Lexxis Cherry 8/26/11 1100 A Text and Contexts

Realization To summarize the essay How to mark a book by Mortimer Adler it will not take many words. The essay was, the kind of people that would or would not mark up a book, the reason that we should mark up a book, and how to mark a book. Adler touches base on all three of these topics, but he really focuses on why we should mark a book. He emphasis that if we mark in a book we read it may slow your reading down, but in the end we will become more intelligent readers. He also stresses that by marking in a book we truly being to own the book. Like his analogy of the beefsteak suggests. I cant say that I have ever really read a book actively, but I can say that I have read a book with intent to understand it. One of the books that I still take to heart to this very day I read for my 9th grade world history class; it was a book titled Ishmael. A book about a man that was looking for an answer, and a gorilla that was glad to give one to anyone that would listen, not directly but in teaching. If you were to see the book it would be spotless not a word written in it by me at all. I didnt take any side notes while I was reading it either. However all in all I do have a good understanding of the book. Could my understanding be better? If I had maybe written notes about it or had a dialogue with the book then I would have probably been able to have a better idea of how that book can relate to my life. I would also remember the exact reason that I like the book in the first place. The second book that I would have to mention is another that I read more thoroughly than any other book is Hannibal Rising. With fear of sounding like a sadistic person I will explain my reasoning for reading this book so feverishly. Hannibal Lecter is an infamous literary character from a book series written by Thomas Harris. As the title may suggest it is about Hannibals

Lexxis Cherry 8/26/11 1100 A Text and Contexts

catastrophic youth that molded him into the crazed yet charming character known as Hannibal the cannibal. My interest in the book is simple on the fact that someone so psychologically misshapen can function and fit so perfectly into society. So just knowing how this man thinks was the most fulfilling puzzle any one could possible conjure up. On that note had I perhaps written little side notes on patterns and habits that constantly arose during the book I may have actually been able to complete the puzzle, but still to this day I have not annotated Hannibal Rising, and I am hard pressed to say I will.