How to mark a book and digest it

Last week's column seems to have generated some enthusiasm among readers. Some of them wanted to know how to mark a book while reading. Annotation does not mean only writing comments on the page. It covers many other areas.

There are many devices for annotating a book intelligently. One easy method is to underline difficult words, beautiful phrases, major points of interest and statements you may not agree with. A good reader never skips over difficult words without looking up the meaning in a standard dictionary. There is a misconception that we need not copy the dictionary meaning in the book we are reading. This is far from the truth. When we write the meaning of a word in a book or notebook, it registers in our mind effectively.

The second device is to draw vertical lines on the margin to emphasise an important sentence or a paragraph. This helps the reader during the revision stage. For instance, immediately before an examination we can read only the marked paragraphs to refresh our mind. Underlining also helps us to locate certain paragraphs easily without having to read the entire chapter.

Stars and asterisks

The third device is to draw stars, asterisks and other marks on the margin to emphasise important statements in the book. Some readers have the habit of folding the bottom corner of each page on which they draw stars and asterisks. However, instead of folding the corner of a page, we can insert a bookmark. Most lecturers bring textbooks with many bookmarks inserted in between the pages for easy reference. They know that it is a professional way of referring to printed material.

Mortimer J. Adler: Speed reading is a measure of our intelligence

The fourth method is to use numbers in the margin to indicate the sequence of points the author has made. Most authors use many points to build their argument. The reader has to number them if he wishes to remember the points in order. Students who wish to score high marks in examinations follow this method diligently.

The fifth device is to make cross references in the margin. Sometimes, authors raise an issue on one page and follow it with other comments in a different page. Some authors contradict themselves in later pages. A careful reader will note them by inserting the relevant page number on the margin with a suitable catchline.

Circling key words

Some readers have the habit of circling key words and phrases. Circling should be done carefully without obliterating words and phrases. For this purpose pencils of different colours can be used. Some students use even highlighters for the purpose.

A discerning reader uses the margins of a page to write his questions and answers, important points and debatable issues raised by the author. Some readers use the few blank pages found in the front and the back-end pages for this purpose. When this is done intelligently, the reader can rest assured that he has completed a good job of reading. All his efforts will help him to understand the subject better than a reader who has not taken the trouble to annotate the books he reads.

However much we learn by marking books, there are some die-hard readers who refuse to annotate the books they read. They use another device to remember facts and figures. They make notes in a separate notebook for future reference. Research shows that it is a cumbersome method because the reader has to maintain a separate notebook. What is more, if he misplaces the notebook, all his efforts will be in vain.

Speed reading

The next major problem is the speed of reading. It is a debatable point whether we should read fast or slowly. Many books written on speed reading suggest that we should read fast to understand the contents better. Wade E. Cutler in Triple your reading speed advocates speed reading for a number of reasons.

According to Cutler, speed reading reduces normal reading fatigue. It will also help you to have a lot more leisure and fun time. Then he goes on to give different methods to become a speed reader. However, Mortimer J. Adler, another expert on reading, says that speed reading is a measure of our intelligence.

According to him, there is no such thing as the right speed for intelligent reading. If all of us try to do speed reading, we will not be able to make notes on the books we read. Annotations will be quite impossible. Therefore, we have to follow the via media of reading some books speedily and others slowly. For instance, we can read leisure magazines and newspapers quite fast as we do not have to annotate them. On a Sunday we have to read more than four or five newspapers to know what is happening around us. On such occasions speed matters.

Making notes on the books helps us to understand the subject better. It also has a somewhat funny flipside. Nobody will want to borrow a book heavily marked. If a friend insists that you part with a book for a few days, you have to tell him very politely but firmly to buy a copy for himself. You can lend your bicycle or car but not your books because they are part of your soul!