Biographical Sketch of the Author

Mortimer J. Adler was a Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago, both co- founder and Chief Editor of The Center for Great Ideas, Chairman of the Board of Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica and Chief Editor of the Great Books. He authored or edited more than 50 books amongst many other things. Charles Van Doren was also a professor at Columbia University, TV personality and an editor for the Encyclopedia Brittanica. He authored many books including his best-known work A History of Knowledge amongst other things.

The authors Dr. Mortimer J. Adler and Van Doren Charles Lincoln are more than competent to write a book on how to read a book. With a resurgence of reading of the Great Books many people that wanted to read them found themselves not knowing how to read them. So unlike many authors that would urge you to read the analytical literature, they provide the apparatus on how to read it.