The Organization of Reading

Name: The Organization of Reading
ISBN: 9787550231528

外山滋比古Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd.2014

3.0

Word count: 69K words
Chapters: 25
Series: The Organization of Reading
ISBN: 9787550231528

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Summary

The Organization of Reading is a work of reading theory by the Japanese linguist Shizuhiko Toyama, professor emeritus at Ochanomizu University; its original title is "Yomi" no Seirigaku. It does not teach how to extract more information from books in the shortest time but returns to a more fundamental question: what counts as true reading. The author divides reading into two types. One is alpha-type reading, the reading of known information, in which the reader faces familiar subjects and expressions, reads easily and pleasantly, and hardly needs effort. The other is beta-type reading, the reading of unknown information, in which the reader faces unfamiliar fields and syntax, must ponder, test, overturn, and rebuild understanding repeatedly, and finds the process taxing, even anxious—yet it is the most likely to open the mind and yield new knowledge. The author points out that modern readers tend to remain in the comfort zone of alpha-type reading: the more they read, the more they repeat what they already know. Drawing on language learning, he also explains how this preference relates to childhood language environments and to the education system's neglect of "teaching the unknown." To help readers move from alpha to beta, the author examines forgotten traditional reading methods: reading aloud (ondoku), su-doku (repeated recitation of the original text without seeking full understanding), reading a hundred times, reading the classics, and listening to others recite, using texts such as the Analects to explain the cognitive mechanism behind "read a book a hundred times and its meaning reveals itself." The book unfolds in essay-like short chapters, also discussing the merits and drawbacks of textbooks and translated prose and the role of critical writing. Its arguments are not always rigorous, but it offers another angle for reflecting on the modern reading predicament of "reading a great deal yet understanding little."

Editor's review

市面上的阅读书大多在教“更快”：速读、拆书、做笔记、榨取要点。外山滋比古这本书走的是相反的路——他劝人慢下来，劝人主动去读那些读不懂的东西。 α型阅读与β型阅读这对概念是全书的核心，也是它最有价值的地方。它给了一种自我检视的坐标：你近来读的书，有多少是在重复自己已经知道的东西？读完一本又一本却毫无长进，往往不是因为读得不够多，而是因为一直待在α型的舒适区里。作者由此提出一个有点逆耳却值得听的观点：真正的阅读应当包含吃力、困惑和反复，困难本身不是缺陷，而是收获新知的门槛。书里对音读、素读、读书百遍的重新评价也很耐读。在默读、速读成为主流的今天，出声诵读和不求甚解地反复读原文，看似原始低效，却可能正是进入陌生文本的入口。对于关心孩子阅读能力培养的家长和教师，书中关于语言习得与教育体制的讨论也有参考价值。需要提醒的是，这是随笔式的思想漫谈，不是操作手册；观点前后有重复，论证也不算严谨，豆瓣评分仅6.0左右。把它当作一次阅读观念的“换气”，而不是一套可照搬的方法论，收获会更实在。

Who it's for

A good fit for

读书量不小、却常觉得读完没什么长进而想改变读法的人
爱读熟悉的题材、想突破自己阅读舒适区的读者
关心孩子母语能力与阅读教育的家长和语文老师
对语言、修辞、经典诵读等话题感兴趣的人文学科读者

Not a good fit for

想找速读技巧、拆书模板和高效笔记流程的实用派
期待系统训练步骤、章节练习与量化指标的学习者
偏好严密论证、数据支撑的认知科学读物的读者

Reading tips

建议先读第3章弄清α型与β型阅读的划分，再回头看前两章对各类阅读现象的批评。
读时挑一本自己一直读不进去的“硬书”并行阅读，边读边体会书中说的吃力感与转换过程。
对音读、素读部分不妨亲身试验：选一段古文或外文原文，出声反复诵读几天再回看理解变化。
全书篇幅短（约7万字），适合分三四个晚上读完，读后写下一条自己想改变的具体阅读习惯。

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

Prologue 1 Can You Understand an Unfamiliar Text?
Prologue 2 Finding Instruction Manuals Difficult to Deal With
Prologue 3 Reading The Analects Without Understanding It
Chapter 1.1 The Superstition of "Easy to Understand"
Chapter 1.2 Sports News
Chapter 1.3 Self-Centered Processing
Chapter 1.4 Reading Aloud
Chapter 2.1 The Hidden Anxiety of Textbooks
Chapter 2.2 Backdoor Readers
Chapter 2.3 Critical Writing
Chapter 2.4 The Use of Bad Writing
Chapter 3.1 Type A Reading and Type B Reading
Chapter 3.2 Children's Words
Chapter 3.3 Two Kinds of Discourse
Chapter 3.4 Switching
Chapter 3.5 Plain Reading
Chapter 3.6 Reading a Hundred Times
Chapter 4.1 Classical Chinese and Foreign Languages
Chapter 4.2 Terada Torahiko
Chapter 4.3 Reading with the Ears
Chapter 4.4 Classical Style
Chapter 4.5 Reading and Creation
Chapter 4.6 Cognition and Insight
Final Chapter
Afterword

FAQ

α型阅读和β型阅读到底怎么区分？

α型阅读指阅读已知信息，内容熟悉、表达合于习惯，读起来顺畅省力；β型阅读指阅读未知信息，读者需要反复琢磨才能穿透文字、获得新知。二者不是按书的种类划分，而是按读者与文本的距离划分：同一本书在不同阶段可能先属β型，后来变成α型。

“素读”是什么意思，现在还有用吗？

素读指不求逐句理解、只反复诵读原文的传统读书法，源于古代对经典的学习。外山滋比古认为，它让陌生的语言形式先进入身体记忆，之后再理解就容易得多，是进入β型阅读的手段之一，在朗读、背诵古诗文和外语学习中仍有借鉴价值。

这本书和市面上的速读、拆书类方法书有什么不同？

速读类书籍多着眼于单位时间内的信息获取效率，把阅读当做输入手段；本书关注的则是阅读的“质”，认为停留在已知信息里的高效阅读未必带来成长，反而主张读者主动承担读不懂的吃力。两者目标不同，并不直接替代。

书里的观点有争议吗？值不值得读？

这是随笔式的思想评论，论证跳跃、内容有重复，部分论述也偏经验之谈，豆瓣评分约6.0，评价并不算高。但α/β型阅读、素读与诵读等提法提供了独特的观察角度，适合当作反思自身阅读习惯的启发读物。

这本书适合用来指导孩子的阅读教育吗？

书中专门谈到幼儿的“母乳语”与“离乳语”、教科书的隐忧、故事对阅读类型转换的作用，对家长和教师有参考意义。但它不是系统的教育方案，实践时还需结合孩子的年龄与具体阅读材料。

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About the author

外山滋比古 Author

Toyama Shigebiko is a Japanese author whose works in the Chinese book market fall mainly into the categories of inspirational growth and language and writing. Public information is limited, and detailed biographical facts cannot be confirmed, but the three titles included here show that his writing focuses on organizing one's thinking, expressing oneself, and one's everyday mindset. Representative works include Every Time I Look Back, I Still Think Now Is Best, Deep Output, and The Art of Organizing Thought. These titles suggest that he approaches his topics through life experience and language expression, discussing how to sort out one's thoughts, improve the quality of one's output, and settle into the present while looking back on the past. His style tends toward essay-like practical guidance, plain in language and focused on methods rather than empty encouragement, making it suitable for readers who wish to improve their thinking habits and expressive ability.