How to judge whether a book is worth reading

everything in the world is nothing but laziness, delaying reading. Books are the essence of human wisdom for thousands of years, and the significance of reading is self-evident.

in the face of today's mountain of books, how to make a choice? How to judge whether a book is worth reading?

the following is the experience that Douyou Wenzel shared in Douban [reading]. Douban thing is a place to share skills and record life. there are tens of thousands of interesting stories and practical strategies. What's public account searches for "Douban things" and follows them, but receives stories or strategies from hot things every day.

how to judge whether a book is worth reading

Wen /Wenzel

in a broad sense, no book is not worth reading. Even if it is a high school politics book, there is something to read. Even a blank paper book will gain some experience after flipping through it: the thing of "reading a blank paper book" is a special experience, and it is interesting to recall.

to judge whether a book is worth reading, I just hope it will live up to my expectations. Because I run a private library, I often encounter members asking whether a book is worth reading. Over time, I also have some experience in the work of "recommending booksellers". To sum up, the judgment of "readability" often boils down to the following (self-testing) questions:

1. Is this book in line with my reading preferences so far? Is it in my "sweet area"?

A reader who is used to reading cold reasoning in Europe and the United States suddenly tries a Japanese case reasoning. If he is not psychologically prepared beforehand, it will be difficult to swallow.

if you want to read an unread book in your "sweet area", just choose the category and author you are familiar with. Although there may be a lack of surprises, at least there will be no mistakes. "the regret of tearing up a book" is probably very difficult to encounter.

if you want to try a new category or author, the safe way is to find your peers or to recommend books that are familiar with each other. Book friends who often communicate and communicate with each other are generally familiar with each other's reading tastes and preferences, and there is usually nothing wrong with asking them to recommend them.

Book reviews are often a way to select and identify whether a book is suitable for you. However, nowadays, many book reviews in newspapers and on the Internet are invited by publishers or authors. although they are not necessarily "soft articles," they are too subjective, and book reviewers sometimes pick the "strengths" of books because of friendship. They do not talk about problems such as poor writing and unfamiliar backgrounds, and they are often disappointed by book reviews.

2. Does the trial part of the book appeal to me? After reading the trial, do you have the desire to wait to read on?

now, whether you buy a book in a bookstore or buy a physical or e-book on Amazon, JD.com, and other websites, you can read the first few pages of the book, that is, the so-called "trial reading" part. As we all know, the beginning of a book is often the most painstaking and painstaking part of the author or editor. Before a book is finished, it often changes its manuscript at the beginning to make the first few pages very attractive.

reading is indeed getting better (especially for some pure literature books, social science research books, or short collections), but if you can't read most books at the beginning, there is often no need to read later: there are thousands of good books in the world, and there is no need to read them patiently.

With our mother of the bride dresses for beach wedding you know that you made a perfect choice. Different varieties of shapes and cuts for you to take your pick.

this is like the relationship between people, each blossoming in his own eyes-the best books in the eyes of others are not necessarily suitable for him. In the current era of information explosion, you can't be surprised at the beginning, just abandon books decisively.

3. After reading the closed book, close your eyes and think about the contents of the book. do you feel that some part of yourself has taken on a new look?

many books can be read, many of which exist just to kill time. Although they are refreshing when they are read, they don't remember anything after reading them. This is like watching a variety show on TV, which can relax, but it is difficult to gain knowledge. after the end of the program, there is likely to be a sense of guilt about wasting time in the dead of night.

A book that is worth reading, not only do you enjoy it after reading it, but you can still remember it after while-in other words, it becomes a part of your memory (soul). It's a good book worth reading.

the first two problems are nothing more than using experience to reduce sunk costs. The key is the last three questions: if the answer to these three questions is yes to you, then please read on. Even if the answer to the last question is no, the book is at least worth killing time-make sure it takes time, and you have nothing to lose.

go back to the original formulation: even if it is a blank paper book, if it allows you to read it with relish, months or even years later, you can still recall a short period when you first read the blank paper book. And think that you are different before and after reading it, then this blank book is worth reading. In the final analysis, it is also to make their value judgment method to judge a specific book.

[supplement]

many people have mentioned "reading the classics". In terms of reasons, Calvino's "Why read the classics" has been mentioned a lot, so I will not repeat them here. However, even if there is a good reason, you do not have to force yourself to read it. if you are really not interested and unable to read it at a certain age and in a certain state of experience, and you still want to finish reading three meals at a time, you will get twice the result with half the effort and only take time to finish it.

read a book, the bottom is a matter of fate and understanding: before the accumulation of foot strength, you insist on climbing the peak bravely, and in the end, you have to do it all over again, or even timid, and you don't even dare to touch it again-not only does the loss outweigh the gain, it is simply stupid.