Chapter 1: The Activity and Art of Reading

Successful communication occurs in any case where what the writer wanted to
have received finds its way into the readers possession.
This book is for readers who seek understanding through books. Adler mentions
many times that since reading is an activity, it must be active. To truly read, one
needs to try to understand everything on thy own. Reading is learning from an
absent teacher which means that you must answer your questions on your own.
When one reads a book one of these two things happen:
1.)

Either you understand everything perfectly

2.)

You understand enough to know that you dont understand it at all

Hence what you are reading contains something that will increase your
understanding.
Conditions necessary for reading in order to gain understanding:
1.)

Initial inequality in understanding: someone must possess insights that the

other lacks.
2.)

The reader must overcome this inequality when equality is approached,

clarity of communication is achieved.

Adler defines learning as: understanding more.

Facts increase information

Insights increase understanding

Enlightenment is achieved when besides knowing what the author says,

you know what he means and why he says it.

Sophomores: term used by the Greeks to describe wisdom morons or

misreaders of books which means that they never got the message the
author was trying to give them.

Chapter 2: The Levels of Reading

1st level of reading: Elementary reading/ basic reading literacy:

Learned in elementary school

The question to ask oneself at this level of literacy is: What does the
sentence say?

2nd level of reading: Inspectional reading

Given a certain amount of time, get the most out of the book.

The question to ask oneself at this level of reading is What is the book
about? and What is the structure of the book?

**We shouldnt be achieving superficial knowledge of a book at the same

time that we are trying to understand it We should examine the book first
and then read it in order to gain understanding. **

3rd level of reading: Analytical reading

The best and most complete reading given unlimited time.

Ask questions of what one is reading.

Francis Bacon said Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,

and some few to be chewed and digested

In this level of reading people chew and digest books.

It is only for the sake of understanding.

4th level of reading: Syntopical reading:

Most complex and systematic.

This reader compares one book with another and with other stuff.

The syntopical reader is able to construct understanding that is in none of

his books. This means that the reader is constantly thinking and
questioning himself while reading a book, this leads him to make
connections and to gain understanding that is not in the book.

Chapter 3: The First Level of Reading: Elementary Reading

There is a lot of concernment with world-literacy and diverse ways to teach how
to read have developed. Dominating at the beginning and lately is the ABC
learning method.

We need to master the elementary reading in order to start learning.

Most of or a lot of students dont know how to read or dont dominate the
art of reading.

Only individual desire, ability and need will take Americans to a higher
and necessary stage of reading.

Chapter 4: The Second Level of Reading: Inspectional Reading

Systematical skimming or pre-reading.

The main aim of doing this is to discover whether the book requires a
more careful reading or not.

It tells you lots of things about a book.

Looking at the cover, reading the preface, looking at the table of contents
and the index can give you a pretty good idea of what the book is about.

Look at the chapters that seem important to its argument and if they have
summary statements in their opening and closing, read them.

Read the end of the book because many authors summarize it at the end.

Look through the pages

2nd inspectional/superficial reading:

Read throughout the book without bothering on the things that you dont

understand, focusing on the things that you know for sure. Dont miss the
forest for the trees

Vary your speed at reading while reading different things

Trick to read faster: placing your thumb and first two fingers together and
pointing them across a line. Push your eyes to keep up with your hands
movement. It helps you to concentrate more and pay more attention

Chapter 5: How to be a demanding Reader

Good books deserve a fine reading because we expect repayment from them

4 questions that should be asked while not reading fiction:

-1. What is the book about as a whole?

2. What is being said in detail, and how?
3. Is the book true, in whole or part?
4. What of it? If the book has given you information, you must ask about its
significance. Why does the author think it is important to know these things?

The importance of writing on a book: it keeps people awake, writing things

down helps us remember our own and the authors thoughts.

It takes a lot of practice and it is hard to learn to read.

PART TWO: THE THIRD LEVEL OF READING: ANALYTICAL READING

Chapter 6: Pigeonholing a Book

You must know what kind of book you are reading before you begin to
read. Do this by inspectional reading.

