a history of knowledge by charles van doren easy bib

Reading for understanding is actually very active. Reading for understanding is active and challenging – but rewarding There’s nothing wrong with reading for entertainment or information it’s just that they won’t stretch your mind and make you improve as a reader in the same way that reading for understanding will. Increased knowledge of facts can itself lead to greater understanding (but you don’t have to know everything about something in order to understand it). Reading for information is not always easy to distinguish from reading for understanding.

Reading for entertainment is the least demanding form of reading and has no rules.

How to Read a Book focuses on reading for understanding, as opposed to reading for entertainment or information: Unfortunately, there’s no explanation for why each work has been included, nor any recommended order or priority.ĭetailed Summary Reading for understanding What is reading for understanding?

At the end is a very long suggested reading list from Homer to Solzhenitsyn.

For example, they recommend reading stories in one sitting if possible and they also outline the 5 different styles of writing used in philosophy.

The authors give tips for reading different types of books: imaginative literature, practical books, history, science and maths, philosophy and social science.

You can read other parts much more quickly, and many books are only worth a skim. Some books, and parts of books, are worth reading slowly.

You should vary your reading speed as appropriate.

This stage involves reading a variety of books on the same/similar topic and synthesising them in order to answer your questions.

Interpreting (what is the writer saying), and.

Outlining (working out how various parts fit together),.

Analytical reading involves three stages: Spend a couple of minutes with a book to get a sense of what it’s about and whether it’s worth reading. This involves skimming and superficial reading. This is basic reading skills – making sense of words.

There are four questions you should ask when reading any book:.

It’s like being taught by a teacher, except you have to do a lot more work to answer your own questions.

Reading for understanding is a very active form of reading.How to Read a Book is mainly focused on reading for understanding, as opposed to reading for entertainment or for information.

Extrinsic reading aids (dictionaries, commentaries etc).Reading for understanding is active and challenging – but rewarding.

A history of knowledge by charles van doren easy bib