Reading and Its Profit to Us

Reading can be profitable.    It is not time spent in vain.
Knowing how to read a Book can be helpful.
A wise man once said, "Some books are to be digested, mulled over, contemplated, and considered carefully, but others are sometimes best to spue out."  
Scripture tells us that we are to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, this is our spiritual act of worship."   We must first present ourselves to God, and then, as we are able, use our ability to read to gain knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs Chapter 17 verse 16  tells it this way "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver."
Back in 1947  my husband was attending College and Seminary with a view to becoming a Minister, preaching the Word of God.   He wrote some thoughts down about his education, and one was on How to Read A Book.  

I.   FIND THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK.  
    A.  Discover the Author's past experiences.
    B.  Find the Purpose in order to make progress.
    C.  Find the Purpose in order to increase our interest.
    D.  Find the Purpose in order to have a source of consolation.
    E.  Find the Purpose in order to compare with other Books.

II.  HOW TO READ THE BOOK.
    A.  We should rid our mind of the idea that reading a Book is a strenuous exercise.
    B.    We need to cultivate our reading habits.
    C.   We should begin reading and keep on reading until an interest is cultivated.
    D.   We should begin reading only books that we enjoy.
    E.   We should advance step by step.
    F.   It is better to read 20 books twice than to read 100 so called good books once.
    G.   It is a mistake to toil through Masterpieces unless they can be understood and enjoyed.
    H.   To understand Masterpieces, one must be educated into the appreciation of what is good.
    I.     We should keep our Heart and Mind close to the Hearts and Minds of great men of the past.
    J.    When we begin to read, we should read slowly and deliberately.
   K.    We should have an imagination when we read.
   L.     How we should select our Literature:
           1.   Consider the reasons for the subject matter.
           2.  Consider the element of form and the pleasure attained from it.
           3.   Literature is an expression of Life through the medium of a language, and lives by
                virtue of life which it embodies.
           4.  Literature is an interpretation of life.
   M.   We must understand individuals in the Book.
   N.  A book is a great book in that it has something fresh and original to say.
  O.   We must see and feel with the Author.
   P.   We must throw open our whole Nature to the quickening influence of a good book.
  Q.   We should listen attentively to what the Author has to say.
   R.   We should observe how the world of experience impresses the Author.
   S.    We should establish personal relationship to the characters in the book.
   T.    We should study the author's books in relation to their order of production.
   U.    We should compare and contrast the author with himself and with other authors.
   V.    We should learn the personality of the Author.
  W.    We should cultivate a spirit of sympathy with the Author.  

III.  RAPID READING
       A.  Rapid readers remember more than slow readers.
       B.  Rapid reading leads to alertness.
       C.  Rapid reading can only be attained after much practice.

IV.   READING ALOUD.
       A.  Reading aloud adds charm and music to our speaking.
       B.  Reading aloud helps us to not have a wandering mind.
       C.  We should begin after a long breath.

V.  MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS ON READING.
      A.  We should read books for ourselves.
      B.  Every good book is better the second time than the first.
      C.  We should read each line straight through to the end.
      D.  We should disregard pictures and illustrations until after the matter has been read.