Five Methods to Read a Book for Grad School

New to Graduate School?

Have you seen your reading list yet? If you're an Arts or Humanities student the next few years will be spent reading a minimum of one monograph a week. Chances are you'll be expected to cover about one thousand pages every seven days. That does not include the presentations you'll have to write about those books, or the précis you are expected to submit.

It's a lot of work. But don't stress. You can get through this. After all, they let you into the program. You are intelligent (maybe too bright, truth be known!) However, there are smart ways to read and there are ways that will slow you down and leave you moaning about impossible post-modern theories.

1. The Keener Method:

   Steps: Open your book. Check out the publication date. If this is the third edition make a note to read the original in your spare time. Take careful notes about how the author changed her dedication. Read the entire book, including acknowledgments and every single footnote. Remember to read some of those sources yourself to make sure the author has not made a mistake. Do not take notes the first read through. Save that for your second read.
   
   Result: The week will have passed. You will realize that you failed to get all your reading done and will go to your seminar terrified that you won't remember the quote about Marx on page 342. This is a bad way to start Grad School. Never use this method more than once. People that drop out tend to never move beyond this method.

2. The Start to Finish Method:

   Steps: Like the Keener, start at the very beginning. You may skip the acknowledgments if you're pressed for time. Develop a color-coded sticky-tab system to mark pages that stand out. (Very useful if reading a library book.) Take copious amounts of notes. If you write in the book, underline at least 10 lines per page. If writing in the book is a federal offence in your mind, take plenty of notes. Re-writing passages will help you remember them. When finished the book, read your notes over and over.
   
   Result: This is too time consuming. Yes, you'll have made your way through Foucault, but there's no time to even look at those seven articles that are a response to A History of Sexuality.

3. The Last Things First Method or The Smart Way to Read:

   Steps: Pick up the book. Remember, you have no idea what this book is about. Read the first paragraph of the introduction. If you still have no clue, welcome to academic writing. Skip to the last paragraph of the intro. Has the author left a nice summary statement? If yes, great! If not, don't worry. Turn to the end of the book. Read the conclusion in its entirety. Now go back and read the intro. Congratulations. You can now read the book and you'll be able to understand what the discourse is about. But there's more.
   
   You are not going to read the entire book. At least, you will not read each and every word. (Trust me. I learned this in grad school from the head of the grad studies program. I am not giving bad advice, I swear!) Approach the chapters the same way you approach the book as a whole. Read the first paragraph of each section carefully, skim the rest, and read the conclusion carefully as well.
   
   If you take notes, write them in the margins of the book in your own words. Only note key concepts. You can read an entire book in five hours if you practice this method. Of course, if you have the time, devote more time to content. But you won't have time.
   
   
   Bonus tip: If you are presenting on the book, or think this one book will actually be of use to your project read peer reviews of the book from academic journals once you're done. Read several to get a balanced sample. Also, remember to construct your own opinion.
   
   Result: You will shine in the seminar. In grad school, no one cares about the content. It's about the methodology, the thesis statement, and the broad themes. You'll be surprised by how well you understand the material.

4. Condensed Last Things First:

   Steps: Similar to Method 3 but you only read the Introduction and Conclusion.
   
   Results: If necessary, you can get through a seminar having only read the Introduction and Conclusion. However, you are paying good money to go to school, and this method should be reserved only for books you just don't have time to devote hours to. I have, in a pinch, read enough on the bus to campus to get me through, but you'll feel stupid not understanding half the discussion. If you love to talk in class this could be problematic. Save for an emergency.

5. The Google Method:

   Steps: Don't buy the book or burn energy going to the library. Type the title into your favorite search engine. Read the pages of generic reviews that you see. If you're lucky there's a wiki page dedicated to it as well. One hour of surfing and you're set. If you're particularly energetic, go to the library web site and search the online journals for academic reviews. One should be sufficient. Everyone will feel the same about the book, after all.
   
   Result: This is stupid. Why are you in grad school if this method is the one that appeals to you? Those who rely on this method also tend to ask people in their cohort why they're stressed and look like they haven't slept in weeks and get slapped for it. Side effects of this include failing out and/or the contempt of your entire cohort.