10 Rules for Reading More and Reading Better

MadArchitect

Mr. P mentioned in a chat today that he has very little time for reading. I promised him that I'd post a thread about some of the tricks I use to read more and get the most out of what I'm reading. Only, those two objectives should be in reverse order. I do read a great deal, but it's more important to me that I get the most out of what I'm reading, be it knowledge or enjoyment, and I'll gladly sacrafice quantity if it means I have a better grasp on whatever it is I'm reading. That's the first trick:

1. Read for content
It actually took me a while to learn that, and I can remember very few of the books I read when I was younger because I read, it seems, just to make it from one cover to the next. I said that I'd post tricks for reading, but I've learned to treat them as rules because they're shown themselves to be sound in practice and to contribute to a greater end. Most of the rules that follow are indirectly derived from this one.

2. Be selective
I put aside a lot of time for reading, but even so, there are too many damn books out there. There are a lot of great books, probably too many to read in one lifetime, but even great books only make up 1/100th or 1/1000th of the total, which means they're needles in a very large haystack. So you have to develop a sense for what books will be worthwhile and which will not. Here are a few guidelines that I adhere to:
a. Back-cover blurbs and reviews are usually only good for getting the gist of what a book is about. Unless one of the quotes is by an author or critic you're familiar with and respect, and the quote itself is unquivacable, don't take it at face value.
b. Prefaces and introductions may help develop your understanding of the subject matter of a book, or of its position in the broader context of its field, but they're generally not a strong indicator of the style of the book.
c. The first chapter is probably the best place to start, particularly if style is a concern. That's more often the case with fiction than it is with non-fiction, perhaps, but I will definitely pass up a non-fiction book if the style in which it was written compares unfavorably to a comparable book on the same subject.
And then there are two basic auxilary sources:
d. Reviews are generally worth the time involved in reading them provided that they actually help you separate the wheat from the chaffe. Don't bother with disreputable reviewers, and don't buy a book based on a quantitative review system -- if you can't find a compelling written reason in the review, then it's not a worthwhile review.
e. References in works that you've liked are usually the best recommendations.

3. Don't be stubborn
If you're not enjoying a book, put it down. Struggling to finish a book simply because you've started it will usually take longer than reading the same number of pages in a book you enjoy. Unless you're just scanning the words without really absorbing anything, and then, what's the point? To my mind, there are two sorts of books that you give up on, a) books that aren't worth reading at all, and b) books that you aren't yet ready to read. By putting down the first, you clear up reading time for a book that is worth reading. By putting down the second, you reserve it for when you are ready to read it.

(Concerning 3.a: Some books, particularly fiction, are most meaningful when they pertain to your experiences. If a book doesn't seem resonant, it may become resonant as your accrue different experiences. By the same token, it may never become resonant. C'est la vie.)

Okay, now for the actual process of reading. This is where things may start to get a little less intuitive.

4. Don't fight distractions
If you're reading around people and you find it difficult to concentrate on what you're reading, stop reading. If the television is distracting you, pay attention to the television until it bores you, or turn it off. We've all had the experience of reading a sentence or paragraph multiple times, not because we can't understand it but because it didn't have our full attention. And if we're distracted from what we're reading, it's probably for a decent physiological reason. Sometimes paying two minutes of full attention to whatever distractions are nearby will be enough to allow you to return your full attention to your book. A similar principle: if you're sitting near a window, face the window. That way, if you're attention is drawn away from the book, you can look up, take in the whole distraction, and look right back down at your book. At the same time, don't invite distractions. I very rarely eat while I'm reading, simply because doing so is likely to make me enjoy both the book and my meal less than I'd like. And meals are one of the few things more sacred to me than reading.

