I joined a Reading Partnership this week. The first book we are reading is called “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer Adler. I totally scoffed at the title the first time I read it – but three chapters later I’m really enjoying it. I’m taking notes as I read and posting them on the Reading Partnership blog – but I’m going to post them on my blog too. Since others are commenting too – I’m not sharing everything I learn, just the things that haven’t been shared yet or that I was to particularily highlight!
I am an avid reader…I read anything and everything! However, in the past few years I find I’m skimming more than reading. I think it’s due to the internet and other ‘easy’ informative avenues. Why excercise my brain to gather information when I can drink at the firehose of the internet!
So, as I started this book – it is with a bit of fear of not finishing or worse yet, not comprehending. The first chapter seemed to be written just for me!! When I consider this book was first written in 1940 – well, think how much easier “information” is to gain now. But understanding – ah, now that is a different story! I can quickly tell you how much the oil prices are today – but understanding WHY the oil is that much money – that takes some more work!
Since the other ladies have covered so much of what I was struck by – I wanted to share something else I found interesting. The author said, “we can learn only from our “betters”. We must know who they are and how to learn from them.” For some reason that has made me pause everytime I reread it. I think I really need to better consider who I’m learning from – and, online, who knows who wrote something!
I really like the idea that “being informed is prerequisite to being enlightened.” Doesn’t that sound so much like how we teach our children!
