How Most People Read

To understand how we can improve the reading process, it helps to (1) look at how most people tend to read and (2) explore flaws in that approach.

How most people read

The typical reader's process may look something like this:

• Acquires a book. This may come as a gift, as a recommendation (from a friend or a bestseller list), browsing used bookstores in Tokyo, etc.

• Immediately begins to read linearly. Reader starts from page one and reads linearly, page by page until (a) she gets bored and stops reading or (b) she finishes the book.

  • Reads passively. Our reader reads passively (typically without pen or paper), focusing only on consuming the stream of words from the page. Little or no effort is made to compare, contrast, integrate, question, etc.

• Never returns to the book. After finishing a book, our reader never (or rarely) returns to it.

How an 'expert' might read

Now, how might someone more experienced at reading read?

Well, it might look something like this:

• Rarely, if ever, finishes the whole book.

• Doesn't follow a system or a rule-set.

• Revisits important sections multiple times.