5. Read in small portions
Most avid readers I know tend to read in marathon sessions. If it works for them, more power to them. But if I read more than a chapter at a time I tend to forget what I've read, or get it all muddled up in my head. So I've made a point of only reading a chapter at a time with most books. No matter how interested I am in what follows, no matter how precariously the hero has been left dangling at the end of the chapter, I put the book down and do at least one other thing before returning to it, even if its only to brush my teeth. That may not be the most expedient way to deal with a book, but it gives me time to consider the points that have been made, or savor the suspense. Incidentally, filling the interval between chapters with a chapter from a different book is fair game, so long as you follow the next rule. Generally speaking, most books are divided into reasonably sized chapters, but there are three instances of times when this rule can be a bit problematic:
a. the James Patterson type: I'll admit that I've never read a Patterson book, but I've had extensive experience in flipping through to see how many chapters they contain. I'd say Patterson averages somewhere in the range of 200 chapters per book. They're small chapters, usually no longer than a page or two, and if you follow rule 5. to the letter it will usually take you months to get through a Patterson book. My advice is that you don't read books like this at all -- short chapters in modern fiction is usually a sign of gimmickry -- but if you must, you can keep to the spirit of rule 5. by picking an arbitrary portion size, say... 10 chapters per session.
b. the Analects of Confucius type: When small divisions are an inherent part of the form of a book, reading in large doses is probably a bad idea. Not all of the Analects, for example, are related to one another, and reading a bunch at once is just likely to make them all less memorable. But then, at the same time, spreading a reading of the Analects out over several months isn't going to distend the work as it would with a novel. I'd suggest sticking to the rule here. Books that match the Analects type can be read in bite-sized pieces, as a morning or bed time ritual, then considered throughout the course of the day. And finally,
c. the Sybil type: Probably not the best known example I could have picked, but it will serve. "The Sybil" is a novel by Nobel prize winning author Par Lagerkvist, and it contains almost no chapter breaks, so unless you put aside a day to read it, you'll have to break it down into smaller units. The best way to do it, I would say, is by feel. Most strong writers have a sense of where interruptions are permissable or even advantageous, so it's best to follow their pattern when you can. If you have to stop, the best you can do is try to stop at a point where it seems like a chapter break might have fit. Beyond that, I can't really advise you.

6. Keep it various
This plays out two ways. The first is, if you're reading multiple books during a given period, as I usually am, try to make them as dissimilar as possible. Don't read more than one epic poem at a time. Don't read two philosophy books simultaneously. Keeping your current reading selections various will make it easier for you to sort them out in your head and remember the sources of what you've learned. The second way to keep it various is, to avoid reading two book by the same author back to back. It might be tempting when you've finished a great book to pick up one that's likely to be just like it, but you run the same risk as above. This isn't really a time-saving trick, but it does help with the quality of your reading.

7. Use what you read
There's a theory that says, if you can correctly use a word in conversation on three occasions, that word becomes a part of your working vocabulary. If you use the things that you read, you're more likely to retain them. That can mean talking about a novel you've read, or arguing a position that you've read in a philosophy book. And one way to use what you've read is...

8. Keep a writing journal
Actually, this can slow your reading down, but it's good for retention, and can make it easier to find something that you wanted to remember. It's also a good way to develop the ideas you get from reading a particular book. I keep a fairly extensive journal, but I don't generally use it to map out the major points of the book. For that, I rely on my memory, not because I have a great memory but because the more you work the memory, the better you become at assimilating what you read. (That's the theory, at least.) The journal is for marking down things that I read between the lines, or for connecting ideas in the book I'm reading to ideas that I've previously read elsewhere. After you've kept a journal for a while, the direction that it gives to your reading may even offset the time taken up by scribbling down your thought in mid-page.

9. Ritualize your reading
While it doesn't hold true in every case, some books seem more appropriate when read at a given time of day or in a given place. For instance, when I read Lord Dunsany's "The King of Elfland's Daughter", I quickly caught on to the fact that it was easier to visualize the settings and the actions when I read it on sunny afternoons in the park. Not only did saving the book up for those moments increase my enjoyment, I also read more quickly because the environment facilitated my imagination. The key with this rule is to avoid arbitrary rituals that might complicate your reading. Some books simply cannot be read in bed just before going to sleep. Laboring to force the wrong book to a particular ritual will only draw out the process of reading it. And not all books should be ritualized. For those that shouldn't be...

