How to Read a Book: Part

Three
Notes from the book by Mortimer J. Adler and
Charles Van Doren
Approaches to Different Kinds of Reading Matter

Problem, Solution, Outline

Problem: General rules are sometimes difficult to

apply in specific situations

Solution: More situation-appropriate advice on
reading specific types of literature
Outline: How to Read:
Practical Books
Imaginative Literature
Stories, Plays, and Poems
History
Science and Mathematics
Philosophy
Social Science

How to Read Practical Books

A practical book itself can never solve the

problems with which it is concerned

The problem is solved when the reader acts on

the guidance or instruction in the book

Practical books usually cant give the specific

solution for a specific problem

They can give rules to guide solving a general

type of problem; the reader must add to the

books advice

Two Kinds of Practical Books

Practical books give rules and directions, but often also

give the theoretical principles that underlie the rules

Books of Rules: Practical books mostly filled with rules
on how to solve problems
Cookbooks, drivers manuals
More rules than appeals to principles

Books of Principles: Practical books that explore the

principles that generate the rules

Similar to theoretical books, yet the ultimate problem to

be solved is not simply of understanding, but of what to

do and how to do it
Great books in economics, politics, and morals

Rules for Reading Practical Books

I.
1.
2.
3.

4.

Stage I: What the book is about

Classify the book according to its kind and
subject matter
State what the whole book is about in
utmost brevity
Enumerate its major parts in their order and
relation, and outline these parts as you have
outlined the whole.
Define the problem(s) the author has tried
to solve
The problem is especially important in practical
books, as it focuses on getting you to act to
solve the problem
New Rule 4: Find out what the author wants you

II. The Second Stage: Rules for Interpreting a Books Contents

5. Come to terms with the author by interpreting his key
words
6. Grasp the authors leading propositions by dealing with his
most important sentences
7. Know the authors arguments, by finding them in, or
constructing them out of, sequences of sentences
For practical books, be alert for how the author tries to
evoke pathos; are his means fair and the ends good?
8. Determine which of the problems the author has solved,
and which he has not; and of the latter, decide which the
author knew he had failed to solve
For practical books: agree through action or, if the field is
specialized, support of such action by others
New Rule 8: Find out how the author proposes that you
implement the proposed solution

III. The Third Stage: Criticizing a Book

9. Do not begin criticism until you have completed your
outline and your interpretation of the book (Do not
agree or disagree until you understand)
10. Do not disagree disputatiously or contentiously
11. Demonstrate that you recognize the difference
between knowledge and mere personal opinion by
presenting good arguments for any critical judgment
you make
Disagree if the author is (12) uninformed (13)
misinformed (14) illogical or (15) had incomplete
analysis
For practical books: Disagree if the ends are not
worthwhile
If you agree, you must act (unless it is specialized action
not in your field)

How to Read Imaginative

Literature
Imaginative Literature unlike other types
Negative Rules:
1. Dont try to resist the effect that a work of imaginative literature

has on you
More passive approach active passion
2. Beauty hard to analyze, but important for life
1.

2. Dont look for terms, propositions, and arguments in imaginative

literature
Teaches derivatively from the stories or metaphors
2. Multiple levels of meaning; ambiguity; symbolism, imagery, metaphor
1.

3. Dont criticize fiction by the standards of truth and consistency that

properly apply to communication of knowledge

Is it true in the sense that it could have happened?
2. Does the text indirectly give insight into the true nature of humanity,
love, loyalty, the universe, or some other virtue?
1.

Analogies of Rules for Imaginative Literature

1. What type of literature is it?

Novel, lyric, plays, poems, short stories? What genre?

2. What is the unity of the work?

What is the plot in a sentence or two?

3. What are its parts?

How do the details of characterization and incident (crisis,

climax, resolution) fit together to form the whole?
4. Understand the characters, thoughts, speeches,

feelings, actions in the story (come to terms)

5. Know the background, setting, and culture in which the
characters act (identify the propositions)
6. Follow the narrative (follow the argument; Note: rules 46 apply to fiction with a story line)

7. Dont criticize imaginative writing until you fully

appreciate what the author has tried to make you
experience
We must grant the artist his subject, his idea, his
donn; our criticism is applied only to what he
makes of it (Henry James)
Our critical judgment in the case of expository
books concerns their truth, whereas in criticizing
belles-lettres, as the word itself suggests, we
consider chiefly their beauty.
You must pass from saying that you like or dislike
and why, to saying what is good or bad about a
book and why.
{Do you agree? Does imaginative work also speak
to truth? Can imaginative works be objectively
good or bad?}

