John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Brilliant Communication

Idea 59: Reading in depth

A good book is the lifeblood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up for a life beyond life.

John Milton, English poet

Some articles, reports or books merit both careful reading and reflective thinking. They are literally food for thought.

Ask yourself

• Am I clear about my purpose in reading any piece of writing with this depth of interest and attention?
• Have I some definite questions in mind that I am seeking to answer?
• Are they the right questions?
• Do I continually ask myself questions as I read to stay focused on the subject?
• Do I read to glean the main ideas? Can I identify the main idea in each chapter, and the contributing ...