Louis Weichmann

[Wild Bill]

OK. I suggested that Pamela read Steve Berry's The Lincoln Myth. I hear Gene's complaint he does not have the time. I suggest that he does but does not realize it. That is because he does not know how to read a book. That is not an insult. Few people do.

I was fortunate to take a course in my days as a student at Az St Univ in US History 50 years ago called Populism and Progressivism from a professor whom I could not stand. He was devout left-winger (one almost has to be to study the era 1890-1920 in US History) and filled us full of all sorts of socialist propaganda. But he did do one good thing. He taught us how to read a book and review it in about an hour's worth of our time.

He had 6 paperback books of at least 300 pp. for us to read for the whole course. The first day (we met once a week at night) he assigned all 6 books to read and write a one page review of by next class. Then he showed us how to do it. In a word one reads each book backwards, beginning with the preface and introduction, the first chapter and the last chapter. The goal is to find the author's thesis. What was the book about?

Then we were to read the book backwards. we were to read the first paragraph and last paragraph. Then the first line and last line of each paragraph. Be like a machine. Look for the author's main points. skip the rest unless the topic was beyond you. Read each chapter starting at the end of the book and read each chapter backwards. This allows you to cut out the usual prose and BS all history books are full of. Take note on a piece of paper if you do not wish to underline in the book (especially if it is from the library).

Then at the end (or beginning if you do it as he told us to) organize the whole thing into an essay that makes sense for the review. After a bit of practice, one can read a 300 page book, take notes, in about 30 minutes. The best part is that you already cut out the unnecessary trash and you will be able to present the author's material in an understandable format.

Back to Berry's Lincoln Myth. Read only pp. 131-35, 170-73, 301, 420, 484-87. Tell me what he says. What is his thesis? What is the Lincoln myth? What do you notice that is peculiar about most of the pages I asked you to read? I daresay that you can put the whole book on one side of a 4x6 card. I bet you all can do it in 15 minutes if you know anything about the Civil War, even a cursory knowledge will do.

I realize that most of you do not have my education. I could read 60 pp a minute with notes. I am in my seventies now so I am slower. I read a 1200 pp book of the modern South with notes in about 8 hours in my prime. I also could take part in a discussion of the material in an intelligent manner in a seminar with other students who were much smarter than I but who had not reduced the material to a manageable size. They did not know how to read. This works really well with any history topic. I will not guarantee it with sciences.

I realize I seem a bit pedantic when I write in the forum. But when I give you where I got my ideas from, the idea is for you perhaps to find something new and interesting.

Yeah, I know, I am an hopeless optimist. That's why I quit teaching and started shoeing horses and mules. At least they pay attention--when you get their attention!