This guide will give you a systematic, step-by-step roadmap for teaching yourself the basics of Buddhist thought and practice.

To create the roadmap, I rounded up the books and learning materials that I found helpful when I was self-studying Buddhism in college.

Then I organized these resources into a curriculum meant to give a foundational understanding of Buddhism as a life philosophy.

If you follow this guide and read the books, you’ll become knowledgeable about:

• Buddhist philosophy

• Concepts such as detachment, dharma, and nirvana

• Practices like meditation and mindfulness

• Classic texts like The Tibetan Book of the Dead

You can take this self-directed study as far as you want. Some people might want to learn the basics so they can start living their lives according to Buddhist principles. Others might want to study Buddhist thought on a scholarly level.

Wherever you fall, this guide should help you achieve your learning goals. As always, treat it as a guide, not an unbreakable doctrine. Feel free to hop around the steps and pursue what most intrigues you.

1. Learn How Buddhism Can Improve Your Life

Before committing to studying and practicing Buddhism, it’s important that you’re fully convinced about its benefits.

You need to form your “Why” before you take on the tasks of reading Buddhist philosophy and applying practices like meditation to your daily life.

To start, check out this video by psychologist Robert Wright, one of my favorite authors, where he breaks down the practical benefits of adopting Buddhism as a philosophy of life:

Next, read some books about Buddhism’s benefits. I’ve recommended two below that blew my mind and convinced me that Buddhism is something I should seriously consider adopting as a way to live my life.

Why Buddhism is True

In his book, Why Buddhism is True, Yale psychologist Robert Wright argues brilliantly on the side of the Buddhists and attempts to prove that their claim that Buddhism alleviates suffering is true. He uses philosophical arguments and modern-day psychology research to make his case.

One Buddhist belief that he defends is that our misconception about how reality works is the main cause of our suffering.

We think everything is permanent, and then are heartbroken when a friend passes away. When someone tells us the forest is filled with snakes, we struggle to enjoy the hike. We’re on edge.

These illusions lead to uncomfortable experiences, and Buddhism at its core is about seeing through them and attaining a true vision of reality.

This Buddhist idea that our vision of reality is skewed is actually backed by evolutionary psychology. Our minds don’t see reality as it truly exists; it plays tricks on us.

The brain, which evolved in times when humans were under constant threat, shows us what we need to see in order to stay alive and reproduce, not what we need to see to be happy.

There’s a brief example of what you can expect when reading the book. Of course, he writes it much better than I do and did a tremendous amount of research.

I’ve read this book twice now. I find that Wright’s words always remind me of the importance of my meditation practice whenever I break my meditation practice.

Plus I think he has a great sense of humor, and I love refreshing myself on the key Buddhist principles and ideas every now and then.

10% Happier

My wife gifted me this book at a time when I really could’ve used a 10% boost in my happiness. Working in sales in NYC and feeling completely stuck, I needed something other than alcohol to lift my spirits.

10% Happier reminded me of how beneficial meditation, a core Buddhist practice, can be to one’s mental life, and it convinced me to return to the meditation practice that I had stupidly left behind at college.

Written by Dan Harris, the memoir records Dan’s personal journey of overcoming horrible stress by using meditation to tame the yabbering voice in his head.

The book also shares findings in neuroscience about the benefits of meditation and gives you a glimpse into America’s spiritual scene.

I highly recommend this book if you’re considering starting a meditation practice or just feeling generally overwhelmed by life and want to find some solace in hearing about one man’s personal struggle to find help.

2. Know the 3 Major Branches of Buddhism

Buddhism is a big word. It’s hard to say anything about Buddhism in general because, like Christianity or any other religion, there are many different forms of Buddhism.

Different branches and experts of Buddhism hold different positions on any particular point. For example, some Buddhists think that enlightenment can be achieved through self-directed practice. Others think you have to go to a monastery and become a monk to do so. Some Buddhists don’t even think enlightenment is even achievable.

For the sake of understanding and appreciating the breadth of the Buddhist tradition, it’s good to know the different branches and their distinctions.

The three most popular branches of Buddhism are Mahayana (the most common today), Theravada, and Vajrayana (aka Tibetan) Buddhism. It’s a good idea to know the differences between these Buddhist schools of thought.