Suggestions for Reading Stories,

Plays, and Poems
Fourth Question: What of it?
Literature need not lead to action, but might.
Examples of literature that may make a point and

may spark changes to thought and action better

than theoretical or practical texts: Orwells Animal
Farm and 1984, Huxleys Brave New World,
Solzhenitsyns The First Circle
A despot doesnt fear eloquent writers preaching
freedomhe fears a drunken poet who may crack a
joke that will take hold. (E. B. White)
{How should governments, religions, institutions, and

individuals handle criticism and jokes?}

How to Read Stories

1. Read a book quickly and with total
immersion
Dont be afraid of the number of characters or
the length of the book
2. Enjoy the reading
1.

2. Do not a judge a book until you have lived

in it as best you can

The important characters, events, and themes
should be clear by the end of the book
2. Avoid the explanatory notes, introductions,
and forwards to books until after you read the
story itself.
1.

Why do we like certain types of literature?

Literature may speak to our unconscious or
conscious needs and wants
-Wealth, beauty, love, power, fame, travel
-Justice (poetic justice)
-Meaning (I want to know why)
-Truth (The author expresses that insight into
the reality of things so well)

Epics
The Five Great Epics (according to Adler and Van Doren):
Homers Illiad and Odyssey
Virgils Aeneid
Dantes Divine Comedy
Miltons Paradise Lost

Epics:
Works of poetry
Tell a story
Elevated in nature
Require a great deal of effort to read well: attention,

involvement, and imagination

Very challenging to writeonly a few successfully completed
in 2,500 years of trying
Every good poet should read them

How to Read Plays

A play is fiction, like a story
Yet lacks description of scene
Like music, must be performed to fully appreciate it
When reading, try to direct the play; imagine you are

directing some of the worlds best actorshow

should they enact the play? What would be the
emphasis, the tone of voice, the facial expression,
the movements, the scenery? What is the underlying
significance of each element? What idea or emotion
should be emphasized?
Try reading the play aloud, as an actor would, to help
you understand the meaning.

A Note about Tragedy

Most plays must be acted to be fully

understood
Tragedies are time-limited; protagonists make
quick decisions that often lead to terrible
consequences

Lyric Poetry
1. Read the poem through without stopping
2. Read the poem again, out loud
3. Note the words that stand out
4. Look for the conflict: love vs. time, life vs.

death, beauty of transcendent things vs.

eternity

How to Read History

1. History can mean:

the facts that happened,

2. a collection of records,
3. a written story trying to interpret the past
1.

2. If you can, read more than one history of an event or period that

interests you
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Fact record reconstructed narrative

Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (First-hand accounts, secondhand accounts, meta-analyses)
Historians bring their own presuppositions and worldviews to writing
history
Historians try to find a narrativetell a story
Reading more than one story helps give you a better idea of what
happened

3. Read a history not only to learn about what really happened at a

particular time and place in the past, but also to learn the way men act
in all times and places, especially now

Questions for History

1. What is the book about?
1.

History looks at a very specific time and place; make sure you
know the focus

2. What is being said in detail?

Unity of the story

2. What are the parts on which the author focuses?
1.

3. Is the book true?

May disagree with the realism of the narrative

2. We may think the writer misunderstood sources, or didnt go far
enough in interpreting them
3. May think the author misused sources or ignored important
sources
1.

4. What of it?
1.

Real actions of the past show us what can be done and what
should be avoided: practical and important

Biographies and
Autobiographies
A story about a real person
A definitive biography
As

complete and exhaustive as possible

Usually not the most interesting, excepting a few (Boswells Life of
Johnson)
An authorized biography
Authorized

by the family of the person

Biasedputs person in best light possible, but may have unique access
to information
Normal biographies
Interesting,

but limited
Sometimes didactic (Plutarchs Lives)
Autobiographies: about the authors own life
Some

secrets we want to hide

Some illusions we dont notice
Can give useful lessons that others have learned

Current Events
Writing about Current Events: current history
Authors are ideally perfectly objective, but can be

biased, misinformed, or intentionally deceptive

Reader Beware:
Questions
1. What does the author want to prove?
2. Whom does he want to convince?
3. What special knowledge (or prejudices) does he

assume?
4. What special (or biased) language does he use?
5. Does he really know what he is talking about?

