"**To say that an author’s analysis is incomplete is to say that he has not solved all the problems he started with**, or that he has not made as good a use of his materials as possible, that he did not see all their implications and ramifications, or that he has failed to make distinctions that are relevant to his undertaking. It is not enough to say that a book is incomplete. Anyone can say that of any book. Men are finite, and so are their works, every last one. There is no point in making this remark, therefore, unless the reader can define the inadequacy precisely, either by his own efforts as a knower or through the help of other books." ([Location 2358](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004PYDAPE&location=2358)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[reading-books]], [[analytical-reading]] **Source** -- [[20250103084100 - B - How to Read a Book]]