Eph (they, them) reviewed How to Read a Book by Charles Van Doren
Review of 'How to Read a Book' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Essential for academic reading and study
Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren: How to Read a Book (AudiobookFormat, 2021, Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Publishing)
audio cd, 1 pages
Published Oct. 12, 2021 by Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Publishing.
Essential for academic reading and study
After 1/4 of the book, I can't suffer through this any longer. It is stuffy, overwrought, and poorly written. The authors overindulge themselves with explanations or judgments, or belabor the point they're attempting to make. As an author that claimed to write to the "common man," the author's idea of the common person and the reality are worlds apart.
In one case, the authors harp on that an author and a reader have a joint responsibility to reach mutual understanding, but they continue on that ultimately the reader is responsible. If the editing of this book is anything to go by, they mean it when they indict readers for understanding.
Judicious editing would do this book a world of good. To that end, I recommend you check out the multitude of other reviews where folks helpfully outline this book, explain its import, and perform an admirable job of explaining the …
After 1/4 of the book, I can't suffer through this any longer. It is stuffy, overwrought, and poorly written. The authors overindulge themselves with explanations or judgments, or belabor the point they're attempting to make. As an author that claimed to write to the "common man," the author's idea of the common person and the reality are worlds apart.
In one case, the authors harp on that an author and a reader have a joint responsibility to reach mutual understanding, but they continue on that ultimately the reader is responsible. If the editing of this book is anything to go by, they mean it when they indict readers for understanding.
Judicious editing would do this book a world of good. To that end, I recommend you check out the multitude of other reviews where folks helpfully outline this book, explain its import, and perform an admirable job of explaining the authors better than they do themselves.
As for me, I've got better things, and books, to do with my time.
This book brings reading to a whole new level, if following the advices in further readings (which one should do if they agree with the authors).
Great book about how to read a book, and in general, how to achieve better understanding of world via reading books.
one of the worst bits of writing I have seen as well as pretentious and kind of stupid