June
13
How to Read a Book
Twentieth Century Fox acquisitions exec Tony Safford, a man of many hidden talents, has written a useful instruction manual on how to read a book. I'd like to think that this arcane practice is familiar to many of you, but given that it seems to be going out of style in our Internet age--how many of us spend time on Facebook that might be put to better use?--I asked him for permission to post it here.
Instruction ManualHOW TO READ A BOOK
Things You'll Need To Get Started:
- A book
- A chair
- A light (as required)
- Reading glasses (if needed)
1) Select a book. Books average 288 pages and come in a variety of sizes, usually rectangular. Their titles are almost always different. The average size of a paperback book is 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and weighs 8 ounces. Hardbacks, the more durable of the two, are larger - averaging 7" x 10" - and weighing significantly more: 20 ounces on average, due to their size, paper stock and cover material. Thickness can vary but, as a general rule of thumb, the thicker the book the longer it takes to read. Hardbacks often have a dust jacket and, for more than purely aesthetic reasons (see below), avoid selecting one without it. Type face can also vary (there are dozens!) but the most commonly used is Times New Roman, size 12.
For the purposes of this instruction, I suggest you pick an average size contemporary book, no matter paperback or hardback, but not a large, heavy tome or an over-sized art book. Do not select a "coffee table book" which is not meant for reading (it's meant for the coffee table).
2) One can read standing up; on a bus bench; in bed; while eating a meal; fishing; drinking tea; even jumping on one foot; none of which I recommend for various reasons, certainly not for extended periods of time. Some can read while in a car but none should read while driving it. It's difficult to read while doing physical activity such as swimming or parachuting; or while concentrating on something else (sewing) or not at all (sleeping).
You can read in the bathtub but not in the shower. Personally, I recommend reading on a plane, particularly on long plane rides, particularly when sitting in Business Class.
You may wish to begin by sitting in a comfortable chair, preferably one with arm rests. Pick wisely. What is "comfortable" for you may not be for another; that of course is subjective, a matter of taste, style and, well, comfort.
3) Adjust the lighting as necessary, taking into account your eyesight (you may require reading glasses for example) and, importantly, the time of day. At night you will most likely need a light. The point of lighting is to illuminate the words. You may, therefore, wish to purchase a specially designed “reading lamp.”
4) Adjust audio environment as necessary or as preferred. You are likely to prefer silence or soft music over, by way of example, a barking dog or crying baby (neither of which are often found in Business Class).
5) Hold book stationary, approximately 12-16 inches from your eyes, positioned downward towards your stomach, with your head also stationary and bent downward at exactly a 15 degree angle (see diagram #1).
6) To open and begin reading a book is a challenging experience, requiring patience and much trial and error. First, hold the book with the spine (or binding) in a VERTICAL position. On contemporary paperbacks, locate the bar code on the outside cover of the book (for hardbacks, bar codes can be similarly found on the dust jackets).
Holding the book with the spine vertical, rotate the book so that the bar code is in the bottom right-hand outside corner. The spine should be away from you, at the far end of the book (see diagram #2).*Now, with your hands gently holding each side of the book, carefully open the book, moving your hands outward and away so that ALL pages are on the right hand side (use your thumb to hook and hold the pages). Continue opening the book so that the covers are at angle of approximately 70 degrees (see diagram #3). DO NOT open the book more than 90 degrees as this can harm the spine.
Congratulations, you are almost ready to read. Curiously, most books don't begin on page 1. Most books begin with a blank page followed by a title page. Some, oddly enough, have several title pages! In the first few pages of a book, one can find the publisher and copyright information, often followed by a short bio of the author and a list of other books he or she has written. Many books have a dedication, acknowledgements or quotes, some have a table of contents and list of maps and illustrations, and some have an introduction by the author, an editor or noted scholar. (Personally, I skip introductions and think they are a waste of time.) All this, however, begs the question, where does the book actually begin and how do we know it? I cannot convincingly answer this question. The books I've researched have begun as early as page 3 and as late as page 78 (i.e. after a VERY long - and skipped - introduction).
7) Wherever you determine the book begins, begin reading there. Stop when you choose to or when tired, bored, finished or, as often the case, interrupted.
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* Once you have mastered this maneuver, try it with a hardback without a dust jacket. The position of the spine - vertical and away from you - remains the same. The same applies for older hardbacks with a dust jacket but WITHOUT a bar code which didn't come into widespread use until the 80s.
Safford/Text/Image Los Angeles June 2008
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re: #2 - I think I've read in just about all those positions/situations, except while jumping on one foot. I've probably done that, too. Not parachuting, though. And I have to say, reading while swimming might be difficult, but reading while floating? Heavenly. ;)
Posted by: Jandy | June 13, 2008 at 05:58 PM
Alas, after cataract surgery, even the glasses haven't gotten me back to real-book-a-day speed. The new non-book technology is a boon for the elderly who crave their mystery plots one way or another. And I suspect eBooks are environmentally more friendly.
Posted by: Dani | June 19, 2008 at 09:37 AM