Look at the title and think about it

Knowing that and knowing how. Theoretical books teach you that
something is the case. Practical books teach you how to do something you
want to do. Practical books usually have titles such as the art of or how
to

Rules of analytical reading:

RULE 1: Know what kind of book you are reading as early in the process as
possible, preferably before you begin to read. (You shall do this by inspectional
reading).
Practical Books
Knowing how
Teach you how to do something you
want to do.
the art of, how to.
Ethics, politics, engineering, business.
Many times: law, economics and
medicine.

Theoretical Books
Knowing that
Teach you that something is the case.
Says is instead of should

History, science, philosophy.

Chapter 7: X-raying a Book

RULE 2: State the unity of the whole book in one or in very few sentences.

RULE 3: Enumerate the major parts in their order and relation, and outline
these parts as you have outlined the whole.

RULE 4: Define the problem or problems the author is trying to solve.

Discover the theme and main point, the essence of the book.

Making statements regarding the essence of a look in a few sentences or

a paragraph. This is the main thing, what the author is trying to prove.

Adler suggests that we should make our own outlines of our readings, just
like the writer did.

Chapter 8: Coming to terms with an author

A term is the basic element of communicable knowledge

Spot the words that trouble you, or that are mentioned many times or in
the main statements. Then, try to define the meaning of a word by using
the context or the other words the author is using.

Sometimes the author uses different words to represent one same term (it
may be expressed by a phrase)

RULE 5: Come to terms with the author by interpreting his key words and
terms.

Chapter 9: Determining an Authors Message

Throughout a book authors express propositions, one cannot make a

judgment on what the writer is saying unless one recognizes the main
proposition available in a book.

Connection to The Trivium: You cannot begin to deal with terms,

propositions, and arguments-the elements of thought- until you can
penetrate beneath the surface of language.

RULE 6: Mark the most important sentences in a book and discover the
propositions they contain.

RULE 7: Locate or construct the basic arguments in the book by finding

them in the connection or sentences.

Finding the key sentences: the most important ones are the ones we read
slow, the ones shire we understand enough to know that we do not
understand it at all.

The major affirmations and denials an author makes, and the reason he

gives for doing so.

Not everything we read is equally important, thats why we should read

at different speeds.

The principal propositions belong to the main argument of the book. They
must be premises or conclusions.

If one can state a proposition in his own words, it means that one knows
or understands a certain proposition.

Words in propositions carry knowledge that we need to decodify.

Look out for certain sentences that carry propositions that form an
argument.

Every line of argument starts with assumptions or self-evident

propositions (neither the writer nor the reader can deny them). Some
people call this proposition tautologies.

RULE 8: Determine which of his problems the author has solved, and
which he has not; and as to the latter, decide which the author knew he
had failed to solve.

Chapter 10: Criticizing a book fairly:

To regard anyone except yourself as responsible for your judgment is to be a
slave, not a free man. It is from this fact that the liberal arts acquire their
name.
Reading is like having a dialogue, the only difference is that here; the reader has
the last word. As readers, we owe authors a considered and just judgment, this
means that we should suspend our assumptions, understand, and have grounds
for disagreeing. Taking into account that: There is no book so good that no fault
can be found on it.
Adler mentions that readers need to be responsible and responsible. In the end
we are the only ones responsible and accountable for every one of our actions.
RULE 9: YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SAY, WITH REASONABLE CERTAINTY I
UNDERSTAND, BEFORE YOU CAN SAY ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS: I
AGREE, OR I DISAGREE, OR I SUSPEND JUDGMENT.
RULE 10: WHEN YOU SISAGREE, DO SO REASONABLY, AND NOT DISPUTATIOUSLY
OR CONTENTIOUSLY.

