Supratim's Reviews > How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

I heard about this book in a casual conversation and my interest was piqued. When I heard that the book instructs on analytical reading I knew I had to read it.

I have decided that I am not going to summarize the rules enunciated in this book. Instead I would keep my review short.

In the first chapter the authors have mentioned that “…… this book is about the art of reading for the sake of increased understanding.” The authors have clearly stated that the book intends to help people understand expository works. In simple terms the book is meant for people who read serious non-fiction. However, the authors have included sections on how to read fiction, plays and poetry as well.

The book discusses the following four levels of reading with major stress on the third type-
• Elementary
• Inspectional
• Analytical
• Syntopical


The last and most advanced level – syntopical reading was an added bonus. In syntopical reading the reader goes through various books on the same subject and is able to "construct an analysis of the subject which may not be in any of the books."

The book is good and no doubt helpful if you want to improve your reading skills. There are many tips and rules which guide you to better reading. There are separate sections on how to read practical books, imaginative literature, stories & plays & poetry, history, sciences & mathematics, philosophy and social science. Instead of memorizing them as rule 1, rule 2 – I felt it was better to understand the gist of their advice.

One problem with the book is that the authors were too verbose. Parts of the book were repetitive and some portions could have been pruned without affecting the quality of the book.

I do appreciate the efforts of the authors and understand that composing such a book is not an easy task. They have done a praiseworthy job but I feel some editing would have made the book much more compact.

The authors have included a reading list and said that these books would facilitate the growth of the mind. The list includes books on the sciences, literature, politics and statecraft, poetry, theology etc. Authors included range from ancient Greek masters to great minds of the modern world. The authors have admitted that they include books from the Asian tradition because they themselves were not “particularly knowledgeable outside of the Western literary tradition”

You might want to check out the reading comprehension exercises given at the end of the book. It is fun.