第2部分(第3/7頁)

u　consume　it　and　get　it　into　your　bloodstream。　I　am　arguing　that　books；　too；　must　be　absorbed　in　your　bloodstream　to　do　you　any　good。

There　are　three　kinds　of　book　owners。　The　first　has　all　the　standard　sets　and　best…sellers…unread；　untouched。　（This　deluded　individual　owns　wood；　pulp　and　ink；　not　books。）　The　second　has　a　great　many　books—a　few　of　them　read　through；　most　of　them　dipped　into；　but　all　of　them　as　clean　and　shiny　as　the　day　they　were　bought。（This　person　would　probably　like　to　make　books　his　own；　but　is　restrained　by　a　false　respect　for　their　physical　appearance。）　The　third　has　a　few　books　or　many—every　one　of　them　dogeared　and　dilapidated；　shaken　and　loosened　by　continual　use；　marked　and　scribbled　in　from　front　to　back。　This　man　owns　books。

Why　is　marking　up　a　book　indispensable　to　reading　it？　First；　it　keeps　you　awake。　And　I　don’t　mean　merely　conscious；　I　mean　wide　awake。　In　the　second　place；　reading；　if　it　is　active；　is　thinking；　and　thinking　lends　to　express　itself　in　words；　spoken　or　written。　The　marked　book　is　usually　the　tbought…through　book。　Finally　writing　helps　you　remember　the　thoughts　you　had；　or　the　thoughts　the　author　expressed。

If　reading　is　to　acplish　anything　more　than　passing　time；　it　must　be　active。　You　can’t　let　your　eyes　glida　across　the　Jinns　of　a　book　and　e　up　with　an　understanding　of　what　you　have　read。　The　books　you　read　for　pleasure　cad　be　read　in　a　state　of　relaxation；　and　nothing　is　lost。　But　a　great　book　rich　in　ide