This book, written by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren, is definitely a classic. However, it may not be for everyone. You must love reading, not just for entertainment, but for gaining knowledge in order to truly appreciate the work that these two authors have put together. I started reading this book in 2009 and managed to get through about seventy pages before realizing that I wasn’t ready for this kind of reading. Feeling more mature, I decided to tackle it again in 2013, and what a delight it was. Some of the rules described in the book were things that I was already doing, such as underlining and writing in the margins. This is the main reason why I prefer buying hard copies of books instead of e-books. There is something about physically touching and going through the pages of an actual book that can never be replaced by an e-reader.
The book describes four levels of reading: (1) Elementary – What does the sentence say? (2) Inspectional – skimming or pre-reading with the aim to get out of the book everything that the reader can in a short period of time. Questions to be asked are: What is the book about? What is the structure of the book? What are its parts? (3) Analytical – The main topic of this book. This is the level to ask many questions and to come to terms with the author, agreeing or disagreeing with him or her. You will also learn how to criticize a book. (4) Syntopical – reading more than one book on the subject. In addition, the authors provided great reasons for people to read good books and even included a reading list that I will definitely start reading from.
This book is a must-read for serious readers who are looking to expand their knowledge and exercise their brains. I totally agree with the authors about the importance of reading. On page 341, the authors state that by reading, “you become wiser. Not just more knowledgeable—books that provide nothing but information can achieve that result. But wiser, in the sense that you are more deeply aware of the great and enduring truths of human life.”
By reading, we become a better society.
Thoughts about leadership, history, and more 