M
Mortimer J. Adler
Mortimer Jerome Adler was an American philosopher, educator, and popular author.
How to Read a Book
- Pages
- 446
- Published
- 1940
- Language
- English
Synopsis
First published in 1940 and substantially revised with Charles Van Doren in 1972, How to Read a Book lays out four progressively demanding levels of reading: elementary reading, inspectional reading (grasping a book's structure and argument fast), analytical reading (reading for full understanding), and syntopical reading (reading across multiple books on a subject to synthesize ideas). Most readers, the authors argue, never get past reading for information — missing the far greater value of the deeper levels.
The book treats reading as an active conversation between author and reader, and walks through concrete techniques for coming to terms with an author's key words, identifying their central propositions, and reconstructing their arguments — plus specific approaches for reading poetry, history, science, and fiction. Decades after publication, it remains a foundational text on how to read with genuine comprehension rather than passive consumption.
Genres
Frequently asked questions
What are the four levels of reading described in How to Read a Book?
Adler and Van Doren describe four progressively demanding levels: elementary reading (basic literacy), inspectional reading (quickly grasping a book's structure and argument through skimming and pre-reading), analytical reading (thorough, careful reading for full understanding), and syntopical reading (reading and comparing multiple books on the same subject to synthesize a broader understanding). The fourth level, syntopical reading, was introduced in the 1972 revision.
What's the difference between the original 1940 edition and the 1972 revised edition?
The original 1940 edition was written solely by Mortimer J. Adler and published by Simon & Schuster. In 1972, Adler substantially revised and expanded the book with Charles Van Doren as co-author, adding the fourth level of reading (syntopical reading) and updating the guidance for changes in publishing and education since 1940. The 1972 revised edition, subtitled "The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading," is the version most commonly printed today.