, and this book provides mostly good advice which should help develop that skill more quickly (but I don't agree with all of Adler's advice).

Adler's advice pertains to aspects such as doing preliminary reconaissance of a book by systematically skimming it, classifying the book by genre, identifying the author's aims, grasping the way the author uses terminology, distilling the central message of the book along with its implications and the structure of its supporting arguments, judging the book fairly, and drawing on multiple books on the same subject in order to reach a synoptic understanding of the subject. The main point is that reading books effectively comes down to reading them actively, motivated by a sincere desire to understand, learn, and grow; without that motivation, the reader is really just going through the motions and perhaps shouldn't even bother trying.

Readers who are already skilled will have picked up most or all of the strategies and techniques recommended by Adler on their own, through trial and error. Therefore, the value of the book is that it should expedite the development of this skill for less skilled readers, and it should reinforce (and validate) this skill for those who are already skilled readers.

All of this sounds pretty good, so why 3 stars? Because Adler has made the book much too long, with the result that his key points can easily get lost in his endless babbling, not to mention making the book very tedious to read. If Adler had cut out the fat and trimmed the book from 400 pages down to 100 pages, the book probably would have easily deserved 5 stars. It's as though Adler is so impressed with his own erudition that he loves to hear himself talk and can't help showing off. Or perhaps he's so pompous that he feels the need to overexplain things to the reader, as though he's lecturing a child. Whatever the reason, the end result is still that Adler's verbosity obscures his key points and makes the book a chore to read, thus greatly diminishing its value. Readers can partially compensate for this problem by reading the book quickly but, ironically, that option is less feasible for the beginning readers who could have potentially most benefitted from the book.

I can recommend the book only with major reservations, and hopefully my review will help you decide whether this book is a good choice for you.

you should read this one first. It sets the tone for all other ones. I'm not sure how we ever managed before this simple to use "how to" guide was available to the public.

With, How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren, outline a methodical approach to quantifying and enjoying quality books. They start with explaining the four levels of reading: elementary, inspectional, analytical and synoptical, and the expectations of each level. From there they explain the basic principles of gaining an anticipatory understanding of the book you're attempting to read. For instance, it's critical that you first read, understand and think about (and I stress, think about) the jacket, title, contents, index, preface and the introduction before reading the body of the work. In essence, How to Read... brings a new level of focus to reading that makes for a more satisfying and enlightening experience. The authors also make a strong case for reading the classics; in that, they are often touted as adding a level of philosphical depth to ones life. I agree. All in all, if you are a book lover, you'll love this book. It has improved my approach and appreciation of books and all they offer. Bon Appetite!

The book arrived in excellent condition. I was impressed that it arrived so soon.

Life changing book. Still remarkably applicable even though it is over 30 years old. But, I was a little bit distracted by the overwhelming amount of passive sentences. Oh well

We have recently made an exciting discovery--three years after writing the wonderfully expanded third edition of How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren made a series of thirteen 14-minute videos on the art of reading. The videos were produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica. For reasons unknown, sometime after their original publication, these videos were lost.

When we discovered them and how intrinsically edifying they are, we negotiated an agreement with Encyclopaedia Britannica to be the exclusive worldwide agent to make them available.

For those of you who teach, this is great for the classroom.

I cannot over exaggerate how instructive these programs are--we are so sure that you will agree, if you are not completely satisfied, we will refund your donation.

Please go here to see a clip and learn more:

[...]

This book has greatly helped me. I think this should be required reading in any school, be it home or public. I will certainly have my new born read it (well, once she is old enough). Now I have so many more tools available to me while reading. You will not read the same after reading this book. If you apply this book your skill will greatly increase. It has help me love to read!

Daniel Fuller, John Piper's hermeneutics teacher uses this book for his class. He doesn't believe in special hermeneutics but general hermeneutics. You can learn more here: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/1994/ and http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2006/1625_Where_can_I_learn_more_about_the_Bible_study_method_called_arcing/

A great book on a seemingly obvious subject. Very insightful and a must for any begining researcher.

This is a review of "How to read a book" by Adler (May 2008).

