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Reading|Reading Time: 2 minutes

Save Time: Intelligently Skimming a Book

The second reading level is called inspectional reading, or reading to inform. In effect, you’re skimming a book.

The point of skimming is to get the gist of something and determine if it’s worth understanding in greater detail. Done right, intelligent skimming saves you a lot of time. Why read the whole book if you don’t have to?

There are two ways to effectively skim a book: intelligently skimming and superficial reading.

Intelligent Skimming

There is a method to intelligently skim a book.

  • Scan the Cover and Preface: Quickly read the cover, publisher’s blurb, and preface. This primes your brain for the book’s contents and helps you mentally categorize the book.
  • Examine the Table of Contents: Get a feel for the book’s structure and journey to understand where the author wants to take you. The structure of a book is almost always intentional, so it’s worth spending time to understand.
  • Skim the Index: The index is one of the most underappreciated parts of a book. Skimming it will help you understand the concepts and language the author is using. You’ll also get an overview of the key topics and people.
  • Skim the introduction and conclusion: Authors often summarize the key messages and arguments in a book in the introduction and conclusion. This will give you a concise overview of what they consider important.
  • Locate Pivotal Points: By now, you have a good idea of the most crucial chapters. Dive into them and read the opening sentence of each paragraph. Maybe even read a page or two. This helps you understand some of the book’s key arguments.
  • Listen to Author Interviews: Find interviews where the author discusses the book. Interviews offer the best examples from the book and the main ideas in less time than it takes to read a book.

Superficial Reading

Superficial reading, another form of inspectional reading, is particularly useful for books above your current level of understanding. Here’s how it works:

Read the entire book quickly, resisting the urge to stop at confusing parts. Maintain momentum from start to finish, avoiding pauses for reflection. You aim to get an overall view of the book, not understand it all.

This approach provides a framework for understanding the book’s structure and resolves many initial questions through context. A fast read also prepares you for a more effective second reading if needed.

Superficial reading is the first step towards analytical reading, where you deeply comprehend and interpret the book’s contents. It helps navigate complex texts by offering a bird’s-eye view, setting the stage for deeper understanding in subsequent readings.

  1. What kind of book is this?
  2. What is it about?
  3. What is the structure of the book?
  4. What are the key sections that I have trouble with?
  5. What are the key arguments?

The power of superficial reading lies in its ability to quickly give you a comprehensive overview, even if you don’t understand everything initially.

“Every book should be read no more slowly than it deserves, and no more quickly than you can read it with satisfaction and comprehension”

Mortimer Adler

Deciding to Read a Book

The point of intelligent skimming, superficial reading, or both is determining if you want to read the whole book. The critical question you are trying to answer is: Does this book deserve more of my time?

Most books will not. And if you think it does, you should be able to answer why.

A good rule is that 8/10 books should not be read beyond this point.

Still curious? See the other levels of reading.

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