Want to know how to critique a book the right way? Why is it important to critique the books you read? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Mortimer Adler, the author of How to Read a Book,<\/em> your job as a reader is to determine which of her problems the author has solved, which she has not, and decide if the author knew she had failed to solve them\u2014 because there is no book that is free of fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how you properly critique a book according to Adler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Up until this point, you\u2019ve been keeping your mouth shut while you read and absorbing the author’s work. After you finish understanding a book, you can argue with the author and express yourself by learning how to critique a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading a book is like a conversation. Your obligation as a reader is to talk back, even though the author isn\u2019t there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no book so good that no fault can be found with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve been conditioned to think that teachable students are those who passively swallow knowledge without independent judgment. The opposite is true – the teachable reader is the most critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your job is to determine which of her problems the author has solved, which she has not, and decide if the author knew she had failed to solve them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Until you\u2019ve completed your understanding, you don\u2019t have the right to say \u201cI agree,\u201d \u201cI disagree,\u201d or \u201cI suspend judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine how silly this sentiment is: \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re saying, but I disagree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Much like a conversation, you need to give the author the chance to express herself fully before passing judgment. If you interrupted the author at each sentence to say she\u2019s wrong, you\u2019re not having a conversation that can lead to learning.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, you must finish the other tasks above (outlining the book, defining main terms, understanding the main arguments) before criticizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The knowledge to understand the author may be present in other works by the author. For example, you can\u2019t criticize Marx\u2019s The Communist Manifesto<\/em> without having understood his Capital<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Criticizing a book means to comment, \u201cI agree,\u201d \u201cI disagree,\u201d or \u201cI suspend judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not be contentious or combative for its own sake.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you agree or disagree, you must give reasons for your disagreement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you disagree with the author, your criticism must fit into a set of categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t support any of these remarks, then you are obligated to agree with the author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know how to critique a book the right way? Why is it important to critique the books you read? According to Mortimer Adler, the author of How to Read a Book, your job as a reader is to determine which of her problems the author has solved, which she has not, and decide if the author knew she had failed to solve them\u2014 because there is no book that is free of fault. This is how you properly critique a book according to Adler.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":40019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,34,15],"tags":[395],"class_list":["post-39908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-communication","category-education","tag-how-to-read-a-book","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nCritiquing a Book<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Complete Your Understanding First<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Criticize Well<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Categories of Disagreement<\/h4>\n\n\n\n