This book was recommended to me by several authors I liked so aftr reading the positive reviews I decided to buy it. I can see that some see this book as 'timeless' and I think that is true, but I have also some criticism.

Pros:
- I see the main value of the book in teaching you the ability to structure your reading process/effort so that you get maximum value out of reading any book. For experienced readers (age 35+) this may be already a kind of automatism, but for less experienced (either in terms of #years or in terms of type of topic) this is probably not the case.
- I liked in particular the fact that the author not only discusses how to read book with emphasis on analytic content (rational / scientific / factual type of books), but also other kinds of literature.

Cons:
- The book is way too long. The author takes many pages to make a point that can also be done in 30% of the space. Fortunately, the author provides summaries of his 'rules' and tips. Nevertheless, an author who writes about how to efficiently read a book, should be brief himself! Just as you may expect from a dedicated reader that he reads efficiently, you may expect from a good writer he thinks through how to make a point, and be brief in the end, not forcing a reader to read many superfluous pages. Adler failed here. This makes me downgrade my rating.

Bottom line: If possible get it from a library; I would not recommend buying this book if you are in the second half of your 'reading life'.

nothing in this book is revolutionary. these are things any reader already knows and does, things that one had to learn to get through college. If you have a thirteen or fourteen year old definitely make him or her read it. The last section is sort of a plug for a different work by the author, which doesn't make it bad, just approach it with the necessary skepticism. On the whole a good and interesting read. The list of books at the end is mostly crap. There is a difference between being educated and well rounded and a crusty old lit snob. one could waste an awful chunk of ones life reading dusty old greeks or Proust instead of Beard of Lewis or Vonnegut. Update it yourself and don't tread it as a holy document, (which is pretty much how it was represented to me) and remember that its probably just articulating better than you could things you already know.

Well, I certainly got a lot of "witty" comments from people as I carried around a copy of Mortimer Adler's "How to Read a Book." Being on the receiving end of redundant jokes was worth it though as Adler was a joy to read, even though I've read a number of books thus far.

American philosopher and academic Mortimer Adler's book is a slight misnomer in that he does not necessarily tell the reader how to read a book, but rather how to read a book well...or "analytically" to use his terminology. It's not simply enough to let your eyes look at each and every word in sequence, then put the book down with a sense of satisfaction. The time invested in a book is precious. Therefore, argues Adler, only the best book should be invested in and the reader should make sure he extracts as much in formation as possible out of the book.

For much of the book, Adler presents a list of "dos" to gain a full understanding of the author's message. He advises the reader to do some "pre-reading" first--reading the book's title, table of contents, index, even its index and the quotes on the back. This will prepare the reader's mind for the information he will receive and how it might be structured. He also highly recommends that the preface and introduction be read as this is where the author normally presents his thesis, purpose, and/or methodology. In reading body of the book, the thesis should always be kept in mind and the reader should be constantly examining how the author builds his argument. Finally, after the book is complete, the reader should be able to restate the book's premise and structure in just a couple sentences, reconstruct the argument, and be able to evaluate the book relying on logic rather than just emotional opinion.

After giving general rules for reading analytically, Adler briefly evaluates various genres of books, giving the reader their general characteristics and how these reading rules might be slightly adapted to the genre. In this section, Adler tends to be "hit and miss" as he is quite helpful in presenting works of philosophy, science, and social science; but less helpful in imaginative fiction and history.

Finally, Adler demonstrates how to read multiple books on the same subject in such a way as the books compliment one another, and provides a series of reading tests to reinforce the book's major premises.

While I found this book well written and was able to glean some gems from it, I generally found that I was doing most of what Adler suggested already. We could all be better readers and Adler certainly gives encouragement in this regard, but as a whole my time might have been better invested elsewhere. However, I recognize that not all people read carefully and consider that books are actually long detailed arguments. For these people, I would highly recommend this book to aid and assist your future reading. For others, it would serve as an enjoyable read as the prose is majestic, but not all that necessary.

Recommended.

However ridiculous it seems to you now, this book will prepare you to clearly and effectively understand all the books, articles and blogs that you will read after this book.

