How to read a book

Chapter 01

정리자: 김나솔

This book is for those

• Whose main purpose in reading booksis to gain increased understanding.

(not only information or facts)

All reading is active.

• Reading is an activity

• Therefore, all reading is active.

• Reading can be more active or less active.

• Reading can not be completely passive.

• Metaphor of a baseball game.

• Pitcher – ball – catcher

• Writer - book - reader

The art of catching/reading

• The art of catching a ball isto catch every kind of pitch.

• The art of reading a book isto catch every sort of communication as well as possible.

A book is a complex object.

• I t can be received more completely or less completely.

• The mount the reader catchesdepend on the amount of activity he puts into the process.

Success occurs when…

• The pitcher and catcher cooperate.

• Successful communication occurs when the writer’s skill and the reader’s skill converge upon a common goal.

• Writers vary: some are good, other are not.

• Readers also need some ‘skills’

A person reads better

• When he reads it more actively.

• When he performs the involved acts more skillfully.

Reading is a complex activity.

• It consists of many separate acts.

• All the acts must be performed in a good reading.

Two possible relations

• Between your mind and the book.

– You understand the book perfectly.– (doesn’t lead to increased undersatnding)

– You don’t understand the book perfectly.

• You get help from other people or books.

– (doesn’t lead to increased understanding)

• You do nothing.

– (doesn’t lead to increased understanding)

• You do the required job of reading

– (leads to increased understanding)

Two meanings of reading

• Reading for information– When we first read, we understand easily.

– We get information or facts from reading.

– This increases our store of information.

– Our level of understanding is the same as before.

• Reading for understanding– When we first read, we don’t understand the

book completely.

– This throws a new light on all the facts we already know.

– Our level of understanding goes up.

Reading for understanding is possible when…

• The book has something that can increase the readers’ understanding.

• The readers are able to understand.

To read for understanding

• We need to know – Who they are

(those who have something that can increase our understanding)

– How to learn from them(how to receive what they conveyed)(= how to read)

Three goals of reading

• For information– Much easier than for understanding

• For understanding– Main focus of this book!

• For entertainment– Different kind

Now, let’s think about learning

Two kinds of learning

• To be informed– To know that something is the case.

무언가가 그러하다는 것을 아는 것.

• To be enlightened <- We’ll take this one– To know that something is the case.

– To know why it is the case.

– To know what is connections are with other facts.

– To know in what respects it is the same

– To know in what respects it is different.

– Etc.

Two ways of learning

By discovery

• Unaided discovery

• Learn from nature, world

• Reading nature

By instruction

• Aided discovery

• Learn from discourse – speech, or writing

• Reading books

Active!

Need thinking!

Active!

Need thinking!

The kinds of thinking that are needed for both learning

• Keenness of observation

• Readily available memory

• Range of imagination

• Intellect trained in analysis and reflection

• By discovery-with help

• By instruction- without help

Thank you