Need suggestions on HOW to read books.

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Andres

Andres

Puritan Board Doctor
I am seeking advice/suggestions on how to read large amounts. I love reading and I consider myself a fairly avid reader. On average I would say I spend anywhere from 1-2 hours a day reading, depending on my schedule. I would like to increase this number fairly drastically to about 4 hours a day. Is this too much? I don't think so, but I do have a problem. I struggle how best to read this much.
Do you read a chapter or two and then stop or do you read for 30 mins and then stop? For myself, it's difficult to read past 30-40 mins or so without a break. But then I take a break and don't come back to reading until much later in day. How do you guys read?
Also, currently I am reading 4 books at once. I read 1 book for some time, then later in the day another for some time, and so on. Would it be better to just read one book at a time and plow through it?

Curious to read about your reading habits. Thanks in advance.
 
I read multiple books at a time but it's only because I have to for seminary. I prefer to just plow through a book. How much time I spend in one sitting depends on a lot of factors with the biggest being how much time I have to sit and read. If I have plenty of time then the other determinant is what is it that I'm reading. John Owen ain't easy and I find myself having to read, reread, reread, and finally just read it outloud like I'm reading to an audience to finally get it. Makes from some really slow reading but I know what I've read.

Getting into this whole Reformation thing I became a bit obsessed with reading quantity but now I focus on retention. There are just so much great stuff to read from the Puritans that it makes no sense to rush through and read everything because I've decided
1. It ain't humanly possible and
2. Makes no sense to read 100 books on the Atonement if you don't remember what you've read.

Now my focus is read to really understand...I mean really understand. If I'm not able to explain it to my wife then I don't know it. She thinks conceptually and I think linearly and so when I explain things I think I've done an outstanding job and she's staring at me like I grew a third eye. So then I realize I have to go back and learn what I thought I knew because since I wasn't able to explain it to my wife then I don't really know it.
 
I read quite a bit as well, and I do have a couple of thoughts:

How to Read:
-Take notes either in the margins or on the computer or on another piece of paper.
-Use a small, blank sheet of paper for a bookmark. On that sheet, write down any page number that contains something you've circled/commented on, along with the general topic, so that when you've finished the book you can look down your bookmark and see where to find the things that stuck out to you from the book.

What/How Much to Read:
-Vary the types and lengths of book you read. I've read multiple 800 page books at the same time, but it can get tiring quickly, so having a smaller book to read alongside of a larger can help keep it interesting.
-Having something that you only read on Sundays (if you do that on the Lord's Day). Obviously, this should be something particularly edifying. Don't worry about rushing through it so much as getting a lot out of it.
-Take time out to talk to someone (wife) about what you're reading.
-Set a certain goal, perhaps in terms of pages rather than hours, as some days are just tough. If you read 50 pages per day, for example (obviously depending on size and density of the book), you will get through 300 pages a week, which is a decent size book. If you read 2-3 books at a time this way, you'll still finish multiple books a month.

You can see my reading list thus far for 2010 here. A lot of the books are for seminary, but I do try to throw some other interesting reading as well.
 
I normally read for 1-3 hours daily. I normally have a biography going, a devotional book (like Valley of Vision currently), Calvin's Institutes, and a seminary book. At times I will add another to the rotation whether it be primarily theological or devotional or something I read aloud with my wife. I am like you Andres and can only read for 30-45 minutes and then I need a quick break and/or a different book (different line of thought).
 
Of course there is the old standard work by Mortimer Adler, How to Read a Book.

(don't miss the preface, where there is mention of the wag who, after Adler's book appeared, wrote an article titled "How to Read Two Books.")

But for your purposes, I would direct you to a short article written by Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason Ministries:

Stand to Reason: How to Read Less More, and Twice as Fast
 
I guess I should have mentioned that I am trying to read more in preparation for seminary and also for eventual licensure/ordination. That's not to say that I don't read for pleasure because I really, truly do enjoy reading all these theological books. I don't view it as a chore or as something undesirable, but even though I enjoy it as others have mentioned some of these books are TOUGH.
Frank, I agree with you on retention and I too use the measuring stick of explaining things to my wife! It helps me make sure I am understanding what I'm reading and can rehash it back to someone else. I want the knowledge, not just reading to say "I've read X books".
 
I would read the introduction and the table of contents in order to get an idea of what the book is about.

You could take notes.
 
I find it really helpful to underline in pencil and write notes in the margins. It keeps me focused when I'm reading, actually. I did this all through college and I love being able to pick up my books now, glance through them, and be able to see in a few moments what stood out to me and what I thought about it at the time.

I know some people HATE writing in books. But I've found it super helpful.
 
i dont have a problem writing in books, it's just that a lot of times I read books that aren't mine, either borrowed from my pastor or checked out from library. I'm cheap like that.
 
Andrew, I have 2 pieces of advice.

1. Put yourself in a place where you can concentrate. Your reading speed and retention correlate more strongly with concentration than with any other factor.

2. Talk about what you read with people who care. Significant conversation drives retention and mental formation. In fact, the goal isn't really to "retain" pieces of data, but to mold your mind in a better direction. Conversation will take you in directions you wouldn't have thought of on your own.
 
I'm a rapid reader, but it just took me an hour to read 3 pages of G. Vos, Biblical Theology largely because of my wanting to take many notes (on the discussion regarding the bond between God and his people presented by the prophets) and because I read and noted a lot of the scripture mentioned. I mention this because what you read will determine how you read it. I can read many pages of a Christian biography in a short time because the story just flows.
 
I remember finding a thread/post somewhere, maybe an article, about how Rushdoony read & kept notes for what he read. I'm sure not many read the volume of material he read with the same ability to assimilate as much as he did.
 
I sometimes read more than one book at a time, but only if they're different genres--for example, historical fiction and philosophy. But I typically read more of the more interesting one.
 
3John2 said:
I remember finding a thread/post somewhere, maybe an article, about how Rushdoony read & kept notes for what he read. I'm sure not many read the volume of material he read with the same ability to assimilate as much as he did.
Click to expand...

Rushdoony read over 28,000 books in his life. :detective:

Though to the point of the thread I used to read a ton before I had kids. For some odd reason the kiddies want "food" and "diaper changes" which cut into the reading time...
 
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Read intelligently with pencil in hand.

Write lists of topics you'd like to study and purchase books on them.

There'll be some topics you're more interested in reading about than others. If you're interested, you'll enjoy your reading more and that helps reading and memory.

Skim over areas of books you're labouring with and mark them and maybe return to them later.

With Christian books especially pray that your reading will be blessed to your soul and that it will be useful in developing your sanctification and gifts and helping others for Christ's cause and kingdom. Pray that you will have opportunity to communicate what you learn.

Pray that God would show you more clearly what areas of knowledge to study.

Ben
Rushdoony read over 28,000 books in his life.
Click to expand...

Rushdoony kept a sort of organised index of important points in the book on the back flyleaf pages, something I've never done, but is a good idea if you're organised enough. I do sometimes write disorganised notes in the back.

I'll maybe try to use Rushdoony's technique with the next book I read. It helps also to use neat writing in books, which mine tends not to be.
 
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