Stan Faryna

I have the good fortune to be the 100th person to review this book, yet I think it deserves as much attention as possible, especially now that our educational system has dwindled down to new historic lows. As a society in the United States, we have clearly selected a path to quantity in terms of literacy, rather than quality and although this has given us great employability, much of the great talent in this country is latent. The approach undertaken by Adler is to awaken a reader from a passive observer to an active and demanding participant in the educational process while also appealing to the intellect. There is sometheing here for everyone seeking better ways to capture information or gain understanding from the most important invention of all time, the written word.

I honestly thought I knew how to read a book until I was humbled into the realization that there are several levels to this activity, ultimately leading to the question of how to truly internalize a book and make use of it. It has in that respect increased my personal expectations of myself and thereby the selection of readings that I have undertaken. In How to Read a Book proves that an author can play the part of the teacher.

How to Read a Book is an effective blueprint on how to activately angage with an author who through his work reaches out to a reader. I feel that due to this, this book serves as an excellent aid towards personal development if this is the nature of the material one reads.

Adler was unquestionably a gifted teacher (through his writings at least) and has done great justice to the Aristotelian tradition of teaching through detached brilliance, codifying his observations.

The other great byproduct of how to read a book is the preponderance of the writer on how to actually structure the writing of a book. The writing process is thus greatly enhanced, as one should anticipate the needs of a highly discriminating reader and produce meaningful and accessible work.

I wish that this book was part of the curriculum for me in high school, it would have made a significant impact in my college years.

I have the good fortune to be the 100th person to review this book, yet I think it deserves as much attention as possible, especially at a time when our educational system has dwindled significantly in the last 20 years. As a society in the United States, we have clearly selected a path to quantity in terms of literacy, rather than quality and although this has given us great employability, much of the great talent in this country is latent. The approach undertaken by Adler is to awaken a reader from the passive observer to the active and demanding participant.

I honestly thought I knew how to read a book until I was humbled into the realization that there are several levels to this activity, ultimately leading to the question of how to truly internalize a book and make use of it. It has in that respect increased my personal expectations of myself and thereby the selection of readings that I have undertaken. In this respect, the book has delivered on it's theory that an author can play the part of the teacher. How to Read a Book is an effective blueprint on how to activately angage with an author who through his work reaches out to a reader. I feel that due to this, this book serves as an excellent aid towards personal development if this is the nature of the material one reads.

Adler was unquestionably a gifted teacher (through his writings at least) and has done great justice to the Aristotelian tradition of teaching through detached brilliance, codifying his observations.

The other great byproduct of how to read a book is the preponderance of the writer on how to actually structure the writing of a book. The writing process is thus greatly enhanced, as one should anticipate the needs of a highly discriminating reader and produce meaningful and accessible work.

I wish that this book was part of the curriculum for me in high school, it would have made a significant impact in my college years.

In spite of this book's oxymoronic title, it is a book for every one who wants to do serious reading. It could have saved me countless hours in grad school while researching my thesis. The book discusses 4 levels of reading. As bonuses, it also includes tests to help you understand how to use these techniques on passages from famous books and it has Mortimer Adler's famous bibliography that he developed while creating his famous Great Books program.

Previewing, one of the four levels of reading discussed, helps you decide whether to read the book, whether to delete it from your bibliography, what the book is about in detail, and how much time to devote to it. This technique alone could save any student doing term papers dozens of hours and help him prepare a better paper with better citations. Although serious researchers will get the most value from this book, anyone who wants to understand a serious book will also benefit. For example, I recently previewed "Learned Optimism" and before even reading it through I knew what to expect, the author's conclusions, his evidence, and his suggested techniques.

This is, without a doubt, the most useful book I have ever read. You may experience the same, even if you don't read all of it (which I did, but don't always recommend). The later chapters on syntopical reading (multiple simultaneous books on the same subject) and some of the specific types of reading (CH14-19) may be best read as needed, or some cases, re-read to sharpen your reading skills for a particularly important or challenging read.

Another reviewer has written a good high level summary, so I won't repeat her outline of the book's argument, but I will say that I recommend this book to everyone who has even a passing interest in gaining more from what they read.

