Bayard,
Good evening to everyone. I just want to give you heads up. I just got in from work and went to copy and paste and my Micro soft word would not open. So I am going to wing it tonight. I also did not get my book from Rowntree so I will be will be just doing the Baynard book. I plan to read the Rowntree too and post it as soon as it arrives.
I was eager to read this book because I know that there are so many books that have to be read while we are in college and to know a secret of how to read them without out reading them was to me an advantage. One of my college professors at Azusa Pacific instructed us that we could not read all the books from cover to cover because we have a lot more to do than spend that much time reading every page. He had a PHd so if he did that and did not read every book I was really interested in knowing how to do it. That’s why I approached this book eager to see or to learn how to do this. I will talk about the positive things first because I got a list of things I did not like about the book.
The positive first. I liked one of the topics that dealt with reading books about the book I want to read about. And to learn to listen to what other people have to say about the book. I don’t have to be ashamed to have never actually read a book to speak on it even if its second hand knowledge of the book. A person can give good information about a book to the point that I can at least begin to form ideas and a picture of the book. Another thing I learned from the book is that everyone will have a different opinion about the book anyway so it really does not matter that yours is different too.
The second thing that I received some validation from was the part about reading the book does not have to be in order. In other words not reading all the time in an orderly fashion. I have employed this type of reading in Bible reading now. Instead of reading just one book of the Bible all the way through I have a new reading plan where I read a chapter from different books. I enjoy this type of reading. Focusing on the content and not its order is important to me. I use this method of study also I preparing sermons. I do all the word searches, observations, outlines, keywords and analysis and then I put the sermon together from there.
Another form of reading a book without reading it that I found useful was to use catalogs about the books and read what they say about the book.
Now some of the things the book wrote about I encountered reading it. Before I got through reading a chapter I forgot what I read because of the stories that were told to bring out a point about that chapter. I got lost a lot of times with names and episodes. I really could not wait to get to the end of the chapter to actual be able to retain something from it. I realized that this was a book that I wish I could have read without reading it. But I could not because of the material I had to really read word for word and try to get something out of it.
Like so many books I have read I will have to read some more of it even if it is just doing some skimming at the beginning and the end of the chapter just to get some clarity about the book. I find it hard at times to skim through a book and I hope that with some practice I will be able to do this and actually retain something worthwhile from it.
God’s Blessing
About the Author
Travis Biglow
Pastor of Victory Empowerment Center. Regional Chaplain High Desert Regional Center Graduates Azusa Pacific University. Licensed General Contractor B. I am the married with one daughter, two grandsons and one step son.6 responses to “Bayard,”
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Thanks for the thoughts Travis! It’s never fun to get home late and have a computer glitch.
It’s good to go into a conversation knowing others will have different opinions about books. Instead of trying to convert them to my opinion, I just need to listen and learn. Thanks for sharing that thought!
Travis, I would agree that the stories used to demonstrate Bayard’s points were unusual from the writing and communication styles I am most familiar with, but I was really amazed by the power of the illustrations that came from the referencing of other books and the stories that took place in them. I was amazed by the creativity and it definitely challenged my ability to follow and comprehend.
Phil, and Travis (et al), I was put in mind of another book (that I actually did read, kind of, a few years back entitled “The Secret Language Of Leadership” (Denning). In it, the author builds a strong case for the power of narrative when it comes to leading people to and through change. I found Bayard’s use of narrative to be very effective even though at times, his selection of stories to make his points seemed a bit disconnected from the points he was making!
See you all very soon!
Jon
Travis,
The example of your college professor reiterates the fact that not reading is a common practice among academic scholars. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the importance of knowing how to not read (catalogs, what others say about the book, etc.). On pages 11-12 Bayard wrote, “non-reading is not just the absence of reading. It is a genuine activity”. Perhaps non-reading is just the next natural step in being a skilled reader.
P. S. Did your college professor give you any usable tips on how to not read a book that was required for one of his classes?
Travis,
I find it interesting how many of our posts mention the topic of forgetting what we’ve read, as well as the need to gain greater competence in skimming. I guess I’m really not the only one! Back in the 1980s, in college, I enjoyed going to the student center and bantering back and forth about our reading assignments. I guess this is “2014” version, certainly the accountability of reading, posting and commenting will help it to stick.
Dave and Travis, I’m considering the reality that, while I may have forgotten most of the words I have read, my worldview, values, opinions, etc have been shaped by them. These things are never forgotten… Even as my worldview has shifted on some things, I always remember how I used to think or feel. I may not remember the words that caused the shift but I can remember what I thought prior to the shift, and the distinctions between then and now.
J