--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The art of reading is to skip…" description: "\"“The art of reading is to skip judiciously. Whole libraries may be skipped these days, when we have the results of them in our modern culture without g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/philip-gilbert-hamerton-19140_art_the-art-of-reading-is-to-skip-judiciousl_1404755.png" --- # The art of reading is to skip judiciously. Whole libraries… ![“The art of reading is to skip judiciously. Whole libraries may be skipped these days, when we have the results of them in our modern culture without going over the ground again. And even of the books we decide to read, there are almost always large portions which do not concern us, and which we…” quote by Philip Gilbert Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/philip-gilbert-hamerton-19140_art_the-art-of-reading-is-to-skip-judiciousl_1404755.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/philip-gilbert-hamerton-19140_art_the-art-of-reading-is-to-skip-judiciousl_1404755.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/philip-gilbert-hamerton-19140_art_the-art-of-reading-is-to-skip-judiciousl_1404755.png) > ““The art of reading is to skip judiciously. Whole libraries may be skipped these days, when we have the results of them in our modern culture without going over the ground again. And even of the books we decide to read, there are almost always large portions which do not concern us, and which we are sure to forget the day after we have read them. The art is to skip all that does not concern us, while missing nothing that we really need. No external guidance can teach us this; for nobody but ourselves can guess what the needs of our intellect may be.”” [Philip Gilbert Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gilbert-hamerton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading efficiently means skipping irrelevant parts while retaining essential knowledge, a skill learned personally rather than taught. **In simple terms:** Skip unneeded sections, keep what matters; learn to read selectively. Key Takeaway Practice selective reading for deeper understanding. Themes reading strategy efficiency personal learning Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - academic research - news consumption - digital browsing - literary analysis Key Concepts cognitive filtering information overload self‑directed study Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what to skip? - What tools help identify essential content? A Different Perspective Risk of missing critical context if skipping is too aggressive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The art of reading is to skip judiciously. Whole libraries may be skipped in these days, when we have the results of them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gilbert-hamerton/the-art-of-reading-is-to-skip-judiciously-whole-libraries-may-be-2/) [Philip Gilbert Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gilbert-hamerton/) > [The art of reading is to skip judiciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-art-of-reading-is-to-skip-judiciously/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Art needs to be socialised, and you need a lot of context to understand that, and that doesn't mean having read a few art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-brant/art-needs-to-be-socialised-and-you-need-a-lot-of-context-to/) [Peter M. Brant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-m-brant/) > [I don't read the art mags. I read the newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/i-don-t-read-the-art-mags-i-read-the-newspapers/) [Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/) > [One of the things I've had to struggle with is that part of what people find critically and curatorially questionable in my work is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-pierson/one-of-the-things-i-ve-had-to-struggle-with-is-that-part-of-what/) [Jack Pierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-pierson/) > [It’s like saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder: what appears to be beautiful today may not be judged beautiful in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-brant/it-s-like-saying-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-what-appears-to/) [Peter M. Brant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-m-brant/) > [We are now in want of an art to teach how books are to be read rather than to read them. 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