Why Is It Important To Read Books During The 16th And 17th Century

During the 16th and 17th centuries scholars believed that the amount of published books was becoming too much to handle. This abundance of book shifted from the early Middle Ages, when books were scarcer and readers focused on intensive reading. Because of the abundance of books during the 16th and 17th centuries, styles of selective reading and note taking developed to address the issue of too many books, too little time. This can be considered the shift when extensive reading versus intensive reading became popular and the school of scholasticism became widespread. The author points out that throughout history scholars have made distinctions in how people read different materials and for what purpose. People will approach a book differently when their purpose for reading the book is different, for example a book that is read for leisure is different than a …show more content…
The author then describes how the use of libraries became more widespread as people read more and books became more available. The use of libraries made it possible for people of lower classes, who could not afford books, to have access to books. The author then describes the shift between intensive reading in 1200 and extensive reading in 1400 and how it was depicted in paintings that featured scholars reading. This shift is important in that scholars were expected to learn a wider range of knowledge rather than in-depth knowledge in one area. Some readers at this time also read only certain parts of a book that they were interested in to draw the needed information from the text. This form of selective reading emphasized the best use of learning and research time, in that a reader was able to dive into the book get the needed information