How to Skim Through a Book

Last Updated: March 8, 2020

If you don't have much time and you need to determine whether a book is worth purchasing, borrowing, or reading, 'skimming skills' will aid you in the process.

Steps

1
Read the Title - dead giveaway.
2
Read the subtitle - some titles are ambiguous, but subtitles tend to shed more light.

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3
Read the preface - usually the writer(s) explain exactly what the book is about.
4
Look at the Table of Contents - this will give you further information on the books subject structure and components.
5
Read the Publisher's blurb - usually located in the back, some are found in the book's dust cover. This too is an excellent way to discover the gist of a book.
6
Identify important chapters to read and less important chapters.
7
Read the first and last lines of each paragraph to get a feel for the flow of argument and the topics of the chapter.

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Warnings

Publisher blurbs are often written by a marketing department and so although seldom inaccurate, they may bear little or no resemblance to the material, veracity, accuracy or approach the book takes to the material.

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