HowtoFindTimetoRead
路易斯·紹爾斯/LouisShores
Ifyouareanaveragereaderyoucanreadallaveragebookattherateof300wordsaminute.Youcannotmaintainthataverage;however,unlessyoureadregularlyeveryday.Norcanyouattainthatspeedwithhardbooksinscience,mathematics,agriculture,business,oranysubjectthatisneworunfamiliartoyou.Thechancesareyouwillneverattemptthatspeedwithpoetryorwanttoracethroughsomepassagesinfictionoverwhichyouwishtolinger.Butformostnovels,biographies,andbooksabouttravel,hobbiesorpersonalinterests,ifyouareanaveragereaderyoushouldhavenotroubleatallabsorbingmeaningandpleasureoutof300printedwordsevery60seconds.
Statisticsarenotalwayspracticable,butconsiderthese:Iftheaveragereadercanread300wordsaminuteofaveragereading,thenin15minuteshecanread4,500words.Multipliedby7,thedaysoftheweek,theproductis31,500.Anothermultiplicationby4,theweeksofthemonth,makes126,000.Andfinalmultiplicationby12,themonthsofthetotalnumberofwordsofaveragereadinganaveragereadercandoinjust15minutesadayforoneyear.
Booksvaryinlengthfrom60,000to100,000words.Theaverageisabout75,000words.Inoneyearofaveragereadingbyanaveragereaderfor15minutesaday,20bookswillberead.That』salotofbooks.Itis4timesthenumberofbooksreadbypublic-libraryborrowersinAmerica.Andyetitiseasilypossible.
OneofthegreatestofallmodernphysicianswasSirWilliamOsler.HetaughtattheJohnsHopkinsMedicalSchool.HefinishedhisteachingdaysatMcGilUniversity.Manyoftheoutstandingphysicianstodaywerehisstudents.Nearlyallofthepracticingdoctorsoftodaywerebroughtuponhismedicaltextbooks.Amonghismanyremarkablecontributionstomedicinearehisunpublishednotesonhowpeopledie.
Hisgreatnessisattributedbyhisbiographersandcriticsnotalonetohisprofoundmedicalknowledgeandinsightbuttohisbroadgeneraleducation,forhewasaveryculturedman.Hewasinterestedinwhatmenhavedoneandthoughtthroughouttheages.Andheknewthattheonlywaytofindoutwhatthebestexperiencesoftheracehadbeenwastoreadwhatpeoplehadwritten.ButOsler』sproblemwasthesameaseveryoneelse』s,onlymoreso.Hewasabusyphysician,ateacherofphysicians,andamedical-researchspecialist.Therewasnotimeina24-hourdaythatdidnotrightlybelongtooneofthesethreeoccupations,exceptthefewhoursforsleep,meals,andbodilyfunctions.
Oslerarrivedathissolutionearly.Hewouldreadthelast15minutesbeforehewenttosleep.Ifbedtimewassetfor11:00P.M.,hereadfrom11:00P.M.to11:15P.M.Ifresearchkepthimupto2:00A.M.hereadfrom2:00A.M.to2:15AM.Overaverylonglifetime,Oslerneverbroketheruleoncehehadestablishedit.Wehaveevidencethatafterawhilehesimplycouldnotfallasleepuntilhehaddonehis15minutesofreading.
Inhislifetime,Oslerreadasignificantlibraryofbooks.Justdoamentalcalculationforhalfacenturyof15-minutereadingperiodsdailyandseehowmanybooksyouget.Considerwhatarangeofinterestsandvarietyofsubjectsarepossibleinonelifetime.Oslerreadwidelyoutsideofhismedicalspecialty.Indeed,hedevelopedfromthis15-minutereadinghabitanavocationalspecialtytobalancehisvocationalspecialization.AmongscholarsinEnglishliterature,OslerisknownasanauthorityonSirThomasBrowne,seventeenthcenturyEnglishprosemasterandOsler』slibraryonSirThomasisconsideredoneofthebestanywhere.AgreatmanymorethingscouldbesaidaboutOsler』scontributiontomedicalresearch,tothereformofmedicalteaching,totheintroductionofmodernclinicalmethods.Buttheimportantpointforushereisthatheansweredsupremelywellforhimselfthequestionallofuswholiveabusylifemustanswer:HowcanIfindtimetoread?
Theanswermaynotbethelast15minutesbeforeIgotosleep.Itmaybe15minutesadayatsomeothertime.Inthebusiestofcalendarsthereisprobablymorethanone15-minuteperiodtuckedawaysomewherestillunassigned.I』veseensomecurioussolutionstotheproblemoffindingtimeforreading.
DuringarmydaysinthelastyearoftheSecondWorldWar,IdiscoveredaPFCinmysquadronwhoseemedunusuallywellread.Ifoundinhis201filearemarkablecivilianandmilitarybiography.Hisfouryearsofserviceincludedtwooverseas,allmeritoriousbutwithoutheroics.Hadallofhisrecommendationsforpromotiongonethroughhewouldhavehadnotonlyhiscommission,butprobablytherankofcaptain.Butherehewas,stillaprivatefirst-class—becausedespitethemilitaryemphasisoneducation,efficiency,loyalty,andallothercriteriafordeterminingpromotion,accidentplaysamostimportantpart.EverytimethisPFChadbeenrecommendedforpromotion,exceptonce,hehadbeentransferredorcomeupagainsttablesoforganizationlimitations,oranewchangeinregulations,orasuperiorofficerwhohadfilledouttheformsincorrectlyorforgottentheminhisthirdright-handdrawer.AndsohehadremainedaPFC,andhadtakenhisrewardinreading.Theamounthedidinthearmywasprodigious.