Go into lawyer mode. Be a grad student, one of those hapless people that pay good money to be assigned all those books the prof has spent her life reading. She wants you to discuss them in 10 days. Yes, as an undergrad, you snubbed your girlfriend and spent the days reading and noting down important points. But now, sharing the cooking and caring for two girls and carrying a part-time job, you really don't have time.
Time to rev up the engine, the alertness of what you are about.
Look at the title. Guess what the points are that the author wants to make. Look at the preface. What did the author say he was going to say? Do you buy the idea? If so, move on. If not, look closely to see what evidence and arguments are presented.
Take a look at the table of contents. See what parts jump out at you. They might be the parts you comment on, you remember and summarize to your friends.
Don't get distracted. Ok, if you find a well-done paragraph or section, one that is gripping or extra well-written, mark it. On a Kindle, highlight it with a fingertip
You are not a bad person if you skip! If you can see that the page or the chapter says what you thought it would say, you are licensed to move on. In fact, you are required to move on.
I witnessed a smart, sharp guy today say with a bit of chagrin [low grade embarrassment, shame] that he hadn't read xxxxx as he should have. I disagree although I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself. A quick question, a quick answer and he was back on track. He and I and you are old, ok, oldish, and in these our final hours, we only have time to read the highlights. Besides, at our age, we may well forget what we read anyway. Besides, with our vast experience and sharp critical minds, if we take the time to read the boilerplate, we may find holes in it and unanswered questions popping up and out-dated info.
It is right and just and part of our purpose in life, to stop and savor any parts that are truly beautiful. When your throat constricts, when, as Emily Dickinson said, you get goose bumps or tears in the eye, halt. No fooling then. Read slowly, respectfully, hungrily. Digest the good. At those places, no more studying, more like inhaling. That's where the author and you are beyond practical purpose and into beauty. Can happen at any point in the text.
--
