How to Intelligently Skim a Book “Every book should be read no more slowly than it deserves, and no more quickly than you can read it with satisfaction and comprehension”
– Mortimer Adler This article is part of our series on how to read a book.
Intelligently Skimming
Start with a quick read of the cover, publishers blurb, and the preface to get a feel for the scope of the work.
- Read the table of contents, which will give you an idea for the range of topics covered.
- Identify the pivotal points.
- Dive into reading bits and pieces of the book and understand how they relate to the rest of the argument.
- Read to an interview.
Deciding to Read a Book
Skimming helps you reach a decision point: Does this book deserve more of my time and attention? Why? Unless you’re reading for entertainment, if you can’t answer that question, you can toss the book.
- Mastering intelligent skimming will save you a lot of time and offer knowledge of the book’s blueprint and contents so you know where to find stuff if you need it in the future.
Superficial Reading
This is used when you’re taking a book that’s notably above your level and you quickly read start to finish without stopping to ponder the things you don’t understand.
- Inspectional reading should be able to answer the questions, what kind of book is it? What is it about? and what is the structure, or blueprint, of the book “whereby the author develops his conception or understanding of that general subject matter?”