Digests
Digests: condensed versions of longer books

or papers
Useful for those who dont have time to read
the entire text
Think about what might influence the author
in writing the digestwhat ideas, prejudices,
or misunderstandings may influence the
writing?

17 How to Read Science and

Mathematics
the happy childhood of science (Einstein) when

scientific books were written for the general audience

Now many articles and books are too specialized for
the general audience
Still:
Read classic and modern works
Look for important and revolutionary ideas, methods,
and conclusions
Dont worry if some of the mathematical proofs are
over your head
Note the assumptions and bias in a text
Beauty of clear logic: if a, then b, because of poof c.

Recommended Readings in Science

and Mathematics
Euclid: Elements of Geometry
Greek mathematicians: Archimedes, Apollonius, Nicomachus
Newton: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy and

Optics
Laviosier: Elements of Chemistry
Galileo: Two New Sciences
Hippocrates (medicine); William Harvey (circulation of blood);
William Gilbert (magnets) Louis Pasteur (germs) and many
others
Popular Science magazines
Popular books: Introduction to Mathematics, The Universe and
Dr. Einstein, The Closing Circle
Not all writers are completely accurate, but their writings helped
advance science and/or mathematics

18. How to Read Philosophy

Children ask better questions: Why?
Adults ask for less: Is this so?
What deadens the curiosity of children?
Philosophy tries to ask childish questions and

seek mature answers

Some categories of questions:
Being or existence (metaphysics)
Change or becoming (philosophy of nature)
Knowing (epistemology)
Good and evil (ethics)
What ought to be (political philosophy)

The Philosophical Method

Thinking deeply about everyday experience

Types of questions and the Great Tradition

First-order questions: primary philosophical

questions about being, change, good and evil,

and the way things should be
Second-order questions: questions about how
we think and express our thoughts in
language
Most modern philosophy ignores first-order
questions and has become very technical and
specialized in second-order questions
Classic philosophical works were written for
the general reader; The Great Tradition

Philosophical Styles
Socratic Dialogue, as exemplified in Platos writings and

imitated by Cicero and modern-day Peter Kreeft; not so much

a philosophy as a method of asking questions and testing
ideas with wit and humor
Essay or Treatise: Clear, systematic discussions of a topic, as
exemplified by Aristotle and Immanuel Kant
Meeting of Objections: Formal debate: Pose a question, give
the wrong answer with reasons, respond with the correct
(authors) answer and reasons, as exemplified by Thomas
Aquinas
Systemization of Philosophy: an attempt to make philosophy
into a precise, mathematical science with heavy use of
symbols, as exemplified by Descartes and Spinoza (difficult to
write and read)
The Aphoristic Style: making statements or claims without
giving extensive proof or reasons, as exemplified by wisdom
books of the East and Nietzsches Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Hints for Reading Philosophy

Know the question the author is trying to solve
Identify the controlling principles or fundamental

ideas on which other ideas rest; these may or may not

be stated
Plato: examining ones life is extremely important
Aristotle: happiness is the whole good
Kant: the mind is limited and biased

See if the author is consistent

Come to termsknow the precise definition of the

terms
Identify the philosophers principles or presuppositions
Test the ideas according to common experience

Making up your mind

You must make up your mind because
Philosophical questions are extremely important
Reasoning is based on common experienceyou can judge
Answers must be tested to see if they are true

Concerning theology
Natural theology: based on human reason; tested with

logic and common experience

Dogmatic: based on revelation or assumed principles;
dogma taken as assumptions; following logic tested
Canonical books
Taught with one correct or official interpretation
Some claim that each person can interpret text

him-/herself
If true, the most important

How to Read Social Science

The study of people and their interactions
Includes economics, politics, sociology,

ethnography, anthropology, psychology

Often excludes professional social sciences:
education, law, business, social service, public
administration
Problems:
Difficult to classify: writings may be a mix of

history, philosophy, science, and fiction (story

created by the author)
Difficult to define terms in social science
Hard to overcome prejudices to answer What
of it?

Social Science Literature

Social science requires syntopical reading:

reading many different books on the same

topic
Field constantly changing and updated
APA style: (Name date)

Review
How to Read
Practical works: solve problem by doing
Imaginative Literature and Poetry: experience

the text before criticizing it

History: science and story
Theoretical:
Science and Mathematics
Philosophy
Social Sciences

Next: Syntopical Reading in Part IV

Citation
Adler, Mortimer J. and Charles Van Doren. How
to Read a Book. New York: Touchstone, 1972.
Print.