10. Look for any opportunity to read
If you're going to take your time to get to a particular destination, take the bus so you can read. Read on your lunch break. Cut out a particular television show and read instead. Try to fit your reading choices to whatever time you have (an analect if you've only got a few minutes, a chapter of "The Three Musketeers" if you've got 15, a chapter of Freud if you've got 30), but keep an eye out for any opportunity to read. This will be easier to pull off if you always have a few books on hand (observing, of course, rule 6). I'm rarely seen in public without my shoulder bag stuffed full of books. You can keep them in your car, or at your desk at work, but you can't read in your downtime if your books are all on the bedside table.

Now I realize that several of these rules don't look like they'd particular effective at increasing the volume of your reading. Some of them I developed with the goal of making myself a more effective reader, rather than a more efficient reader. But it's a curious side effect that retaining more and knowing how to use what you've read tends to make you more effecient as a reader. When you run across concepts that you've read about in other books, you don't have to spend as much time trying to remember them, don't have to dig the old books back up to jog your memory. Hope that helps. Enjoy.

Edited by: MadArchitect at: 4/1/05 2:11 am

Interbane

If you read philosophy, read the book first sober. Then high on marijuana. Then sped up on Ritalin(brain energy).

Maybe if I lived in Denmark and had a kid with ADD. Don't scowl at me, I don't really do this.

Mr. Pessimistic

Thanks Mad...I will injest this fully when I have the time...too many distractions right now...not to mention I am eating lunch...

All kidding aside, this is very informative. I do some of these things already, but there are some other points I will consciously work into my habits.

Thanks,

Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

Kate Fremont

Terrific set of rules, Mad. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Rule 2a:

Quote:
Back-cover blurbs and reviews... Unless one of the quotes is by an author or critic you're familiar with and respect, and the quote itself is unquivacable, don't take it at face value.

I take this a step further and take all author reviews with a grain of salt. I've read that publishers will ask some of their authors to give a review of a new book by another of the publisher's authors. This puts the reviewing author on the spot, in that if the reviewer wants the favor returned on her/his next book, the reviewing author is obliged to give a good review. Now some of these reviews may be sincere, but under the circumstances, one cannot know for sure. I'm partial to reviews from major newspapers and Library Journal Review (your library's website may feature these under a book's listing).

Regarding 2c, First Chapters, and 3, Don't Be Stubborn: These might hold true for most people, most of the time, but I've recently completed a few older literature novels that got off to such a slow start that I almost abandoned them. I persisted, and about a third of the way through I got hooked, and upon finishing the books was so glad that I hadn't given up, finding that these novels far more than justified the initial patience I had to invest in them. Past authors often didn't feel the need to grab the reader within the first few pages; instead they took the time to build up characters and settings that ultimately enrich the book and truly make it something special. Perhaps in pre-television days people had longer attention spans, providing the authors of earlier times with more patient readers. That said, there are indeed some books that will just turn out to be a waste of time. The more experienced the reader, the easier it will be to differentiate which books to stick with and which to relegate to the trash bin.

And to you parents out there, be sure to let your children see you reading for both pleasure and knowledge. At times the children will be distracting, and at other times it'll be best to put down that fascinating book and give the kids your undivided attention, but it's children who see their parents reading on a regular basis who are most likely to learn the joy of reading themselves. The more they read, the better their reading skills will get, and the more success they'll have at school. Most importantly, you'll have given them a pleasurable habit that will enrich the rest of their lives.

Edited by: Kate Fremont at: 4/1/05 10:48 pm

MadArchitect

Regarding 2c, First Chapters, and 3, Don't Be Stubborn: These might hold true for most people, most of the time, but I've recently completed a few older literature novels that got off to such a slow start that I almost abandoned them. I persisted, and about a third of the way through I got hooked, and upon finishing the books was so glad that I hadn't given up, finding that these novels far more than justified the initial patience I had to invest in them.

