i found it
i found the most amazing description of what im doing at school right now. i couldnt have put it better. this is what im doing by majoring in comparative literature.
there is a commonsense roadmap to the various "levels" of reading in light of what the book deserves. for example, some books need only an inspectional reading. some might call this skimming, but that gives the impression of it being less of an investment than it really is. its actually skimming systematically. ofen there is a good deal that can be learned about a book on the surface, and many books do not require that you go much further. if the most basic level of reading is, What does this sentence say? the question at the inspectional level is WHat is this book about? while this is a skill to be developed, the mechanics are simple.
if the book does warrant more than an inspectional reading, take the work to the next level, which is analytical reading. this is a thorough, complete reading=the best reading you can accomplish. it is intensely active readin, engagin the text with numerous questions. this level is seldom needed when you are after information; it is to be reserved for the deepest levels of understanding. the highest and most complex level of reading would be syntopical, or comparative reading. this is when you read many books, seeking to place one book in a larger conversation with others that deal with related issues and ideas. from this you can construct an analysis that may not be in any of the books. as a result, i tend to make this investment based not only on the worth of the book but the ideas it engages. - james emery white.
there you have it. i am daily doing the most complex level of reading in order to come up with something in none of the book. a books value is also found in the ideas it make you think about.
im going to go read, at a very high level at that. ha!
there is a commonsense roadmap to the various "levels" of reading in light of what the book deserves. for example, some books need only an inspectional reading. some might call this skimming, but that gives the impression of it being less of an investment than it really is. its actually skimming systematically. ofen there is a good deal that can be learned about a book on the surface, and many books do not require that you go much further. if the most basic level of reading is, What does this sentence say? the question at the inspectional level is WHat is this book about? while this is a skill to be developed, the mechanics are simple.
if the book does warrant more than an inspectional reading, take the work to the next level, which is analytical reading. this is a thorough, complete reading=the best reading you can accomplish. it is intensely active readin, engagin the text with numerous questions. this level is seldom needed when you are after information; it is to be reserved for the deepest levels of understanding. the highest and most complex level of reading would be syntopical, or comparative reading. this is when you read many books, seeking to place one book in a larger conversation with others that deal with related issues and ideas. from this you can construct an analysis that may not be in any of the books. as a result, i tend to make this investment based not only on the worth of the book but the ideas it engages. - james emery white.
there you have it. i am daily doing the most complex level of reading in order to come up with something in none of the book. a books value is also found in the ideas it make you think about.
im going to go read, at a very high level at that. ha!