(3) In regard to the _subject matter_ of the book, you do not care to occupy yourself with what you are _already familiar_ with, and in most books there are a great many things that you already know. In many works, too, there is a great deal of padding-matter inserted to increase the bulk of the book, and possessing no permanent interest. The expositions and explanations which enable you to _understand_ the new matter usually take up a large part of the book, and sometimes much the largest part of it, and are not to be memorised, but only understood with a sole view to appreciate the valuable and important parts of the book--these expositions can be learned if desired--but they usually serve only a preliminary purpose. There is also very much _repetition_--the same matter in new dress, is reintroduced for sake of additional comments or applications. You do not trouble yourself with these iterations. The contents of a book which demand your attention are the IDEAS which are NEW to you, or the NEW USES made of familiar ideas.
Students who have not learned to exercise any independent thought often confess that in reading any book they are always in a maze. One thing seems just as important as another. To them the wheat looks exactly like the chaff. As an illustration that the power of Analysis is entirely wanting in many cases, I may mention that I once received a letter in which the writer had literally copied one of my column advertisements, and then added, "Please send me what relates to the above!" A modicum of mental training would have led him to say, "Kindly send me your Prospectus."
LEARN FIRST TO MAKE ABSTRACTS OF WHAT IS NEW TO YOU.
A great authority on education says: "Any work that deserves thorough study, deserves the labor of making an Abstract, _without which, indeed, the study is not thorough_."
A work which deserves thorough study is obviously one full of IDEAS, new to the reader, such as the student must master.
If you are thinking of making an Abstract of a particular book, awaken the utmost interest in regard to it before you begin. Are you sure that it is worthy of thorough study? Is it the last or best work on the subject? And if you advance, note in a separate memorandum book your criticisms on the author's method and the soundness of his views. These criticisms will help keep up your interest in the Abstract, and at the close enable you to suggest modifications, additions, excisions, or a refutation.