MindValley has a helpful article that breaks down these schools and their central ideas. It also discusses how they differ. Also, in step 6, you’ll read one classic text from each of the three branches.

What About Zen Buddhism?

A fourth system of Buddhist thought that a lot of Westerners, myself included, find at once incredibly insightful and frustratingly mind-boggling is Zen Buddhism.

It’s an offshoot of the Mahayana tradition, and not as widely practiced as the other three listed above, so that’s why it’s not called a main branch. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth studying.

If you’d like to learn about this school of Buddhist thought, I recommend reading Alan Watts’ The Way of Zen.

This book, along with a few others, introduced Zen Buddhism to the Western world in the 60s. It’ll teach you about the tradition’s origin and principles.

3. Study the Fundamentals of Buddhist Philosophy

Now that you understand and perhaps accept the promises of Buddhism, start to learn about the philosophical and religious thought that underlies the Buddhist tradition.

Learn about key concepts like the following:

• The Four Noble Truths — aka the disease, the cause, the cure, the medicine

• The Eightfold Path

• The story of the Buddha

• Karma and rebirth

• Non-attachment and impermanence

By forming a foundational understanding of Buddhist thought, the Buddhist practices you apply to your daily life will take on more meaning.

Their purpose will also be supported by logical arguments, so you’ll be more likely to stick with them.

Plus, Buddhist ideas are fascinating in their own right, and will also in most cases change your outlook on life for the better.

Best Beginner Book for Learning Buddhist Philosophy

To learn the basics of Buddhist thought, I highly recommend getting a copy of the book The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin, a Professor of Buddhist Studies.

This is the ultimate introduction to Buddhist thought and will help you learn the core concepts like The Four Noble Truths and Buddha’s story, as well as many other interesting topics.

I like how the author doesn’t shy away from complex topics that are often considered too difficult for a beginner in Buddhist studies to wrap their head around, such as the idea of no-self. He explains everything in an easy-to-understand way.

Alongside philosophy, you’ll also pick up a bit of knowledge about Buddhism as a religious tradition.

My copy is filled with notes, dog ears, underlines, and other markings, and that’s always a sign of a deep, useful, and stimulating book.

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4. Learn About Meditation

“Meditation sharpens your concentration and your thinking power. Then, piece by piece,
your own subconscious motives and mechanics become clear to you. Your intuition
sharpens. The precision of your thought increases and gradually you come to a direct
knowledge of things as they really are, without prejudice and without illusion.” — Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

When the average person hears the word Buddhism they often imagine someone sitting in the lotus position meditating in an open green field.

While meditation isn’t the only important aspect of Buddhism, it certainly is one of the tradition’s most central and beneficial practices.

Therefore, you should learn about meditation, how to do it effectively, and how it works. You should also start a practice of your own, as that’s the best way to learn it.

Many beginners wrongly assume that meditation is just focusing on the breath, but that’s just one way to do it. There are many types of meditation.

Below are the three most common Buddhist meditation techniques

• Vipassana (Insight) Meditation: This is the most widely practiced meditation technique. It’s a form of mental training to help you see the true nature of reality. Through practice you’ll develop your powers of concentration and mindfulness. Beginners in this tradition usually start off learning how to concentrate on one object, often the breath in your chest or nostrils. This is the one I practice.

• Zazen Meditation: This is a form of open-awareness meditation, meaning practitioners simply notice what is happening in the mind without judging it. According to Master Dogen, you are studying yourself. This technique is the key practice of Zen Buddhists. This school of meditation also emphasizes correct sitting and breathing techniques.

• Transcendental Meditation: With TM meditation, meditators are given a mantra (a word) by a teacher. In a session you’ll focus on the mantra, returning your mind to that word whenever it wanders off. A lot of actors and famous people rave about this one.

The philosophy behind each type of meditation is complex and deep. And there is so much written on how to do each type, what the experience of meditation and insight is like, and why meditation works to improve your mental health.

Below I’ve listed three popular and insightful books that really helped me understand and practice Buddhist meditation. Consider them your meditation 101 curriculum:

Mindfulness in Plain English

Mindfulness in Plain English is a great book if you’re an English speaker looking for some practical advice from an expert meditator about how to start a meditation practice — specifically Vipassana meditation.

