Books and How to Use Them; Some Hints to Readers and Students (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ...not be used. They are all unnatural and injurious; and though yours may be the exceptional case, and they may take you over the course at lightning speed, yet the race will be a short one. Like the walking-matches of modern times, you may get over your five hundred and fifty miles in six days, and get your champion's belt and a percentage of the gate-money; but you pay for it REGULAR HOURS FOR READTNG. 75 by lopping off some years of life. There is a great law of compensation in this world, that equalizes all things; and one extreme must be counterbalanced by another extreme. Let narcotics and stimulants alone; for, aside from their worthlessness as a mental stimulant, they will break down and ruin the very finest physical system. II. The greatest importance should be attached to the regularity of periods of study and reading. One hour a day for six consecutive days will accomplish double the results of six hours in one day. A certain period of time in each day should be devoted to a certain subject, and the hours of study in a day should be portioned off in this manner. Make the rule cast iron, and subject to no exceptions until you have so acquired the habit and the love of reading that you can depend upon yourself not to neglect it. It is a very usual thing for college students and young readers to begin their readings by portioning off for different studies about fourteen hours out of the twenty-four. Possibly, for a week or so they may keep up to their plan, allowing, of course, several hours out of the fourteen for the purpose of telling their fellow-students how many hours a day they study, and what hard students they are. At the end of ten days, their fourteen hours per diem of study begins to resemble the two hours a day piano-practice...