Most people think that winning an argument is more important than learning the
truth. Aristotle remarks in the Ethics It would be thought to be better, indeed
to be our duty, for the sake of maintaining the truth even to destroy what
touches us closely, especially as we are philosophers or lovers of wisdom; for,
while both are dear, piety requires us to honor truth above our friends. The only
way in which we can win an argument is by gaining knowledge. Disagreement is
worthless unless it is undertaken with the hope that it may lead to a resolution
of a problem or a fairer approximation of the truth. Adler makes a call on
humility by saying that we have to take into account that in any conversation
one can be taught.
We hold that knowledge can be communicated and that discussion can result
in learning.
RULE 11: RESPECT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND MERE
PRESONAL OPINION, BY GIVING REASONS FOR ANY CRITICAL JUDGMENT YOU
MAKE. Opinion is any unsupported judgmentChapter 11: Agreeing or disagreeing with an author:
The first thing we need to do is to understand the author, but sometimes saying
I dont understand is a critical remark to the sequence and logic of the
authors arguments. Real reading is about reaching significant agreement or
disagreement with the author. Misinterpret disagreement is irrelevant.
Prejudice and Judgment: Reading is a discipline.
1. Remember that we are rational, but also emotional. Acknowledge your
feelings, and judge a book with sole reason.
2. Be aware of yours and the authors prejudices or assumptions.
3. Dont be blind, try to be as impartial as you can. Approach a book
sympathetically!
Accusations you can make to the author: *the author must give reasons for
saying what he does, and so do you when you disagree with him.*

1. You are uninformed

2. You are misinformed
3. You are illogical-your reasoning is not cogent
4. Your analysis is incomplete: The author hasnt solved all the problems
he started with, or has failed to see the big picture or other side of the
problem.
*the third stage of analytical reading*
Chapter 12: Aids to Reading:
It is best to do all that you can by yourself before seeking outside help; for if
you act consistently on this principle, you will find that you need less and less
outside help.
But, whenever you really dont understand what a book is saying or part of it,
after you have done your best according to all the rules presented before by
Adler, you can ask for outside help or use the extrinsic reading (any aid to
reading that lies outside the book being read.).
Four categories of extrinsic aids to reading:
1. Relevant experiences: Are important because we judge if a book is true or
false based on our previous experiences, no matter how common or
special they are. This is also an important test on the reading you are
doing: Ask yourself if you can supply concrete examples on what the
author is saying. If you can, you can say that you understood the general
point of the book, if not, you should re-read it.
Common Experience: is available to all men.
Special Experience: must be sought. E.x: work on a laboratory, a visit to El
Mirador or the Moon.

1. Other books: Not only are many of the great books related, but also they
are written in a certain order that should not be ignored. A later writer has
been influenced by an earlier one.-And also by what is happening at the
time that they are writing it-, Id like to add. Books are related to one
another, great authors were great readers and so they were part of the
conversation that now we can partake of. Chronology, for the same
motives, is important while reading the Great Books.
2. Commentaries and abstracts: There are to be used wisely and there is a
rule in using them: you should not read a commentary by someone else
until after you have read the book. The problem with reading
commentaries or summaries first, is that they bias your point of view and
really shorten the understanding and enrichment you can get out of a
book.
3. Reference books: Are useless for people who know nothing. Adler gives us
4 things that we should now: 1) you must ask good questions, you must
know what you want to know; 2) Know what kind of question you are
asking and which of the reference books will answer that question; 3) You
must know how to use a reference book, understand how the work is
organized; and, 4) You must know that what you intend to know is
considered knowledge (not moral questions or questions of the future).
-Dictionary: Dictionaries are books about words, not things. It is important
to read the explanatory notes and list of abbreviations of the dictionary in
order to fully grasp the meaning of words, or to answer to your question,
in an ideal way.
-Encyclopedia: Encyclopedias show purely facts, if you are able to connect
this facts you gain understanding.
PART 3: APPROACHES TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF READING MATTER
Chapter 13: How to Read Practical Books:
What is a practical book? Any book that contains rules-prescriptions, maxims, or
nay sort of general directions-. With this said, there are two types of practical
books: 1)Present rules, whatever other discussion they contain is for the sake of

