1. Part 1: The dimensions of reading
1.1. 1. The activity and art of reading
1.1.1. Active reading
1.1.2. The goals of reading: reading for information and reading for understanding
1.1.3. Reading as learning: the difference between learning by instruction and learning by discovery
1.1.4. Present and absent teachers
1.2. 2. The levels of reading
1.3. 3. The first level of reading: elementary reading
1.3.1. Stages of learning to read
1.3.2. Higher levels of reading and higher education
1.3.3. Reading and the democratic ideal of education
1.4. 4. The second level of reading: inspectional reading
1.4.1. Inspectional reading I: systematic skimming or pre-reading
1.4.2. Inspectional reading II: superficial reading
1.4.3. On reading speeds
1.4.4. Fixations and regressions
1.4.5. The problem of comprehension
1.4.6. Summary of inspectional reading
1.5. 5. How to be a demanding reader
1.5.1. The essence of active reading: the four basic questions a reader asks
1.5.2. How to make a book your own
1.5.3. The three kinds of note-making
1.5.4. Forming the habit of reading
1.5.5. From many rules to one habit
2. Part 2: The third level of reading: analytical reading
2.1. 6. Pigeonholing a book
2.1.1. The importance of classifying books
2.1.2. What you can learn from the title of a book
2.1.3. Practical vs. theoretical books
2.1.4. Kinds of theoretical books
2.2. 7. X-raying a book
2.2.1. Of plots and plans: stating the unity of a book
2.2.2. Mastering and multiplicity: the art of outlining a book
2.2.3. The reciprocal arts of reading and writing
2.2.4. Discovering the author's intentions
2.2.5. The first stage of analytical reading
2.3. 8. Coming to terms with an author
2.3.1. Words vs. terms
2.3.2. Finding the key words
2.3.3. Technical words and special vocabularies
2.3.4. Finding the meanings
2.4. 9. Determining an author's message
2.4.1. Sentences vs. prepositions
2.4.2. Finding the key sentences
2.4.3. Finding the propositions
2.4.4. Finding the arguments
2.4.5. Finding the solutions
2.4.6. The second stage of analytical reading
2.5. 10. Criticizing a book fairly
2.5.1. Teachability as a virtue
2.5.2. The role of rhetoric
2.5.3. The importance of suspending judgment
2.5.4. The importance of avoiding contentiousness
2.5.5. On the resolution of disagreements
2.6. 11. Agreeing or disagreeing with an author
2.6.1. Prejudice and judgment
2.6.2. Judging the author's soundness
2.6.3. Judging the author's completeness
2.6.4. The third stage of analytical reading
2.7. 12. Aids to reading
2.7.1. The role of relevant experience
2.7.2. Other books as extrinsic aids to reading
2.7.3. How to use commentaries and abstracts
2.7.4. How to use reference books
2.7.5. How to use a dictionary
2.7.6. How to use an encyclopedia
3. Part 3: Approaches to different kinds of reading matter
3.1. 13. How to read practical books
3.1.1. The two kinds of practical books
3.1.2. The role of persuasion
3.1.3. What does agreement entail in the case of a practical book?
3.2. 14. How to read imaginative literature
3.2.1. How not to read imaginative literature
3.2.2. General rules for reading imaginative literature
3.3. 15. Suggestions for reading stories, plays and poems
3.3.1. How to read stories
3.3.2. A note about epics
3.3.3. How to read plays
3.3.4. A note about tragedy
3.3.5. How to read lyric poetry
3.4. 16. How to read history
3.4.1. The elusiveness of historical facts
3.4.2. Theories of history
3.4.3. The universal in history
3.4.4. Questions to ask of a historical book
3.4.5. How to read biography and autobiography
3.4.6. How to read about current events
3.4.7. A note on digests
3.5. 17. How to read science and mathematics
3.5.1. Understanding the scientific enterprise
3.5.2. Suggestions for reading classical scientific books
3.5.3. Facing the problem of mathematics
3.5.4. Handling mathematics in scientific books
3.5.5. A note on popular science
3.6. 18. How to read philosophy
3.6.1. The questions philosophers ask
3.6.2. Modern philosophy and the great tradition
3.6.3. On philosophical method
3.6.4. On philosophical styles
3.6.5. Hints for reading philosophy
3.6.6. On making up your own mind
3.6.7. A note on theology
3.6.8. How to read "canonical" books
3.7. 19. How to read social science
3.7.1. What is social science?
3.7.2. The apparent ease of reading social science
3.7.3. Difficulties of reading social science
3.7.4. Reading social science literature
4. Part 4: The ultimate goals of reading
4.1. 20. The fourth level of reading: syntopical reading
4.1.1. The role of inspection in syntopical reading
4.1.2. The five steps in syntopical reading
4.1.3. The need for objectivity
4.1.4. An example of an exercise in syntopical reading: the idea of progress
4.1.5. The syntopicon and how to use it
4.1.6. On the principles that underlie syntopical reading
4.1.7. Summary of syntopical reading
4.2. 21. Reading and the growth of the mind
4.2.1. What good books can do for us
4.2.2. The pyramid of books
4.2.3. The life and growth of the mind