True enough, and I probably should have mentioned that once I've brought a book home, I'll usually give it the benefit of the doubt for about a third to a half of its length. But even with classics, if it doesn't catch me by then, I'll drop it like a sack of dead puppies.

Perhaps in pre-television days people had longer attention spans, providing the authors of earlier times with more patient readers.

Region played a part. For instance, Tolstoy and Dostoevksy wrote rather long works because they had a captive audience -- the Russian winter usually left its literate natives with very little to do most nights but read.

At times the children will be distracting, and at other times it'll be best to put down that fascinating book and give the kids your undivided attention, but it's children who see their parents reading on a regular basis who are most likely to learn the joy of reading themselves.

Letting them see you discussing books -- some books at least -- also helps. If they see your enthusiasm, they'll naturally want some part of it. Then you have only to put a book in their hands. And one major benefit of having avid readers for children, as my parents will tell you, is that they tend to be quiet for long periods of time.

The more they read, the better their reading skills will get, and the more success they'll have at school.

Well, I wouldn't make any promises to that end. Getting kids to study can be a bit trickier than instilling them with a love for books. I performed rather poorly in high school, in part because I would almost always rather have read for pleasure than for school. It wasn't until college that I really began to excell, and not until after college that I developed a strong reflex for study and research.

Mr. Pessimistic

Quote:
Kate: At times the children will be distracting, and at other times it'll be best to put down that fascinating book and give the kids your undivided attention, but it's children who see their parents reading on a regular basis who are most likely to learn the joy of reading themselves.

Mad: Letting them see you discussing books -- some books at least -- also helps. If they see your enthusiasm, they'll naturally want some part of it. Then you have only to put a book in their hands. And one major benefit of having avid readers for children, as my parents will tell you, is that they tend to be quiet for long periods of time.

Kids most definitly adapt and want to emulate their parents. Whenever I read, I notice they get books out and read too. When I am drawing or painting, they get out their pads...it is cute.

My kids are good with wanting to read and learn. I am very proud. My second daughter, now 8, was reading chapter books before entering Kindergarden...and she is, if I may, a highly intelligent kid who studies for fun. She asks us for practice problem books in math and reading. First thing she does when she wakes up is read or do the problems in those books.

My youngest son, will be 5, is following in her footsteps. The other two are like me...great potential but always getting distracted with recreational activities...oh I wish I had focus when I was in school!

Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

marti1900

Great rules. No. 3 finally occurred to me about 20 years ago. I had always been a voracious reader from childhood, and would always slog my way thru the most horrible books, or books that were way over my head, or thems I really didn't enjoy. It was a point of honor.

It finally dawned on me that life was too short to waste on books I am not enjoying, so now they get the 50 pages test. If I'm not into it by 50 pages, out it goes. So as a side note, if that Thucydides piece turns out to be a slog, I'll look for a more readable translation, or give it up altogether.

Not sure I totally agree with your rule about variety. I spent one winter reading Russian novels, one after another. (Winter is the best time to read the classic Russian novels LOL). Well, now 30 years later, I don't remember much about any of them, except the quote about happy and unhappy families, but I remember the feel of them. I don't think their specific content is all that important, but the feel of those works gave me an insight into the Russian soul that has stood me in good stead.

And maybe for Rule 11, read slooooow. Maybe that ties in with the journal writing. Since I have run out of English language books to read, I have been forced to read books in Spanish, and my Spanish is not all that great. So, with dictionary and ongoing vocabulary list at my side, I work my way thru books. I am amazed as just how much more I get out of a book as I work at detangling the sentence structure, ingest new vocabulary words, etc. It gives the content time to settle in my brain. I only manage about 3 pages of a big content book per hour, or a few more for fiction, so you get the idea.

I come from a reading family, and we had a reading family, and all my kids are avid readers, and now most of their kids are avid readers. You all are right...kids imitate what they see.