the rules. 2)Principles that generate rules. E.x. books of economics, politics or
morals.
The advice on asking questions while you read is applied to every kind of book.
So Adler gives us 4 questions that help us understand what the authors of
practical books are saying. The first two are the same that were stated before,
and the last 2 are a bit changed:
1. What is the book about? What does the author wants me to do?
2. How does the author proposes that I do this?
3. Are the authors objectives, together with the means he proposes to reach
them, accord to your conception of what is right to seek? And on the best
way on seeking them (means)?
4. If you agree with the authors ends and means, you will act according to
them. If now you didnt agree with him or he didnt persuade you that it is
important enough.
Chapter 14: How to read imaginative literature
The beauty of any work of art is related to the pleasure it gives us when we
know it well.
It pleases rather than teaches. But it is not so easy to know exactly why you are
pleased by reading a certain book.
Donts:
1. Dont resist the effect the book has on you. Let it take you were it has to
take you.
2. Do not look for terms, but try to read between the lines.
3. Dont criticize an imaginative text based on what you think is truth.

4. Dont criticize imaginative writing until you fully appreciate what the
author tried to make you experience.
Dos
1. Recognize what kind of fiction you are reading
2. Make sure you can summarize the plot in a little narration. Not in an
argument or proposition.
3. Discover how the whole is constructed out of all its part.
Lyric: representation of a concrete experience. It attempts to re-create that
experience in the reader.
Chapter 15: Suggestions for reading stories, plays, and poems
Stories: Ideally, and in order to grasp the unity of the whole, a story should be
read at one sitting or at least in the shortest time plausible. We should also be
careful to distinguish those books that satisfy our own particular unconscious
needs before saying that a story is good. Good stories remain liked by most
during long periods of time because what they wished to say is still and forever
true.
EPIC Recommendations literally-: Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid (Virgil), Divine Comedy,
Paradise Lost (Milton).
Plays: Are only apprehended when acted on stage, so the reader must supply
that dimension and while reading it, make a pretense of seeing it acted. They
are better read aloud, slowly and with expression.
Tragedies: remember that there is never enough time in tragedies, so the
characters have to make very important decisions in a very short time. Imagine
every detail that the author describes!
Poetry: Words that are arranged in a more or less orderly and disciplined way.
First, read it through without stopping; second, read it out loud; third, read it
over and over and over again. Any good lyric poem has a unity.

Chapter 16: How to Read History

All history is written from some point of view. It is a mixture of facts and the
arrangement of facts. Some people, like Tolstoy believe that the causes of
human action are so complex and hidden that it is impossible to know why
anything ever happened. Adler points out that if one at least wants to
understand an event or period, it is necessary to ready more than one account
of it. This will teach you how men acted in the past and how they act in all times
and places, including our present times.
Questions to ask:
1. What is the particular subject of this history account?
2. How the historian has chosen to tell the story? How is the book organized?
3. Judge only after you understand what is being said.
Biography and Autobiography: Narrative account of the life of someone; is a
history of a person or a group of people. Autobiographies reveal much more of
the authors soul.
*definitive biography: mostly written after the person is death. The author
gathers all the materials hes got from the person. Is the scholastic version of a
biography.
*authorized biography: Are many times biased to make the person seem better
than what he/she really is. Mamones.
Current Events: We cant know everything, we cant know if what we think we
know is true; and yet we must try to know, so far as that is possible.
Chapter 17: How to Read Science and Mathematics
an activity of the mind that is essential to education, the central aim of which
has always been recognized, from Socrates day down to our own, as the freeing
of the mind through the discipline of wonder.

