How to Mark a Book

Mortimer Adler, nonfiction, "How to Mark a Book" (1940); asserts that writing in a book is the only way to understand it and to truly own it. Adler explains in understanding and owning a book you need to make it a part of yourself, you need to write in it. Adler's purpose is to show how important writing in a book is in order to truly show our possession of a piece of literature. Adler reaches out to those who have had relationships with books, whether it's owning, reading, or borrowing them.
I agree with Adler's assertion. Last year in my english class I was given an assignment to read and write my thoughts in a book. The teacher told us to mark it up as best as we could, write every thought that came to mind. After I was done not only was I proud but also I will never forget how much more I understood from writing in the book. I had sticky notes after every chapter, different color highlighters to represent writing techniques, and pen marks everywhere. Adler gives different examples of why we should write in our books. He says that writing keeps us active, awake, and most importantly helps us to comprehend what we are reading. Adler says "writing helps you remember the thoughts you had, or the thoughts the author expressed."
Adler expresses his opinions by showing the reader different types of people, and how their actions represent their true understanding of books. He explains his points and furthers the readers understanding by supporting his claims. Before you read the story the books tells you to think about your reading habits and how you comprehend what you read. Throughout the essay Adler explains things in different ways so the audience, no matter what their reading habits are can understand his claim. He uses devices such a similes and he also creates a picture for the reader. This picture can relate to everyone and is an effective persuasive technique. Adler concludes that writing in a book can help show the reader that "the soul of a book can be separated from its body."