How to apply syntopical reading

Syntopical reading is the fourth and final level of reading proposed by Adler and Van Doren in How to Read a Book. The rules of syntopical reading outline a method to obtain answers to specific questions or an understanding of a topic, by reading multiple books on the same subject. A complete understanding of any one book or author is secondary to finding answers to the reader's questions.

Stage I: Surveying the field

1. Create a tentative bibliography of your subjects by recourse to library catalogues, advisors, and bibliographies in books
2. Inspect all books to determine relevance to your subject, and to acquire clearer idea of the subject

Stage II: Syntopical reading of the bibliography

1. Inspect the books again to find relevant passages
2. Bring authors to terms by constructing neutral terminology of the subject that all, or great majority of author can be interpreted as employing
3. Establish a set of neutral propositions for all authors by framing set of questions for which all or most authors can be interpreted as giving answers
4. Define the issues, by ranging the opposing answers of authors to the various questions on one side of an issue or another.
5. Analyze the discussion by ordering the questions and issues in a way as to throw maximum light on the subject. More general issues should precede less general ones, and relations among issues be clearly indicated.