Over almost a century of time, the author Mortimer J. Adler has impacted and challenged our society. As a major writer, he has contributed around fifty books1 and even more articles that were added to the academic field2. Yet, this is an amazing feat when you look at the start of his life. He was a dropout in high school by age 15, he was denied his bachelors because he refused to take part in the required physical activity needed to graduate and he never received a master degree. The one degree that he would achieve was a PH.D in experimental psychology and at that time was the only person in the country to receive a PH.D without a high school, bachelors or masters diploma.3 Many of his works were saturated in philosophy and western thought which was his major contribution; but he also wrote with regards to ethics, religion and even included an autobiography towards the end of his life. His last work, The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization4, was published when he was ninety-nine years old. The following year Mortimer died leaving a long legacy in the world of philosophy, contributions of writings and a book called How to Read a Book.
How to Read a Book, one of his earliest works, will grasp for your attention just within its title. What can one learn from a book with a title that suggests that you need to learn to read a book before reading? Specifically, this book will challenge the reader in many areas to improve their reading and not to settle. This timeless classic will not be a letdown, it can be read time and time again.
1 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization (Chicago, IL. Open Court Publishing Company. 2000).2 Mortimer J. Adler. A Second Look in the Review Mirror (New York, NY. Macmillian Publishing Company. 1992), 306-314.
3 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization (Chicago, IL. Open Court Publishing Company. 2000), xvii.4 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization (Chicago, IL. Open Court Publishing Company. 2000).
How to Read a Book, one of his earliest works, will grasp for your attention just within its title. What can one learn from a book with a title that suggests that you need to learn to read a book before reading? Specifically, this book will challenge the reader in many areas to improve their reading and not to settle. This timeless classic will not be a letdown, it can be read time and time again.
1 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization (Chicago, IL. Open Court Publishing Company. 2000).2 Mortimer J. Adler. A Second Look in the Review Mirror (New York, NY. Macmillian Publishing Company. 1992), 306-314.
3 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization (Chicago, IL. Open Court Publishing Company. 2000), xvii.4 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization (Chicago, IL. Open Court Publishing Company. 2000).
Adler’s first edition of his book How to Read a Book was first published in 1940. This review will be looking at his revised and updated 1972 book. In the preface, he goes into detail on how culture had changed and the importance of updates for his book. He emphasized that part two of his four-part book stayed close to the original.5 Upon inspection of the front of this book, it can be noticed that the credit for authorship on the revised and updated book mentions two authors. Adler partnered with Charles Van Doren to revise his first edition. His partnership with Doren would be also joined together again when they worked on Great Treasury of Western Thought that was published in 1977.6
The book truly starts before page one of chapter one. It begins in the table of contents, as Adler brilliantly maps out the course of the book. Just a brief scan over this section will alert the reader to where the writer is taking them, what areas are important to the writer and what the writer wants the reader to grasp. The book is broken down into four major parts filled with specific chapters. Most books would be good with that, but Adler takes it one step further and highlights main points in those chapters. It would be a shame for a reader to overlook the table of contents, as well as, Adler will convict the reader in chapter four for skipping over that section. The preface comes next and does a great job of explaining the importance of culture changes and continue growing in the area of reading.
Part one covers the dimensions of reading and is broken down into five chapters. Chapter one sets the tone for the importance of learning the art of reading and actively challenge oneself to become a better reader. The second chapter introduces the four main levels of reading; elementary, inspectional, analytical and syntopical reading. The first two reading levels are
5Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), ix-xiii.6 Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. Great Treasury of Western Thought (New York, NY. R. R. Bowker Company. 1977).
The book truly starts before page one of chapter one. It begins in the table of contents, as Adler brilliantly maps out the course of the book. Just a brief scan over this section will alert the reader to where the writer is taking them, what areas are important to the writer and what the writer wants the reader to grasp. The book is broken down into four major parts filled with specific chapters. Most books would be good with that, but Adler takes it one step further and highlights main points in those chapters. It would be a shame for a reader to overlook the table of contents, as well as, Adler will convict the reader in chapter four for skipping over that section. The preface comes next and does a great job of explaining the importance of culture changes and continue growing in the area of reading.
Part one covers the dimensions of reading and is broken down into five chapters. Chapter one sets the tone for the importance of learning the art of reading and actively challenge oneself to become a better reader. The second chapter introduces the four main levels of reading; elementary, inspectional, analytical and syntopical reading. The first two reading levels are
5Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), ix-xiii.6 Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. Great Treasury of Western Thought (New York, NY. R. R. Bowker Company. 1977).
covered in the next two chapters, while analytical is covered in part two and syntopical reading is covered in part four. Elementary reading, the beginning level of reading, is discussed in chapter three. The writer will express that the reader of this book will have accomplished elementary reading to be able read this how to do book.7 He will also share the four stages of reading that most individuals will accomplish throughout their time leading up to high school. Inspectional reading, the second level of reading, is addressed in chapter four and is only possible if elementary reading was achieved effectively. Two types of inspectional reading are evaluated, one being the art of skimming and the other is superficial reading. The final chapter of part one challenges the reader to take ownership in their habits on reading.
Part two takes an insightful look and perhaps spends the most time focusing on the third type of reading, analytical reading. The first chapter of part two is pigeonholing a book and will challenge a reader like myself, to go find an answer to what pigeonholing means. Upon understanding the terminology, this is a very practical first step in observing the basics of any book and setting the first stages of analytical reading. Chapter seven challenges the reader to x- ray the book. What can the book tell you? Can you explain the book in a sentence? Do you know what the subject matter is? Adler does a great job in this chapter of making one think even towhat the thoughts of the book’s title might entail. Chapters eight and nine focus on the relationship with the author; finding key words and sentences, noting the arguments, and looking to find the writers purpose of writing and what he is trying to get across. Chapters ten and eleven sets the bar for reader criticism and handling the author’s work within reasonable methods of reading. Adler challenges that for healthy criticism, a reader must read the whole book, know what the writer is saying and recognize that the reader has the last say in a closed-ended
7 7 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), 37.