To the few who claim this is a boring book, I say: it is a serious book about how to read better. If you're not even a little excited about the benefits of that, you probably won't like it. If you only read books for entertainment the way one might watch a movie, this book is likely of little use to you and best avoided. For anyone with a job and/or passion that requires detailed and critical understanding of anything written, I happily introduce you to your new favorite book.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BECOME MANDATORY READING FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT GIVES YOU PRACTICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT YOU READ. IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO QUESTION, AND ANALYZE A BOOK IN ORDER TO GET THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT OUT OF IT. IN THIS CASE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND COMPREHEND WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE READING. GET IT. READ IT. IT HAS OPENED MY EYES.

This is a great book for young readers. It helps soo much in developing a strong curricullum for a variety of learners. I think it would also be good for homeschoolers or parents who want thier children to follow classical readings and become well-rounded.

On one hand, it feels weird to read a book about how to read a book. So very meta. Yet I came away from this tome with a lot of insight into the difference between widely read and well-read.

There are salient points (and useful advice) on finding themes and reading with an analytical mind. I really wish I would've been able to read this book before I went to university.

Even the advice on reading novels for entertainment, while probably common sense to many, is useful. In addition, there is a (rather intimidating) reading list at the end.

So, overall, a must-read. Only four stars, though, because at time the text can be a little dry and turns into a struggle.

I picked up this book in a state of vexed frustration. I had forgotten how to read. At least, if felt like that. It was becoming an increasingly difficult practice for me to finish novels; this I rightly ascribed to one of my most damaging shortcomings: perfectionism. I kept telling myself that I had stopped reading books PROPERLY, or that I was being lazy - in a word, that I wasn't assimilating as much as I should be. My standards, though, were unattainable: I seemed almost to expect that, after one reading, I should be able to recite every word, without fail. It is ludicrous, peurile, yet I couldn't seem to disentangle myself from it. I even considered investing in a punchbag, because there was no one in proximal distance upon whom I could feasibly unleash my anger.

I finished this book today, and already I can assert that it was a successful panacea to my reading woes.

The most important thing that I took from the book - the remedy, if you will - concerns first readings. Rather than attempt to absorb everything, rather than constantly consulting the dictionary - one should just immerse oneself in the novel, ideally in a single sitting. If one keeps stopping, then one is apt to forget, or even lose interest. Then, if one wishes, one can reread the novel with an analytical eye. More than one too many ones in that paragraph.

Adler's insistence that you should read the most challenging books, ones that will stretch your imagination, rather than reading exclusively for mere entertainment - is also admirable. I agree with other reviewers that this book should be compulsory for high-school children (not to mention high school children).

I gave it four stars because most of the book is devoted to the art of reading NON-fiction, and only some of the advice is applicable to imaginative fiction. That is just a minor personal criticism, though.

The name of the book is appalling. Not that this had any bearing on my rating, but the title is deceptively simplistic, and you might want to cover it when in public, lest one be mistaken for an illiterate oaf.

This book changed my life. I think it should be required in school. Or at least it should be required reading for anyone who wants to be an English teacher. I will definitely pass on this information to my future students. I have always been a good reader. In fact, I was so good that no one bothered to find out what exactly I was doing when I read and give me helpful suggestions for improvement. If you think of yourself as an educated, thoughtful person, and still you find that you often finish a book and are unable to articulate much about it six months later, get this book. I read more slowly now but I know what I'm reading. You might also try Susan Wise Bauer's The Well Educated Mind. I would check out both from the library and then select one to buy as a reference. Or buy both if you're a collector like me.

This book picks up where your reading instruction in school most likely left off. In school you probably learned only the first, elementary, level of reading. In How To Read A Book Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren explain that there are actually three levels of reading beyond the elementary level (inspectional, analytical, and syntopical) and they demonstrate how to develop each of these levels of reading within yourself. In so doing they instill in the reader critical thinking skills that can be applied not only to the written word but to the spoken word as well. And after reading this book you will discover that you are not only a better reader you will find that you are a better communicator. In short, this book will provide you with the tools necessary to live a more fulfilling and productive life.

The book arrived in a timely manner and I was satisfied with my purchase and the efficient service.

