There are three parts to analytical reading:
**What is the book about as a whole?**
**What is being said in detail and how?**
**Is the book true, in whole or in part?**

## Part I.
1.  **Classify the book**;
2.  **Synthesise it briefly**;
3.  **Identify, organise and outline the parts**; and
4.  **Define the problems the author is trying to solve.**

## Part II.
5.  **Spot all the keywords and understand what the author means by them**;
6.  **Distil the key** **propositions** **from the author’s most important sentences**;
7.  **Find or build the author’s** **arguments from** **sequences of sentences**; and
8.  **Decide which problems the author has, hasn’t and knew they couldn’t solve**.

## Part III.
9.  **Understand before you _“agree”_, _“disagree”_ or _“abstain”_;**
10.  **Be open-minded and collaborative, even when you disagree**; and
11.  **Be specific in any criticisms you make.**
 An author and their arguments can fall short by being:
 12.  **Uninformed** – The author does not know something important;
13.  **Misinformed** – The author states something that is incorrect;
14.  **Illogical** – The author’s arguments are inconsistent or don’t follow; or
15.  **Incomplete** – One or more important additional conclusions omitted.