Marti in Mexico

MadArchitect

So as a side note, if that Thucydides piece turns out to be a slog, I'll look for a more readable translation, or give it up altogether.

I meant to make a note about translation. If you can't read a book in its original (or, if I've heard with some books, the original is actually less intelligible than one of its translations), try to compare a few translations before you settle on one. There are two ways to do so, and it's both to mix the methods. One is to do a little research -- an internet scan is usually sufficient -- and find out what editions are considered authoritative or what the merit of each edition is relative to others. Some will likely be considered more readable, some more accurate, some better at evoking this or that effect. The second method is to actually read a passage or two from whatever translations are available in the bookstore and, taking into consideration the conclusions you've drawn from method one, deciding which style suits you best. I personally have tossed aside books only to find later on that they're compulsively readable in another translation.

As for Thucydides, Marti, even if you toss the book aside after 50 pages, keep an eye on the discussion. You may find that some comment or dialogue therein makes reading the book worthwhile.

Not sure I totally agree with your rule about variety.

Heh. Well, I suppose that depends on how closely you adhere to my first rule.

I am amazed as just how much more I get out of a book as I work at detangling the sentence structure, ingest new vocabulary words, etc. It gives the content time to settle in my brain.

On a similar note, a previous attempt to read "Inferno" in the original has left half of the first canto more or less permanently imprinted in my memory. Nel mezzo del cammin di nostri vita / Mi ritrovai per una selva oscura / Che la daritta via era smaritta and so on and so forth. If you want to learn a new language, I definitely suggest translating poetry, as the rhythm and rhyme tend to make vocabulary and pronunciation easier to grasp.

Kate Fremont

Nick,

Sounds like you've got some wonderful children!

If your 8 year old daughter hasn't read Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time series yet, I'd highly recommend it. I suspect she'd identify with the character Meg, and your youngest son may identify with Charles Wallace when he's old enough for the content. My own son and I are currently reading the second book of the series, A Wind in the Door, and so far find it as fascinating as the first volume, from which the name of the series is derived.

Mr. Pessimistic

Thanks Kate!

They are wonderful...I am a lucky guy! I will note down the book for my daughter and pick it up next trip to the bookstore.

I will keep the Charles Wallace series in mind when he gets older....right now he relates to Chucky from the "Child's Play" fame!

Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

MadArchitect

An anecdotal addendum:
Yesterday I agreed to meet up with a friend at a coffeeshop we don't usually go to, she to study for a class, me to read, and both of us to keep one another company. We agreed to meet a little before 7pm, but I got there early and late traffic stalled her arrival by a good 30 minutes. No problem -- I had a bag full of books with me, and as it just so happens, a small stack of books that I had just bought alongside the copy of "The Pelopennesian War" I'm using for this quarter's classics discussion.

But as I read, I became aware of a increasing sense of agitation. I couldn't identify the source of it. My friend had let me know that she would be late, so it wasn't that. Maybe it was something about the shop, or where I had chosen to sit. Finally, thoroughly put off, I left my books at the table and stepped outside to let my head clear.

And that's when I realized the source of the agitation. I'm continually in the midst of four or more books, and I've worked out methods for keeping them straight in my head. Lately I've been reading more than usual, and when I sat down with my newly bought books, I had pushed the number to double digits.

But it wasn't necessarily the number of books I was reading that had agitated me. It was the sense that I was halting my own progress, that by commencing three more books I was putting off indefinitely the possibility of finishing the books I was already reading.

So my advice on this count isn't what you might expect. I say, read as many books as you can keep sorted out in your head. But keep an eye on progress. Set some priorities. Don't let new books overtake books that you've already started and fully intend to finish. Here's how I fought off my agitation: I went back into the coffee shop, say down, and pulled from my bag one of the books that I had already worked halfway through. I put everything else aside and read a chapter from that. When I had finished, my mind was settled and I could proceed in some of the other books. And so long as I feel confident that I'm making equal progress, I got get antsy. Problem solved.

That said, I'm reading too many damned books right now. I need to finish up about five before I start adding anything else.


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