The Theory
The Premise of This Guide 1
Reading for a Purpose 1
Considering the Author’s Purpose 2
Developing a “Map” of Knowledge 3
Avoiding Impressionistic Reading and Writing 4
Reading Reflectively 5
Thinking About Reading While Reading 5
Student-Generated Map of Knowledge 6
Faculty-Generated Map of Knowledge 7
Engaging a Text 8
Books Are Teachers 8
Reading Minds 8
The Work of Reading 10
Five Levels of Close Reading 11
Structural Reading 14
How to Read a Sentence 14
How to Read a Paragraph 15
How to Read a Textbook 15
How to Read a Newspaper 17
How to Read an Editorial 18
Taking Ownership of What You Read: Mark It Up 19
Reading to Learn 21
Reading to Understand Systems of Thought 21
Reading Within Disciplines 22
The Art of Close Reading 22
The Practice: Exercises in Close Reading
The Declaration of Independence 25
Civil Disobedience 33
The Nineteenth-Century American 39
The Art of Loving 44
Corn-Pone Opinions 50
The Revolt of the Masses 53
The Idea of Education 56
Appendices
Appendix A: Sample Paraphrases 61
Appendix B: Analyzing the Logic of an Article, Essay, or Chapter 62
Appendix C: Analyzing the Logic of a Textbook 64
Appendix D: Marking Up a Text to Take Ownership of It: Example One 65
Marking Up a Text to Take Ownership of It: Example Two 66
Appendix E: The Logic of Ecology 67
References 68