The Promise of Part Three

And now we are ready to consider the Art of Reading. Everything that was said in the two preceding sections is only prologue to the goal toward which we have been working — the real art of reading. You have now prepared yourself to move with confidence into the wonderful world of books.

It will be a rich experience with your newly developed skills, for books are an opening of new horizons, a road to new adventures, a source of unending pleasure and delight. People who have really learned to read are never at a loss, are never lonely. A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever. But also, as Emerson has said, " Tis the good reader that makes the good book." This is why everything we have learned so far is of basic importance.

Let's see how far we have come at this point:

Part One explained the mechanics of Faster Reading and presented the drills and exercises by which speed can be achieved.

Part Two brought us through the more mature skills of Better Reading and stressed such important aspects of this development program as Retention, Building an Advanced Vocabulary, what Comprehension really requires and, finally, the rich rewards of Critical Reading.

Now the real adventure begins as we push along to the deeper pleasures of reading with the quickened skill and alertness which Modern Reading instills. The section which follows is devoted to the Art of Reading for pleasure and profit.

As a preface to the articles, I have selected an essay by Wilferd A. Peterson which appeared in This Week as a part of his enormously successful inspirational series, "The Art of Living." This one goes straight to the heart of the matter we are discussing and is called "The Art of Reading."

The articles that follow were part of a "Wake Up and Read!" campaign which the Editors of This Week launched some years ago. The stir and enthusiasm they created helped to inspire the annual nation-wide celebration of reading which is known as National Library Week. They are still among the most popular articles ever to appear in the magazine and have been reprinted widely since they were first published.

The first of these takes up a question which a good many people have wondered about as they look at the bright screen in the living room: Are TV programs an easy short cut to culture and education? Dr. Frank C. Baxter, professor of English literature at the University of Southern California, provides an answer with candor and good sense. Dr. Baxter is an expert on TV's cultural possibilities since his reading programs have enjoyed wide acclaim.

Next, Clifton Fadiman talks about his famous Lifetime Reading Plan and names the hundred books he selected as the basic literature everyone should read during his life. The list is a guide to the classics which form the heritage of our Western civilization. Though you will most often be reading new books, these dips into the past are a necessary part of broadening the base of comprehension.

Following the Lifetime Reading Plan there is a discussion of the pleasures of "out-loud reading" by the beloved actor, Charles Laughton. This is a field in which Mr. Laughton has a very special authority because of the many readings of the classics he has given before audiences all over the country. He recommends out-loud reading particularly for family enjoyment and gives a set of rules for guidance in getting the most fun out of the experience.

I have often urged reading aloud for Modern Readers since it is a wonderful way to sharpen perception and accustom yourself to pronouncing the unfamiliar words which are bound to crop up unexpectedly. Naturally you can't race along at the pace you use in rapid reading. Nevertheless, reading aloud can actually help you to absorb words quickly and build your vocabulary at the same time.

Reading aloud has a second big value too: It helps with phrase reading. Try this exercise: Look at your book only halfway through each line. Memorize the rest of the line while you read and glance up as you speak the remainder of the words. Then look down again and repeat the process. This will help your memory. But it also makes your performance more interesting to the members of your family who are listening because it keeps you in closer contact with them. Remember — this is a shared experience, a family get-together. You won't seem a warm part of it if you keep your eyes glued to the book.

In this connection, one charming and important aspect is the experience of reading to children and encouraging them, even before they can read by themselves, to memorize poems or brief narratives and recite them before the family and guests you have invited for dinner. Actress Helen Hayes has some pointers on values she has found in reviving the old custom of encouraging recitations by children.

Then Lyle M. Spencer, head of Science Research Associates, an organization which has long been active in developmental reading, discusses the profit motive. He tells why more and faster reading is today's key to advancement and success in business and industry.

To close the section, we have brought back Mr. Fadiman to sum up the enrichment which fine books will give to the man or woman who has learned to read widely — and well.

At this point, in a sense, your instructor is saying Good-bye and turning you over to the experts in the Art of Reading who will tell you more about an adventure that never ends. Your progress has brought you to the gateway of the wonderful world of books. Enjoy it!