Chapter 4: Inspectional Reading Adler and Van Doren begin by calling this the "true level of reading". I tend to agree and I think it's even more prevalent and important than they make it. Very often, my reading of a book or article is entirely an inspection. I want to know what the author's point is, what sources are used, how the argument is organized, who the author is agreeing or disagreeing with, and why it matters. These are some of the main questions that inform a historiography, which is often about an idea or set of ideas rather than a particular author's sources, examples, and narratives.
This is really interesting. Thank you.