The book touches a bit on meditation theory at the beginning of the book, but mostly focuses on technique, as stated by its author:

“This is a meditation manual, a nuts-and-bolts, step-by-step guide to Insight meditation. It is meant to be practical. It is meant for use.” — Bhante Gunaratana

It covers what to do with your body, what to do with your mind, what meditation is, what it isn’t, tactics for getting into the meditative state, and much more.

You’ll also learn how Vipassana meditation differs from other types, and how to do the two different parts of the Vipassana practice — 1) concentrating on one thing (often the breath), and 2) open awareness and insight.

It’s written in an extremely accessible style — thus the name, in plain English. I can’t recommend this book enough to the person considering taking up meditation as a daily practice.

Waking Up, by Sam Harris

This book was my gateway into all things meditation. I read it during my first year of college and it sent me on a year-long journey of obsessively reading about Buddhism and meditation.

Confronted with such novel ideas, my curiosity broke out of the cage that high school formal education had secured so tightly. I again felt the urge to learn and read.

In Waking Up, Sam Harris, a neuroscientist and philosopher, makes a case that people can have spirituality without religion and shows us how to go about doing it.

Along the way, he shares stories from his time in India and Nepal studying Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as recent scientific findings in neuroscience that underpin spirituality. I definitely recommend giving this one a read.

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

A widely beloved book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind is the go-to guide for learning about Zen meditation. The writer’s goal is to help you begin and develop a Zen meditation practice. For many practitioners, this book marks their initiation into Zen meditation.

The book not only covers meditation techniques like posture and breathing. It also teaches you a bit about Zen meditation theory.

Knowing the theory helps you trust in the practice. Understanding why it’s important to sit in a certain posture, for example, will increase your determination to sit in that posture even if it’s uncomfortable at first.

I’d recommend this book to people who aren’t interested in Zen. I do Vipassana meditation but still found this book incredibly useful. I discovered many ideas and tactics that I could apply to my Vipassana practice.

5. Start a Meditation Practice (Do Alongside Step 4)

A meditation practice will give you insight into the workings of your mind. By practicing every day you’ll also gain benefits like reduced stress, stronger concentration, and improved emotional wellbeing.

I recommend practicing meditation while you’re reading about it. When you can apply what you’re learning to a skill it’s more likely for that knowledge to stick.

Plus, you’ll be extra motivated to practice because you’ll want to try out the techniques you read about. And you’ll be excited to read because you’ll want to improve your practice and solve the troubles you’re bound to have as a beginner.

My Meditation Experience

When I first started meditating, I did 5 minutes per day, seated in an office chair. During a session, my goal was to focus on my breath as I felt it leave and enter my nostrils.

Whenever my attention wandered, which happened often when I was starting out, I’d simply notice the deviation and bring my attention back to my breath. Sometimes I’d quickly notice that my mind had wandered. Other times I’d be lost in thought for minutes.

Gradually, over the course of years, I increased the session duration, until during the pandemic I was regularly doing 60-minute sessions.

That was a cool experience, but the sessions ended up being too long for me. I was skipping them too often.

Plus, sitting for that long hurt my back. I’d often end up lying on my bed at the 45-minute mark. So I’ve since returned to a nice steady state of 12 minutes every evening.

Over the last year, I’ve actually been pretty bad at keeping my practice. I’ve been traveling around the US Airbnb-hopping, so I lack a steady environment, which is extremely important for establishing habits.

Writing this post is actually reminding me how crucial it is to my well-being, so I intend on re-establishing a consistent practice, rather than just doing it every few days when I feel like I need it.

How to Self-Learn Buddhist Meditation

Most of your learning will come from actually practicing meditation. Like any skill, you’ll become better with practice. After a few months, for example, you’ll find that your mind wanders less frequently than it did during the first week.

Here are some steps for teaching yourself Buddhist meditation:

1. Pick Your Meditation Technique: Choose between Zen and Vipassana meditation. Many beginners start with the focused breathing part of Vipassana before moving onto open awareness, which is a bit harder. Or you could learn transcendental meditation.

2. Learn the Meditation Technique: I’ve already mentioned two meditation books in this article — Mindfulness in Plain English teaches you how to do Vipasanna meditation, and Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind teaches you how to do Zazen.

