[[Mortimer J. Adler]], [[Charles Van Doren]] [[lit/kindle/How to Read a Book|Highlights]] >Thus we can roughly define what we mean by the art of reading as follows: the process whereby a mind, with nothing to operate on but the symbols of the readable matter, and with no help from outside, elevates itself by the power of its own operations. The mind passes from understanding less to understanding more. The skilled operations that cause this to happen are the various acts that constitute the art of reading. A reader, after reading a book analytically, should be able to answer two key questions: *What is the book about?* and *What of it?*. Adler and Van Doren provide a set of rules and maxims for reading a book to achieve these goals. It is no easy task; by the authors' own admission, reading a book analytically would require a month or more. However, not all books (very few in fact by the authors' estimation) need be read analytically. The book also contains an appendix with a list of the best 100 books of history. It suggests a great reading program for aspirational readers and indicates the types of books that warrant analytical reading. Before reading a book analytically, the reader should inspect the book by looking at the title, the table of contents, skimming significant sections (including the ending for expository works), checking the index if it exists and reading the book jacket, preface or introduction to find out what the book is about, and whether it is worth reading. Only then should the reader proceed with an analytical reading. A higher level of reading they call "syntopical" reading, which refers to comparative reading of multiple books that contain similar ideas. This level of reading is named for [A Syntopicon: An Index to Great Ideas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Syntopicon), compiled by Adler and published as a two-volume index to the Encyclopedia Britannica's collection *Great Books of the Western World*. I've copied the rules of analytical reading below. --- I. THE FIRST STAGE OF ANALYTICAL READING: RULES FOR FINDING WHAT A BOOK IS ABOUT - 1. Classify the book according to kind and subject matter. - 2. State what the whole book is about with the utmost brevity (the "unity" of the book). - 3. Enumerate its major parts in their order and relation, and outline these parts as you have outlined the whole. - 4. Define the problem or problems the author has tried to solve. II. THE SECOND STAGE OF ANALYTICAL READING: RULES FOR INTERPRETING A BOOK’S CONTENTS - 5. Come to terms with the author by interpreting his key words. - 6. Grasp the author’s leading propositions by dealing with his most important sentences. - 7. Know the author’s arguments, by finding them in, or constructing them out of, sequences of sentences. - 8. Determine which of his problems the author has solved, and which he has not; and of the latter, decide which the author knew he had failed to solve. III. THE THIRD STAGE OF ANALYTICAL READING: RULES FOR CRITICIZING A BOOK AS A COMMUNICATION OF KNOWLEDGE - A. General Maxims of Intellectual Etiquette - 9. Do not begin criticism until you have completed your outline and your interpretation of the book. (Do not say you agree, disagree, or suspend judgment, until you can say “I understand.”) - 10. Do not disagree disputatiously or contentiously. - 11. Demonstrate that you recognize the difference between knowledge and mere personal opinion by presenting good reasons for any critical judgment you make. - B. Special Criteria for Points of Criticism - 12. Show wherein the author is uninformed. - 13. Show wherein the author is misinformed. - 14. Show wherein the author is illogical. - 15. Show wherein the author’s analysis or account is incomplete. Note: Of these last four, the first three are criteria for disagreement. Failing in all of these, you must agree, at least in part, although you may suspend judgment on the whole, in the light of the last point. ---