The “riding a bike” metaphor for reading theory reminded me of improvisation in sports: if you play too slowly, you risk losing the moment which could cost the game, but you also want to avoid playing too fast, so it seems improvising and being in the moment is the only play. Learning to play a sport is about process and sometimes is about finding the right way to play is about balance.

This text reminds me of many authors explaining author's purpose in their books. I have seen authors insist that reading is an active process of asking questions and making a structure rather than passively consuming for mere entertainment. Boyle seems to relate to that idea.

Boyle compares reading academic texts to reading a dictionary rather than a novel because they are situational and productive rather than linear. Later, when he outlines the overview procedure, this same process shows up. Start with titles, introductions, and conclusions instead of trying to move line-by-line.

If reading is framed as “choosing” rather than “knowing everything,” what does this mean for citations? How do we avoid misrepresentation when we are always inevitably selective? This to me makes me think about the importance of perspective in reading

The Latin root of “read” — lego, legere — means both “to read” and “to choose.” This makes me think about how every act of reading already involves selection and leaving things out.

Boyle is saying that ethical reading is less about finishing everything “accurately” or “completely” and more about generating productivity and creating inventive responses that move conversations forward. This is interesting to me because I agree very much with a forward progression point of view