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Unit6HOWTOMARKABOOKMortimerJ.AdlerDon'tevermarkinabook!Thousandsofteachers,librariansandparentshavesoadvised.ButMortimerAdlerdisagrees.Hethinkssolongasyouownthebookandneedn'tpreserveitsphysicalappearance,markingitproperlywillgrantyoutheownershipofthebookinthetruesenseofthewordandmakeitapartofyourself.Youknowyouhavetoreadbetweenthelinestogetthemostoutofanything.Iwanttopersuadeyoutodosomethingequallyimportantinthecourseofyourreading.Iwanttopersuadeyoutowritebetweenthelines.Unlessyoudo,youarenotlikelytodothemostefficientkindofreading.Youshouldn'tmarkupabookwhichisn'tyours.Librarians(oryourfriends)wholendyoubooksexpectyoutokeepthemclean,andyoushould.IfyoudecidethatIamrightabouttheusefulnessofmarkingbooks,youwillhavetobuythem.Therearetwowaysinwhichonecanownabook.Thefirstisthepropertyrightyouestablishbypayingforit,justasyoupayforclothesandfurniture.Butthisactofpurchaseisonlythepreludetopossession.Fullownershipcomesonlywhenyouhavemadeitapartofyourself,andthebestwaytomakeyourselfapartofitisbywritinginit.Anillustrationmaymakethepointclear.Youbuyabeefsteakandtransferitfromthebutcher'siceboxtoyourown.Butyoudonotownthebeefsteakinthemostimportantsenseuntilyouconsumeitandgetitintoyourbloodstream.Iamarguingthatbooks,too,mustbeabsorbedinyourbloodstreamtodoyouanygood.Therearethreekindsofbookowners.Thefirsthasallthestandardsetsandbest-sellers--unread,untouched.(Thisindividualownswood-pulpandink,notbooks.)Thesecondhasagreatmanybooks--afewofthemreadthrough,mostofthemdippedinto,butallofthemascleanandshinyasthedaytheywerebought.(Thispersonwouldprobablyliketomakebookshisown,butisrestrainedbyafalserespectfortheirphysicalappearance.)Thethirdhasafewbooksormany--everyoneofthemdog-earedanddilapidated,shakenandloosenedbycontinualuse,markedandscribbledinfromfronttoback.(Thismanownsbooks.)Isitfalserespect,youmayask,topreserveintactabeautifullyprintedbook,anelegantlyboundedition?Ofcoursenot.I'dnomorescribblealloverafirsteditionofParadiseLostthanI'dgivemybabyasetofcrayonsandanoriginalRembrandt!Iwouldn'tmarkupapaintingorastatue.Itssoul,sotospeak,isinseparablefromitsbody.Andthebeautyofarareeditionorofarichlymanufacturedvolumeislikethatofpaintingorastatue.Ifyourrespectformagnificentbindingorprintinggetsintheway,buyyourselfacheapeditionandpayyourrespectstotheauthor.Whyismarkingupabookindispensabletoreading?First,itkeepsyouawake.(AndIdon'tmeanmerelyconscious;Imeanwideawake.)Inthesecondplace,reading,ifitisactive,isthinking,andthinkingtendstoexpressitselfinwords,spokenorwritten.Themarkedbookisusuallythethought-throughbook.Finally,writinghelpsyourememberthethoughtsyouhad,orthethoughtstheauthorexpressed.Letmedevelopthesethreepoints.Ifreadingistoaccomplishanythingmorethanpassingtime,itmustbeactive.youcan'tletyoureyesglideacrossthelinesofabookandcomeupwithanunderstandingofwhatyouhaveread.Nowanordinarypieceoflightfiction,like,say,GonewiththeWind,doesn'trequirethemostactivekindofreading.Thebooksyoureadforpleasurecanbereadinastateofrelaxation,andnothingislost.Butagreatbook,richinideasandbeauty,abookthatraisesandtriestoanswergreatfundamentalquestions,demandsthemostactivereadingofwhichyouarecapable.Youdon'tabsorbtheideasofJohnDeweythewayyouabsorbthecrooningofMr.Vallee.Youhavetoreachforthem.Thatyoucannotdowhileyou'reasleep.If,whenyou'vefinishedreadingabook,thepagesarefilledwithyournotes,youknowthatyoureadactively.ThemostfamousactivereaderofgreatbooksIknowisPresidentHutchins,oftheUniversityofChicago.HealsohasthehardestscheduleofbusinessactivitiesofanymanIknow.Heinvariablyreadwithpencil,andsometimes,whenhepicksupabookandpencilintheevening,hefindshimself,insteadofmakingintelligentnotes,drawingwhathecallscaviarfactoriesonthemargins.Whenthathappens,heputsthebookdown.Heknowshe'stootiredtoread,andhe'sjustwastingtime.But,youmayask,whyiswritingnecessary?Well,thephysicalactofwriting,withyourownhand,bringswordsandsentencesmoresharplybeforeyourmindandpreservesthembetterinyourmemory.Tosetdownyourreactiontoimportantwordsandsentencesyouhaveread,andthequestionstheyhaveraisedinyourmind,istopreservethosereactionsandsharpenthosequestions.Youcanpickupthebookthefollowingweekoryear,andthereareallyourpointsofagreement,disagreement,doubtandinquiry.It'slikeresuminganinterruptedconversationwiththeadvantageofbeingabletopickupwhereyouleftoff.Andthatisexactlywhatreadingabookshouldbe:aconversationbetweenyouandtheauthor.Presumablyheknowsmoreaboutthesubjectthanyoudo;naturallyyou'llhavetheproperhumilityasyouapproachhim.Butdon'tletanybodytellyouthatareaderissupposedtobesolelyonthereceivingend.Understandingisatwo-wayoperation;learningdoesn'tconsistinbeinganemptyreceptacle.Thelearnerhastoquestionhimselfandquestiontheteacher.Heevenhastoarguewiththeteacher,onceheunderstandswhattheteacherissaying.Andmarkingabookisliterallyanexpressionofyourdifferences,oragreementsofopinion,withtheauthor.Thereareallkindsofdevicesformarkingabookintelligentlyandfruitfully.Here'sthewayIdoit:1.Underlining:ofmajorpoints,ofimportantorforcefulstatements.2.Verticallinesatthemargin:toemphasizeastatementalreadyunderlined.