How To Read A Book  (The classic guide to intelligent reading.)   UBF Staff meeting -Group discussion 6-2012

BT:  Reviewed all the different types of reading.  He summarized it.  Lets’ skip elementary reading and go onto  inspectional reading. This is important.

KJ: I am elementary. I need to read for understanding. This book is a good opportunity get beyond elementary reading.

Not many people many people like this but we need to get though it, and grow for understanding

It is about reading all types of books, not just any kind of book.

Sl: Read the great book series.  He was reading one book a week. There are 100 books that we should really read.

kj : Reading the book like this is like reading a book three times.

sb We need to skim the book and determine if we really want to read the book or not.

dk: There are different ways to read a book. Sometimes we are uncomfortable in criticizing an author. If we are critical is difficult to accept what the writer says.

sb: Understand what the writer is trying to say book is he wants us read analytically and synoptically. We need to decide what type of book it is, pigeon holing.

th: This is not reading a book it is studying a book.

ml: Synoptically reading  the highest form of reading. It is the level of reading in Phd studies.

sl: We must make a decision if we want to read the book.

sb; this applies to Bible reading. How is the book structured?

pc;  Kids can speed read. It is skimming.  We need to go beyond superficial reading.

sb: Superficial is not a bad word.

ja: He is a slow reader. He wants to take the course. We want to read so many books.  We cannot read quickly.  But this book is helping us how to think instead of memory power like taking out CD and repeating what is on it. We can grow in thinking power. As long as we study one book deeply.

sb: It incorporates inductive reading style.

ja: There are other aids available. But we must do our best before opening a commentary and then go to the resources.

bt:  You are limited to your own mind and emotions,Readinghelps you to be a full man, then we have a conference and we become ready men and when we write we become exact men. Discuss it with others

dk: Active reading. Writer is pitcher and reader is a catcher. Writer is farmer who plants seeds. Reader is a plant that grows in size and bears fruit. We digest what the writer wants to emphasize. This is active reading. Critical thinking is necessary in order to digest it.

sl: What do we do. This book can be too academic.  Let’s get practical.  We need to go beyond understanding and go to the practical. We must even go beyond understanding to enlightenment. Understanding a book is not the only thing. You get the best education possible. You can talk and enlighten your mind…so what.  There are many ways of success. You can have the knowledge of encyclopedia Britannica but …so what. We need to practically and active understanding.

TH: Each book must touch your heart and mind.

pc:Readingis like a teacher and catcher. We must start with the premise that the writer didn’t write in a way that the reader did not understand.

th: Some people can understand what he thinks. But the author states that he they don’t understand.

bt: We need to explain the book in an interesting way or you will lose people.
sl: Academics is the highest form of writing,.

bt: He is writing it academically. People recommend this book because people don’t read. You can enrich your own life by reading, ‘

SL: You should choose the book right. He gave a 100 book s you should read. Just reading a lot does not mean that you become wiser. It is possible to read a lot and not be wise. (Greeks called this a sophomore.)

bt: how to read and gauge your maturity. How do you read that your knowledge does not puff us up, but nurtures us and helps us grow in spiritual maturity?

th: How can a younger men read this book and not be crushed and totally turned off. We need a modern version. We need a toned down version.

bt: I have been in theWheatoncohort and Bonheoffer’s book had intrigued me. I want everyone to read it. It is 90 pages.  It is easy to read but still people do not want to read at all. Read the book, “Life Together”.  It is 90 pages and it is grounded and it helps you to live out what you read.

This generation has zero interest in reading. How do you get them to even read? There are too many multiple choices. It is easier to watch a movie about reading a book than reading a book.

th: One people asked, “why  are the  angels Gabriel and Michel in conflict?” When asked where they got this information they say, “The movies say so.”  They get their views from media and movies. They should be getting them from books. How do we help them?

pc: They are so plugged in.  If they don’t have a cell phone they get nervous. How can we get them to focus on books?

sb: We must not let it go of our Bible reading time. It takes discipline. Make Bible reading time first.

bt: We can read the Bible deeply and broadly. We can read ten chapters all at once , or one chapter, or a verse. Either way, we need to put the time into it.

sb: (She gets intrigued by making connections in the Bible.) We need to be intrigued.

bt: if we go straight  into the bible we get uninspired and bored. We can start with something else that warms our heart and then get into the Bible. We may read in a different translation. We cannot read with a sense of duty. It must be driven by delight and devotion.

SL: We have a crisis of people not reading a Bible. Whether we are moved or not moved. There is rampant biblical illiteracy. We need to get back to the bible.

ja: Some students think that the Bible makes people sleep. But then he read something in the world and went back to the Bible to find the truth. Also in a class some students were criticizing. A professor asked did you it read one time. I read it 80 times, Go back and it read one time, cover to cover and then you may begin to criticize.

dk: I want to summarize the book. We need to have clear purpose and then we can be good reader. Reading the book should be a mental exercise. Choosing a good book is very important. Example, “Imitation of Christ” . I read this book for ten years. We can be motivated.