Part two takes an insightful look and perhaps spends the most time focusing on the third type of reading, analytical reading. The first chapter of part two is pigeonholing a book and will challenge a reader like myself, to go find an answer to what pigeonholing means. Upon understanding the terminology, this is a very practical first step in observing the basics of any book and setting the first stages of analytical reading. Chapter seven challenges the reader to x- ray the book. What can the book tell you? Can you explain the book in a sentence? Do you know what the subject matter is? Adler does a great job in this chapter of making one think even towhat the thoughts of the book’s title might entail. Chapters eight and nine focus on the relationship with the author; finding key words and sentences, noting the arguments, and looking to find the writers purpose of writing and what he is trying to get across. Chapters ten and eleven sets the bar for reader criticism and handling the author’s work within reasonable methods of reading. Adler challenges that for healthy criticism, a reader must read the whole book, know what the writer is saying and recognize that the reader has the last say in a closed-ended
7 7 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), 37.
conversation. The last chapter of part two, chapter twelve, gives a well-rounded use of resources to be used as guides in the analytical reading process.
Part three covers a wide range of approaches to reading a variety of works. Starting in chapter thirteen with practical reading moving to imaginative reading in chapter fourteen and then to chapter fifteen for direction in reading plays, stories and poems. The next four chapters cover areas of History, Science and Mathematics, Philosophy and Social Science readings. Part four covers the last and most challenging levels of reading, syntopical or comparative reading. Adler stresses back in chapter two that synoptic reading is not easy, but is the most rewarding when one masters it.8 Chapter twenty goes into detail including addressing five recommended steps to take when reading synoptically. The final chapter, twenty-one, concludes part four and the book. The chapter’s main focus is challenging the reader to be wise in his books choices, seeing there are millions of books available; and to search out the books that will be the most impactful to your life.
I have found push back on the fact that this is an outdated book and irrelevant today. I believe that if Adler was alive today, he would agree and probably look to revise another copy of the book. Though, with any book this should not be a conclusion, after all, no books are perfect and there should be things that the reader casts away. Any reader should be looking for the golden nuggets that come out of a book. I only want to offer one negative critique, and this is just my opinion from reading, that part three “Approaches to Different Kinds of Reading Materials”would have been better placed at the end of the book. I, personally, read part three (which was not required) by conviction of Adler comment in part two that If you are only reading part of a book, it is more difficult to be sure that you understand, and hence you should be more hesitate
8 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), 20.
Part three covers a wide range of approaches to reading a variety of works. Starting in chapter thirteen with practical reading moving to imaginative reading in chapter fourteen and then to chapter fifteen for direction in reading plays, stories and poems. The next four chapters cover areas of History, Science and Mathematics, Philosophy and Social Science readings. Part four covers the last and most challenging levels of reading, syntopical or comparative reading. Adler stresses back in chapter two that synoptic reading is not easy, but is the most rewarding when one masters it.8 Chapter twenty goes into detail including addressing five recommended steps to take when reading synoptically. The final chapter, twenty-one, concludes part four and the book. The chapter’s main focus is challenging the reader to be wise in his books choices, seeing there are millions of books available; and to search out the books that will be the most impactful to your life.
I have found push back on the fact that this is an outdated book and irrelevant today. I believe that if Adler was alive today, he would agree and probably look to revise another copy of the book. Though, with any book this should not be a conclusion, after all, no books are perfect and there should be things that the reader casts away. Any reader should be looking for the golden nuggets that come out of a book. I only want to offer one negative critique, and this is just my opinion from reading, that part three “Approaches to Different Kinds of Reading Materials”would have been better placed at the end of the book. I, personally, read part three (which was not required) by conviction of Adler comment in part two that If you are only reading part of a book, it is more difficult to be sure that you understand, and hence you should be more hesitate
8 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), 20.
to criticize.9 The elementary, inspectional and analytical levels of reading fall nicely in place together, but then part three covers over a hundred pages of reading about various approaches to reading before circling around to hit the fourth reading level. By the time, I got to the fourth; I lost the connection with the other three. I think that part three is important, but its placement felt forced or out of place. If you can come away from your reading with one negative critique and push through some things are not timeless in books, then any book can be valuable for learning and growing. Overall How to Read a Book is one of these valuable books. It will be beneficial to a person who wants to excel in his reading, a student that desires to stretch his learning ability or a writer that needs insight on how to best reach his readers.
9 Mortimer J. Adler. How to Read a Book (New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 1972), 145.
Works Cited
Adler, Mortimer J. A Second Look in the Review Mirror New York, NY: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1992.
Adler, Mortimer J. Desires Right and Wrong: The Ethics of Enough New York, NY: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1991.
Adler, Mortimer J. How to Read a Book New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1972.
Adler, Mortimer J. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western
Civilization Chicago, IL: Open Court Publishing Company, 2000.
Adler, Mortimer J. and Doren, Charles Van. Great Treasury of Western Thought New York, NY: R. R. Bowker Company, 1977.
Adler, Mortimer J. A Second Look in the Review Mirror New York, NY: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1992.
Adler, Mortimer J. Desires Right and Wrong: The Ethics of Enough New York, NY: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1991.
Adler, Mortimer J. How to Read a Book New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1972.
Adler, Mortimer J. How to Think about The Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western
Civilization Chicago, IL: Open Court Publishing Company, 2000.
Adler, Mortimer J. and Doren, Charles Van. Great Treasury of Western Thought New York, NY: R. R. Bowker Company, 1977.
