How To: Gut a Book

Preface:

For the Christian Leader: Books and Culture: http://www.booksandculture.com

Caution: never do it for a book you need to read in class. This is mainly for books that people are talking about and it is for the purpose of being able to relate. It will help you get the main argument of a book.

Step 1: Look at the flow of the argument based on the table of content:

Step 2: Read the preface (find some of the presuppositions), introduction (where you get the thesis - mark the thesis), chapter 1 (get the flow of the argument and also a feel of how the author writes), and conclusion (if it is a well written book, the author will usually reiterate the book).

Step 3: Walking back: You simply walk back to chapter 2 through the end and look at the headers and first paragraphs of the section.