The art of reading non-fiction non-linearly

Re:The art of reading non-fiction non-linearly by kieckerjan on Friday May 28, 2021 @04:43AM (#27313076)

By this standard I am a terribly unsophisticated reader. The majority of the books in my home I did not finish. I used to feel terribly guilty about it. Still do sometimes, but two things helped to ease my unease.

Firstly, I started reading short stories more than novels. A short story can usually be read in one sitting and no-one thinks a collection should be read cover to cover.

Secondly, I realized that most non-fiction is (a) badly written and (b) can be read in a non-linear fashion. Just scan the table of contents and dip into the chapters that catch your attention. Skim first and read closely only if convinced. Use the index for cross referencing. Take notes for extra points.

Oh, and read How To Read A Book, by Mortimer J. Adler.

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Re:The art of reading non-fiction non-linearly by pgrddy on Friday May 28, 2021 @06:26AM (#27313692)

I am inclined to agree with you on your second point-reading non-fiction non-linearly. Also, what makes us feel guilty about the pile of unread/unfinished books is when we subscribe to 'number of books/period of time,' read as a metric.

If I have to add anything, I would say that an unsophisticated reader does not stand by the metric of counting the number of books he reads in a year.

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Re:The art of reading non-fiction non-linearly by anthk on Friday May 28, 2021 @11:01AM (#27316186)

Lovecraft's short stories are perfect to read at random, as they create a lore as a whole.

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