How to Read a Book (A Touchstone book)

This is a great book for young readers. It helps soo much in developing a strong curricullum for a variety of learners. I think it would also be good for homeschoolers or parents who want thier children to follow classical readings and become well-rounded.

On one hand, it feels weird to read a book about how to read a book. So very meta. Yet I came away from this tome with a lot of insight into the difference between widely read and well-read.

There are salient points (and useful advice) on finding themes and reading with an analytical mind. I really wish I would've been able to read this book before I went to university.

Even the advice on reading novels for entertainment, while probably common sense to many, is useful. In addition, there is a (rather intimidating) reading list at the end.

So, overall, a must-read. Only four stars, though, because at time the text can be a little dry and turns into a struggle.

I picked up this book in a state of vexed frustration. I had forgotten how to read. At least, if felt like that. It was becoming an increasingly difficult practice for me to finish novels; this I rightly ascribed to one of my most damaging shortcomings: perfectionism. I kept telling myself that I had stopped reading books PROPERLY, or that I was being lazy - in a word, that I wasn't assimilating as much as I should be. My standards, though, were unattainable: I seemed almost to expect that, after one reading, I should be able to recite every word, without fail. It is ludicrous, peurile, yet I couldn't seem to disentangle myself from it. I even considered investing in a punchbag, because there was no one in proximal distance upon whom I could feasibly unleash my anger.

I finished this book today, and already I can assert that it was a successful panacea to my reading woes.

The most important thing that I took from the book - the remedy, if you will - concerns first readings. Rather than attempt to absorb everything, rather than constantly consulting the dictionary - one should just immerse oneself in the novel, ideally in a single sitting. If one keeps stopping, then one is apt to forget, or even lose interest. Then, if one wishes, one can reread the novel with an analytical eye. More than one too many ones in that paragraph.

Adler's insistence that you should read the most challenging books, ones that will stretch your imagination, rather than reading exclusively for mere entertainment - is also admirable. I agree with other reviewers that this book should be compulsory for high-school children (not to mention high school children).

I gave it four stars because most of the book is devoted to the art of reading NON-fiction, and only some of the advice is applicable to imaginative fiction. That is just a minor personal criticism, though.

The name of the book is appalling. Not that this had any bearing on my rating, but the title is deceptively simplistic, and you might want to cover it when in public, lest one be mistaken for an illiterate oaf.

This book changed my life. I think it should be required in school. Or at least it should be required reading for anyone who wants to be an English teacher. I will definitely pass on this information to my future students. I have always been a good reader. In fact, I was so good that no one bothered to find out what exactly I was doing when I read and give me helpful suggestions for improvement. If you think of yourself as an educated, thoughtful person, and still you find that you often finish a book and are unable to articulate much about it six months later, get this book. I read more slowly now but I know what I'm reading. You might also try Susan Wise Bauer's The Well Educated Mind. I would check out both from the library and then select one to buy as a reference. Or buy both if you're a collector like me.

The book arrived in a timely manner and I was satisfied with my purchase and the efficient service.