A Brief Note on “Book Cannibalism”

Yes, I’m a believer. It is one thing to have something that needs to be read (i.e., something one desires to read for some end) but quite another to read it and do it well. By doing it “well” I mean taking the topic at hand and breaking it down into smaller, more easily analyzable pieces. Then, after those pieces are thoroughly considered, they may be put back together to form a whole which can be seen more precisely. It is only in this way that I think reading is done “well” since only thorough analysis to the greatest extent possible allows for both immediate understanding, but also better long-term retention of the material.

In a sense, one must get “down and dirty” with the text if any value is to be derived from it. For me, this means having a tangible text which I can annotate in the margins (and a good book is one with large margins and adequate spacing between lines!) with general comments, underline, cross-reference within the book itself, cross-reference to books by the same author, cross-reference to books of different but similar or conflicting authors, cross-reference to secondary sources, and sometimes even highlight or sticky-tab as a start. It is a place where I begin to argue on specific points, raise questions, and break down the author’s assumptions to find out where I agree and disagree on important areas. I’m also a visual learner, and thus for anything over say, 50 or so pages, I think it’s important to have this “tangible” ability to really get “down and dirty” with the text. I can’t even begin to describe the fears I placed in many student’s eyes in college after I gave a philosophy presentation in which they awkwardly confronted me afterwards saying that they “actually” began to understand the material because I had helped them to visualize the arguments and navigate around conceptual inconsistencies. If only they would take the time to do this for themselves, they would know.

Ahh…a curious state of affairs this is….. perhaps I need to go digest a recommendable book on the subject. That is, on the topic of reading about reading, or “Book Cannibalism.” Or maybe I’ll just continue reading the “prime” stuff. Whatever the case, I just wanted to make that point. And I'm glad I did...