I read several pages of an online version of this book (which is available for free in its entirety on the internet) and found no part of it to be interesting or insightful in the least. I checked the book's excerpt on Amazon and confirmed that it was indeed the same text.

Many years ago I read a book called "How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less" where one of the main ideas was that you have to make a point that the audience cares about every 30 seconds or you will lose your audience (that may not apply when one is dealing with some overly academic types or people who have tons of time on their hands and really like to read). But for my money and time, had Mortimer Adler been able to read that book before writing his book telling us how to read, he might have produced a book that I could have found interesting.

I would recommend the prospective buyer of this book read Amazon's preview excerpt of this book. After reading the excerpt, ask yourself what you could share with a friend about what you have read--or even what might be useful for others to know. That's a simple enough test, and maybe you'll like it. I didn't.

As someone who reads about a book a week, I wish I had been introduced to this work when I was in high school. The book teaches the very basic and fundamental steps that need to be taken to get the most out of reading a book. It's not just a matter of mechanically going through the book and getting the most you can via your recollection and knowledge; it requires more rigorous application of steps such as understanding the author's terms, propositions and conclusions and then deciding for yourself whether and why and to what extent you agree with the author or not. The discussion on syntopical reading is invaluable: the authors encourage and motivate readers to add their own insights and possibly expand the discussion and even add new knowledge to a field of experise via the reading and analysis of many books on the same topic. I think many casual readers feel that they are only receptors of the information and, because they are not certified on or in some way credentialed in a particular field, they have nothing to offer to the evolution of the discussion. The book also offers a humbling reminder to avid readers: you can read a lot and still not be well read; that is, if you are not in some way satisfying your reading appetite with some of the world's great works, you may be filling yourself but not getting all the intellectual nutrition you need.

Recently started grad school and this book has given me good tips on getting through the 400+ pages of reading that has to be done each week. Well worth the money.

The author makes many good points about reading skillfully, including how to determine if you should bother reading a particular book.

The main point is that different books should be read differently. If you agree with that premise, this book will train you how to do it. If, on the other hand, you read the USA Today the same way you would read the Communist Manifesto or a technical journal, then you may have no use for the book.

Unfortunately, Adler is a little wordy at times, but the book contains instructions on how to deal with verbose authors too!

I hate to say this, but I think maybe I found this book too late. I majored in English in college, and I had to read a lot, so maybe I already taught myself these strategies the hard way. I really was excited about this book and wanted to get into it, but I found myself employing the book's strategies while reading the book. I skimmed, I skipped sections that weren't immediately relevant, and I disagree with reading books you don't really want to read. Read what's fun and what strikes your interest or makes you smile. Read the ones you don't want to read when they're assigned in school. That's my take.

I hate to say this, but I think maybe I found this book too late. I majored in English in college, and I had to read a lot, so maybe I already taught myself these strategies the hard way. I really was excited about this book and wanted to get into it, but I found myself employing the book's strategies while reading the book. I skimmed, I skipped sections that weren't immediately relevant, and I disagree with reading books you don't really want to read. Read what's fun and what strikes your interest or makes you smile. Read the ones you don't want to read when they're assigned in school. That's my take.

I'm reading the very beginning of the book, but I've listened good things about it. The language is very simple and clear, I think I'll understand something about learning, about liberal education and about unaided discovery.

Adler and Doren believe that reading well is an art. This book gives a step by step method to reading difficult books well. I like this book because it has helped me to read 3 books that I found difficult to read (Homer's Illiad and Odyssey and Plato's Dialogues including The Republic).
The authors provide a Great Book list in the Appendix.

This great book inspired the former-wrestler-turned-conservative Ultimate Warrior to find himself a political ideology which is conservatism. IF this book inspired him, will it you?

Before I red this book I waz illiterrit but it teached me good. now i read really really good and no a lot of big words and all abot the alfabet. if you want to no how to read a book two, you shud reed this book.

Upon looking at the title, "How to Read a Book", the educated reader might think this book is not for them. They would be dead wrong.

This book teaches the reader "how to be a demanding reader". Through an ingenious system, it shows how to quickly find the core arguments of a book, *before reading it*, thereby getting the most from the text.

