A brief, no fluff, summary of Mortimer Adlers’ How to Read a Book.
Let’s explore the four reading levels and how they can help you learn more.
The Four Levels of Reading
In How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler identifies four levels of reading:
- Elementary Reading
- Inspectional Reading
- Analytical Reading
- Syntopical Reading
Think of these levels as reading to entertain, reading to inform, reading to understand, and reading to master.
When you learned to read in elementary school, you were taught to read for entertainment. If you made it to high school and college, you learned to read to inform. This is where most people stop. But most of the value comes at the last two levels.
In fact, if you don’t learn the last two levels, you’ll go through life like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.
This doesn’t mean that everything should be read the same way. It shouldn’t. Why you are reading should match how you are reading. Your level of effort needs to match the importance of the material. If you read a romance novel and legal document the same way, you’re in for a life of misery.
1. Reading to Entertain (Elementary)
This is the level of reading taught in our elementary schools. If you’re reading this website, you already know how.
2. Reading to Inform (Inspectional)
Some people think skimming and reading quickly is a bad idea. It’s not.
The point of a quick skim is to determine if the book is worth reading deeply in the first place. Most are not.
There are two kinds of inspectional reading:
- Systematic skimming: Quickly skim the book. Read the introduction, table of contents, index, and inside cover. This shows you the key chapters and ideas. Jump in and out, reading a paragraph here and there.
- Superficial reading: This is a quick read. Don’t stop to think deeply. Don’t write things in the margin. Don’t look things up; keep going if you don’t understand something. Read most of the book, but read it quickly.
At this point, you have the main idea. Often, that’s enough. Think about all the pop-psychology books. Simply skimming the introduction gives you 90% of the value.
Inspectional reading gives you the structure and an overview of the author’s arguments and opinions. Because you didn’t read deeply, you won’t understand all the nuances, but you’ll get the gist.
Most times, you can stop right here. Put the book down and go on to the next one.
But sometimes, you’ll want to know more about the book.
3. Reading to Understand (Analytical)
Francis Bacon once remarked, “some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
You can think of analytical reading as doing that chewing and digesting. This is the real work of reading.
If inspectional reading is the best you can do quickly, analytical reading is the best you can do with time.
At this point, you start to engage your mind and do the work required to understand what’s being said. I recommend writing in your book and using our Blank Sheet notetaking method.
There are four rules to Analytical Reading
- Classify the book according to its kind and subject matter
- State what the whole book is about with the utmost brevity
- Enumerate its major parts in their order and relation, and outline these parts
- Define the problem or problems the author is trying to solve
You’ll probably notice that while those sound pretty easy, they involve a lot of work. Luckily, the inspectional reading you did earlier has primed you for this and made it easier.
If you are reading to understand, you need to integrate the ideas into your head. You simply must do the work of digesting the material and making it your own. Done correctly, this helps you understand the book. That does not mean, however, that you understand the broader subject.
You can’t simply read one book or article and claim to be an expert.
If you really want to master the subject, you need to dive into the subject entirely reading multiple books and comparing and contrasting them. That’s where syntopical reading comes in.
4. Reading to Master (Syntopical)
Syntopical reading is the most demanding and challenging reading of all.
Reading to master something involves reading many books on the same subject and comparing and contrasting ideas, vocabulary, and arguments. To do this, you must identify relevant passages, translate terminology, define the issues, explore issues through multiple lenses, and frame questions that need answering.
The goal is not to achieve an overall understanding of any particular book but rather to understand the broader subject and develop deep fluency. Doing this means identifying and filling in your blind spots about the subject,
When reading to master something, there are four keys to keep in mind
- Identify the relevant passages: Find the right books and the key passages. You can’t simply outsource this to others. If you want to address your blind spots, you must do the work yourself.
- Translate and synthesize: Instead of using the author’s language, establish your own terms. This exercise in translation bridges different authors’ concepts and arguments.
- Formulate Your Questions: Focus on what you want to know, not just the author’s problems. Frame questions that multiple authors can answer. Be prepared: some questions might remain unanswered if authors didn’t consider them.
- Define the Issues and Analyze the Discussion: When a question has multiple answers, you’ve defined an issue that needs further work. Understanding various perspectives helps form an intelligent opinion. Don’t expect unchallenged truths; your answer lies in the conflict of opposing views. The value lies in your informed dialogue with these authors and yourself.
Effective Note-Taking for Better Reading
To enhance your reading, Adler recommends various note-taking techniques:
- Underline major points
- Use vertical lines in the margin for longer passages
- Mark important statements with stars or asterisks
- Number sequences of points in an argument
- Cross-reference related ideas with page numbers
- Circle keywords or phrases
- Write questions and answers in the margins
The Demanding Reader
The demanding reader asks the right questions and seeks answers.
There are four main questions you need to ask of every book:
- What is this book about?
- What is being said in detail, and how?
- Is this book true — in whole or in part?
- What of it?
If all of this sounds like hard work, you’re right. Most people won’t do it. That’s what sets you apart.
Still curious? If you liked this summary, check out my quick summary of Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People.