Adler says that he is teaching how to read scientific and mathematical classics
and some modern popularizations. In those days, when there was no
institutionalized specialization, all scientific and mathematical books were
written for laymen, for anyone that could read them. More modern books on
these topics are written only for the people in the same field of study as the
author.
Science: If you really want to understand science you must follow really closely
the experiment that the scientist did, so you can get the inductive part which is
so characteristic of science. It is even better if you re-do the experiments or if
you visit a lab or someplace where the experiments are being done.
-Inductive: propositions that can be observed from the evidence
-Deductive: propositions proved by other propositions already established.
Math: Adler reminds us that mathematic is a language and that it is the less
biased language from feeling that has ever existed. He talks a lot about the
beauty and satisfaction you can get from it, because of its abstraction and
symbols, and he says that Euclids Elements are simply beautiful. If someone is
willing to give The Elements a chance, I would recommend reading pages: 262264 as an introduction to how Euclid works and as a sort of inspiration to push
forward in the harsh propositions.
Chapter 18: How to Read Philosophy
Philosophy tries to answer questions of: Being/existence, change, Necessity and
contingency, Physical and nonphysical, Human knowledge, Free will, Good and
evil, Right and wrong, Virtue and vices, Happiness, Justice, Individuals and
society, Lifes goal or purpose. The philosophical problem is to try to explain, not
describe, the nature of things. The main aid to reading philosophy is to THINK on
what the authors say. The main aid is our mind itself. All these philosophical
questions in the end must be answered by the person who is willing to read
more about them. The best you can do is read more than one philosopher on a
specific subject.

Adler explains that we more or less have the same experience, but that what
differences us from the great philosophers is that they have thought deeply on
their experiences than the rest of us have. There are different ways in which
these philosophers have impressed their thought forever Here are the
different categories:
1. Philosophical Dialogue: Socrates being the master of this.
2. Philosophical treatise or essay: Most of them state the problems that are
to be discussed first and then go through all their options and explanation.
They have beginning, middle and end. Aristotle and Kant.
3. The meeting of objections: debate and discussion of the main subject.
Aquinas.
4. The systematization of philosophy: or mathematization of philosophy.
Descartes and Spinoza.
5. The aphoristic style: The author suggests an insight and then runs to
another subject without defending what he just said. It is more poetry and
philosophy. Nietzsche, sometimes Pascal.
Chapter 19: How to read Social Science
It is really hard to define what the social science are, it is as hard to define what
type of book you are reading (of the first steps that should be taken). In social
science it is important to read a particular matter or problem instead of a
particular author or book because it is a very rapidly changing science. Adler
also recommends reading the authors that influenced the author that you are
trying to read, or at least to know something about them. Social science should
be read syntopically.
Chapter 20: The Fourth Level of Reading: Syntopical Reading
Clarify your topic of study, do some research on the best books you can find
regarding this topic by inspecting all of them. Pick the best ones, the ones that
satisfy or seem to be able to answer you doubts or to give you enlightenment on
your field of study. Finally these rules apply:

1. Finding the relevant passages: it is unlikely that you are going to find
complete books with information important to the subject you have
chosen to study. Thence, you need to go back to inspect the books that
you chose, looking for passages relevant to your subject of study. Your
purpose here is not to understand the book or author as a whole, but to
make connections between the different books that you are reading and
yourself.
2. Bringing the authors to terms: Force the authors to use your language
rather than his, because different authors might be saying the same but in
different ways and via different words.
3. Getting the questions clear: Try to establish organized, clear, questions
that you can use as guidelines as to learn what each author is saying
about them.
4. Defining the issues: Most of the time authors differ in ways to see the
problem or in ways to solve it. Find those differences that came through
with the questions that you elaborated.
5. Analyzing the discussion: Examine the discussion, the opposing answers,
find the gaps in the arguments and by doing so you will be closer to the
truth. You should try to do this objectively and keeping in mind that all of
the solutions presented by the authors could be untrue.
Chapter 21: Reading and the Growth of the Mind
Adler talks about a third group of books, books that help us to grow. These are
the books that after you read them, close them for a while and think about them
a lot, when you return to them you find more things in them that you didnt find
the first time you read them analytically.