This book is invaluable for students doing research, as its system teaches how to find common questions (threads) across books. It reveals methods of finding the core questions of a subject matter. Using this method will help one become a better writer as well.

I give it 5/5 stars. Highly recommended reference tool for students, teachers, and the general public. The cover of the book is correct, it is "The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading".

Here's some FREE advice, so you won't have to blow any money on Adler's condescension. For example, when it comes to a textbook, I read all of the introductory material unless it's polluted with cross-promotion of supplemental materials. I do a brisk overview of each chapter (read intro, chapter headings, summary) before studying the bulk of the text. Fiction is subject to taste--I invest more energy in reputed classics, read mysteries or horror for sheer pleasure, but then ignore vast quantities of everything else (unless it's foreign), because the fiction market in the U.S. is hopelessly self-indulgent and meaningless, and life is too short. But quality fiction and nonfiction I generally treat with respect. I tend to read the blurbs and survey the contents, but skip any introductory material (unless there's an author's preface) until I've read the entire text. I keep a journal for what I consider to be significant points, to note misunderstood passages, or to write out paraphrased definitions of any words I don't understand or otherwise wonder at the contextual use of. I always keep a Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary at my side. After I've finished the core text, I might go to my Columbia Encyclopedia and read some related articles on the author or subject matter. Finally I read the introductory material, usually a critical survey by another author. If it's published by Penguin or the like, it's high quality analysis. I consider that depth of treatment as much as I ever need to know about a stranger who wrote a book. When you consider how unstable people are in general, it seems foolish to become too fiercely attached to or analytical of an author's great ideas. Spend a week in their home with their bad habits and questionable cooking and/or housekeeping and I guarantee you would probably quit caring about most any point of view they held dear. The world of ideas is unstable as well. Don't get too bogged down in the past--those that remember it are condemned to remember it. Read widely and often and you will be just fine. Hey now, that didn't even cost you a penny.

Here's some FREE advice, so you won't have to blow any money on Adler's condescension. For example, when it comes to a textbook, I read all of the introductory material unless it's polluted with cross-promotion of supplemental materials. I do a brisk overview of each chapter (read intro, chapter headings, summary) before studying the bulk of the text. Fiction is subject to taste--I invest more energy in reputed classics, read mysteries or horror for sheer pleasure, but then ignore vast quantities of everything else (unless it's foreign), because the fiction market in the U.S. is hopelessly self-indulgent and meaningless, and life is too short. But quality fiction and nonfiction I generally treat with respect till proven otherwise. I tend to read the blurbs and survey the contents, but skip any introductory material (unless there's an author's preface) until I've read the entire text. I keep a journal for what I consider to be significant points, to note misunderstood passages, or to write out paraphrased definitions of any words I don't understand or otherwise wonder at the contextual use of. I always keep a Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary at my side. After I've finished the core text, I might go to my Columbia Encyclopedia and read some related articles on the author or subject matter. Finally I read the introductory material, usually a critical survey by another author. If it's published by Penguin or the like, it's pretty high quality analysis. I consider that depth of treatment as much as I ever need to know about a stranger who wrote a book. When you consider how unstable people are in general, it seems foolish to become too fiercely attached to or analytical of an author's great ideas. Spend a week in their home with their bad habits and questionable cooking and/or housekeeping and I guarantee you would probably quit caring about most any point of view they held dear. The world of ideas is unstable as well. Don't get too bogged down in the past--those that remember it are condemned to remember it. Read widely and often and you will be just fine. Now that didn't even cost you a penny.

