The weaknesses of a beginner are
apparent at a glance; even better than by a _viva voce_ interrogation.
Useful abstracting comes at a late stage of study, when one or two
subjects have been pretty well mastered. It is then that the pupil can
best overtake more advanced works on the subjects already commenced, or
can enter upon an entirely new department, in the light of previous
acquisitions.
Any work that deserves thorough study deserves the labour of making an
abstract; without which, indeed, the study is not thorough. It is quite
possible to read so as to comprehend the drift of a book, and yet forget
it entirely. The point for us to consider is--Are we likely to want any
portion of it afterwards? If we can fix upon the parts most likely to be
useful, we either copy or abstract these, or preserve a reference so as
to turn them up when wanted. In the case of a work, containing a mass of
new and valuable materials, such as we wish to incorporate with our
intellectual structure, we must act the part of the beginner in a new
field, and make an abstract on the most approved plan: that is, by such
changes as shall at once preserve the author's ideas, and intersperse
them with our own.
Pages:
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293