“...We must also realize-students, teachers, and laymen alike-that even when we have accomplished the task that lies before us, we will not have accomplished the whole task. We must be more than a nation of functional literates. We must become… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“The characteristics of this kind of reading are perhaps summed up in the word “orthodox,” which is almost always applicable. The word comes from two Greek roots, meaning “right opinion.” These are books for which there is one and only one right reading; any other reading or interpretation is fraught with peril, from the loss of an “A” to the… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share
“We are not told, or not told early enough so that it sinks in, that mathematics is a language, and that we can learn it like any other, including our own. We have to learn our own language twice, first when we learn to speak it, second when we learn to read it. Fortunately, mathematics has to be learned only… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share
“Even when you have been somewhat enlightened by what you have read, you are called upon to continue the serach for significance.” — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“Even a cursory perusal reveals a very great range of reference. There is hardly a single human action that has not been called—in one… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“Reading is like skiing. When done well, when done by an expert, both reading and skiing are graceful, harmonious, activities. When done by a beginner, both are awkward, frustrating, and slow. Learning to ski is one of the most humiliating experiences an adult can undergo (that is one reason to start young). After all, an adult has been walking for… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share
“You must be able to say, with reasonable certainty, "I understand," before you can say "I agree," or "I disagree," or "I suspend judgment.” — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“We hope you have not made the error of supposing that to criticize is always to disagree. (...) To agree is just as much… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“The communion that can be achieved by human conversation is of great significance for our private lives...It is the spiritual parallel of the physical… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“Great speed in reading is a dubious achievement; it is of value only if what you have to read is not worth reading. A… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
“Francis Bacon once remarked that “some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Reading… — Mortimer J. Adler Copy Share Image