If it's a textbook, I read all of the introductory material unless it's polluted with cross-promotion of supplemental materials. I do a brisk overview of each chapter (read intro, chapter headings, summary) before studying the bulk of the text. I tend to read the whole bloody thing, whether it's required reading for a class or not. When it comes to fiction, hey, fiction is fiction--I invest more energy in reputed classics (which I treat like nonfiction), read mysteries or horror for sheer pleasure, but then ignore vast quantities of everything else (unless it's foreign), because the fiction market in the U.S. is hopelessly self-indulgent and meaningless, and life is too short. But quality fiction and nonfiction I generally treat with respect till proven otherwise. So I read the blurbs and survey the contents, but skip any introductory material (unless there's an author's preface) until I've read the entire text. I always keep a journal for what I consider to be significant points, to note misunderstood passages, and to write out the paraphrased definitions of any words I don't understand or otherwise wonder at the contextual use of. Of course, I always keep a Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary at my side. After I've finished the core text, I go to my Columbia Encyclopedia and read any related articles on the author or subject matter. I take notes on that as well. Then I finally read the introductory material, which is usually a critical survey by another author. If it's published by Penguin or the like, it's pretty high quality analysis. I consider that depth of treatment as much as I ever need to know about a stranger who wrote a book. When you consider how unstable people are in general, it seems foolish to become too fiercely attached to or analytical of an author's great ideas. Spend a week in their home with their bad habits and questionable cooking and/or housekeeping and I guarantee you would probably quit caring about most any point of view they held dear. The world of ideas is unstable as well. Don't get too bogged down in the past, because those that remember it . . . are condemned to remember it. Read widely and often and you will be just fine.

If it's a textbook, I read all of the introductory material unless it's polluted with cross-promotion of supplemental materials. I do a brisk overview of each chapter (read intro, chapter headings, summary) before studying the bulk of the text. I tend to read the whole bloody thing, whether it's required reading for a class or not. When it comes to fiction, hey, fiction is fiction--I invest more energy in reputed classics (which I treat like nonfiction), read mysteries or horror for sheer pleasure, but then ignore vast quantities of everything else (unless it's foreign), because the fiction market in the U.S. is hopelessly self-indulgent and meaningless, and life is too short. But quality fiction and nonfiction I generally treat with respect till proven otherwise. So I read the blurbs and survey the contents, but skip any introductory material (unless there's an author's preface) until I've read the entire text. I always keep a journal for what I consider to be significant points, to note misunderstood passages, and to write out the paraphased definitions of any words I don't understand or otherwise wonder at the contextual use of. Of course, I always keep a Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary at my side. After I've finished the core text, I go to my Columbia Encyclopedia and read any related articles on the author or subject matter. I take notes on that as well. Then I finally read the introductory material, which is usually a critical survey by another author. If it's published by Penguin or the like, it's high quality analysis. I consider that depth of treatment as much as I ever need to know about a stranger who wrote a book. When you consider how unstable people are in general, it seems foolish to become too fiercely attached to or analytical of an author's great ideas. Spend a week in their home with their bad habits and questionable cooking and/or housekeeping and I guarantee you would probably quit caring about any point of view they held dear. The world of ideas is unstable as well. Don't get too bogged down in the past, because those that remember it . . . are condemned to remember it. Read widely and often and you will be just fine.

I read this book in HS, many years ago, having discovered it on my own. It was very helpful. It made me realize that it was OK to re-read texts,and that I wasn't mentally slow, if I didn't get all the meaning on my first reading. It gave me an overview of reading, and was much superior to what I was getting in HS English classes, which focused only on grammar.

I recommend this book to people, in particular, who want to improve their reading comprehension, and writing skills. Let Dr. Adler be your tutor. He was the editor of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and the editor of the Great Books, pub by the U. of Chicago. He wrote during a time when education itself was valued, not just education to pass tests or get a good job. This book could help you build a solid foundation in reading comprehension.

I found this book to be rather disappointing. Yes, it does make many very good (i.e. rational) and important points (especially about the rules of fair criticism) but it contains almost nothing that intelligent readers wouldn't arrive at by themselves.

What further disappoints me about this text is its tone. It contains too many "should's" and "ought to's" without an appropriate "because". Also, it makes very strong judgments about what is good and what is bad in literature without giving a good reason. The authors' reasoning is often as follows: "Book B is great because it is of quality Q." But there's no justification of why it is quality Q that makes great literature. I think the authors should have suspended such judgments. They aren't necessary in a guide to reading.

For what kind of audience was this book written? I don't think many experienced readers would find it helpful, and I doubt those inexperienced would be very tolerant of the text's judgmental tone. And if it deserves the three stars, it's because it is for the most part rather well and rationally written.