How To Read A Book (Adler, Mortimer) Flashcards
Reading notes
What is the MAIN PURPOSE of reading according to Adler?
Chapter 1
The MAIN PURPOSE of reading is to gain increased understanding. (p3)
Chapter 1
What is a READER according to Adler?
Chapter 1
A READER is someone who gains a large share of their information about and their understanding of the world from the written word. (p3)
Chapter 1
What is one sad characteristic of the modern world when it comes to understanding?
Chapter 1
We moderns are inundated with facts to the detriment of understanding (p4)
Chapter 1
What is the purpose of contrasting ACTIVE and PASSIVE reading?
Chapter 1
The purpose of contrasting ACTIVE and PASSIVE reading is:
* First: to call attention to the fact that reading can be MORE or LESS active
* Second: to point out that the MORE ACTIVE the reading the BETTER.
Chapter 1
In what way is the reader like a CATCHER in baseball?
Chapter 1
The PITCHER is like the author, who SENDS communication through the written word.
The CATCHER is like the reader, who RECEIVES the communication from the author (pitcher).
* Receiving is ACTIVE
* Receiving requires a capacity to handle DIVERSE FORMS of communication (different kinds of pitches)
The art of reading is the skill of catching every sort of communication
Chapter 1
Why do we distinguish between reading for INFORMATION and reading for UNDERSTANDING?
Chapter 1
It is possible to gain information through reading WITHOUT increasing understanding (p7)
Chapter 1
What is Adler’s definition of the art of reading?
Chapter 1
The art of reading: 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.
To pass from understanding less to understanding more by reading
Chapter 1
What are the conditions of reading for understanding? (two)
Chapter 1
The conditions of reading for understanding:
1. initial inequality in understanding (between the author and the reader)
2. the reader must be able to overcome this inequality in some degree . . . approaching equality with the author (p10)
Chapter 1
What is the difference between learning by INSTRUCTION and learning by DISCOVERY?
Chapter 1
Learning by INSTRUCTION involves a teacher (either through speech or writing).
* Instruction (aided learning): the art of reading books or of learning by listening to discourse
Learning by DISCOVERY involves gaining knowledge without being taught (by research, by investigation, by reflection)
* Discovery (unaided learning): the art of reading nature or the world
Chapter 1
What is the purpose of Adler’s book?
Chapter 1
The purpose of the book is to learn how to make books teach us well (so that we can go on learning and discovering)
Chapter 1
What are the four levels of reading according to Adler?
Chapter 2
Level 1: Elementary Reading (decoding) - initial reading skills; recognizing individual words on a page
Key question: What does the sentence say?
Level 2 : Inspectional Reading (skimming) - getting the most out of a book within a short amount of time
Key question: What is this book about?
Level 3: Analytical Reading (understanding) - thorough, complete - the best reading you can do; grasping the book; working at the book until you own the book
Level 4: Syntopical Reading (comparative) - the most complex and systematic type; reading many books and positioning them in relation to one another and to a subject they all address; constructing an in-depth analysis of a subject
Chapter 2
What are the four stages of the first reading level (Elementary)?
Chapter 3
Stage 1: reading readiness (birth to 6-7 yrs)
Stage 2 : learn to read simple materials; master sight words (300-400); basic skills of context clues; reading simple books
Stage 3: rapid progress in vocabulary building and skill in “unlocking” meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues
Stage 4: refinement and enhancement of stage 3 skills; assimilation of reading experiences; comparing views of different writers
Chapter 3
What grades do these elementary stages correspond to (roughly)?
Chapter 3
Stage 1: pre-school or kindergarten
Stage 2: 1st grade
Stage 3: 4th grade
Stage 4: 9th grade
Chapter 3
What is the “first type” of Inspectional reading?
Chapter 4
The first type of inspectional reading is SKIMMING or PRE-READING.
Issue #1: I don’t know if I really want to read this book.
Issue #2: I don’t have much time (or don’t know if I want to give much time to this book)
Main purpose of skimming: Determine whether the book is worth a more careful reading.
Chapter 4
How do you SKIM or PRE-READ a book?
Chapter 4
- Read everything before chapter one : title page, preface, table of contents, publisher’s blurb (on the back cover), seeking answers to the following questions:
* What is the scope or aim of the book?
* What is the author’s unique angle?
* How is the book structured?
* What topics are covered?
* What are the main points? - Identify the chapters that seem essential to the main argument. Read summary statements at the beginning and end of these chapters.
- Thumb through the whole book, reading a paragraph or two here and there (possibly more if a section really captures your interest).
- Carefully read the last two or three pages of the book where the author summarizes the main points of the argument.
Chapter 4
What is “superficial” reading?
Chapter 4
Superficial reading involves rapidly reading through a book without stopping to take notes, look up words, reread sections, examine foot notes or end notes. Just get through the book. Then you can decide if you want to read it again, more slowly and carefully.
Chapter 4
How fast should you read?
Chapter 4
A good reader will read at many different speeds, varying the rate in accordance with the mature and complexity of the material. Inspectional reading tends to be faster. Analytical reading tends to be slower.
A helpful formula: Every book should be read no more slowly than it deserves, and no more quickly than you can read it with satisfaction and comprehension.
Chapter 4
What does it mean to be a demanding reader?
Chapter 5
It is the art of reading with purpose (to grow in mind and spirit), as actively as possible.
Chapter 5
What are the four basic questions a reader asks?
Chapter 5
The four basic questions:
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 in part?
4. What of it? (À quoi bon ?)
Chapter 5
How does it help to read with a pen or pencil in hand?
Chapter 5
Reading with a pencil keeps you active; on the lookout for key words and ideas worth marking. With the help of a pencil, the reader engages in dialogue with the author.
Chapter 5
What does a reader do with the pencil?
Chapter 5
- Underline major points, forceful statements
- Vertical lines at the margin that draw attention to a paragraph or passage worth revisiting
- A star at the margin to emphasize most important ideas in the book
- Numbers in the margin to keep track of lists, or points that unfold in sequence
- Numbers of other pages in the book that connect to a given idea
- Circling key words or phrases
- Writing an idea or thought in the margin, or at the top or bottom of the page
Chapter 5
What are three kinds of notemaking for readers?
Chapter 5
Three kinds of notemaking:
1. Structural: notes on how the book is laid out
2. Conceptual: noting key ideas within the book
3. Dialectical: notes concerning the larger conversation between authors on the same subject
Chapter 5
What are the four rules for fiinding what a book is about?
Chapter 7
Four rules for finding what a book is about:
- Genre: determine what kind of book it is
- Unity: discern the central thread or unifying purpose of the book (single statement)
- Structure: recognize the major parts and how they relate to one another
- Problem: identify the primary problem or problems the author set out to address (what motivated him or her to write?)
Chapter 7