3. Pick a Time and Place: Choose where and when you’re going to do your meditation practice. Doing it at the same time in the same place every day will help it become a habit.

4. Practice Your Technique Consistently: Every day do what the book has taught you. A good way to make meditation, and anything a habit is to start small. Do 3 minutes for a week then 4 minutes the next week until you’re up to 10 minutes. From there you can keep going up if you want.

5. Use a Meditation Journal: After each session, use a journal to explore your feelings, insights, and perceptions. By reflecting on each practice session you’ll form a deeper connection with your practice. You’ll also notice improvements, which is motivating.

When I started out I mostly just used my phone timer and some scented incense. But many people feel more comfortable with a guide. So let’s cover that briefly.

What About Guided Meditations?

Sometimes beginners benefit from guided meditations, where someone walks you through the meditation and tells you what to focus on.

You can find plenty of these on meditation apps or YouTube. The Headspace app has a lot of great guided meditations.

Sam Harris, author of Waking Up, offers a free 28-day meditation course for beginners through the Waking Up app.

You can pay for his Waking Up app to gain access to the full introductory course (28 guided meditations), as well as other features, such as his video lessons on meditation, mindfulness, and the nature of the mind.

YouTube has a bunch of free guided meditations too, for all types of meditation. I used to listen to this one by Alan Watts a lot when I was first starting out. It has you pay attention to sounds:

Some people will tell you not to use guided meditation. Maybe that’s good advice for intermediate meditators, but I think it’s a bad thing to say to a beginner.

The one thing beginners should be working on is their consistency of practice. When you’re starting out you want to ritualize the meditation experience so you’re happy to do it. I like to burn incense and light a candle.

If guided meditations make you want to sit down and meditate, then use them. If you prefer some light ambient music as opposed to silence, use that.

Also, you can always use a combination of guides and silence in your practice. For example, do a five-minute guided meditation to get you into the mindset, and then do the next five minutes in silence.

6. Read a Few Classic Buddhist Texts

At this point you know the basics of Buddhist philosophy and have established a meditation practice. Now it’s time to read some foundational texts of Buddhist thought.

According to MindValley, three of the most sacred core Buddhist texts are the Tripitaka (aka Pali Canon), Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

• The Pali Canon: This collection of Buddhist scriptures is widely considered the earliest and most accurate record of Buddha’s teachings that we have today.

• Mahayana Sutras: These classic Buddhist writings are considered to be “words of Buddha” texts by the Mahayana branch of Buddhism.

• The Tibetan Book of the Dead: This book was published in English in 1923 and is the translation of classic Tibetan Buddhist texts known as the Bardo Thodol. It’s a guide for achieving liberation at death and having a successful rebirth.

These texts will help you understand the roots of the Buddhist tradition, and become familiar with the Buddha’s teachings.

For more on the classic texts of Buddhism, a topic which I’m honestly pretty uninformed about, check out this article on the Buddhist History Society’s website.

You could also read the book What the Buddha Taught, which introduces you to some of the most important classical Buddhist texts and describes in simple language the teachings of the Buddha. I thoroughly enjoyed this concise exploration of Buddhism’s biggest ideas.

7. Continue Learning About Buddhism

Buddhism is a complex and deep intellectual and religious tradition, meaning there is a lot more to learn than what we’ve covered in this self-education guide.

For other Buddhist books, check BookRiot’s article “25 Must-Read Books on Buddhism”. It divides books into the following categories — beginner books, classic texts, Buddhist doctrine, Buddhist poetry, and Buddhist memoirs.

A fun way to continue your self-directed studies could be to read one book from each category. This should help you deepen your understanding of the tradition.

Also, consider joining a Buddhist temple or community or finding a teacher to take your learning to the next level and further develop your Buddhist practice within a supportive environment.

Bottom Line: Teaching Yourself Buddhism

After reading about Buddhism, studying its philosophy, and practicing meditation, perhaps you’ve decided that this is a philosophy you want to build your life around.

If that’s the case, continue studying the subject. Perhaps make Buddhism a part of your day. For example, consider reading a Buddhist text every morning and then doing a short meditation. And try your best each day to live by the principles you’ve learned through your reading.

And if you want to spend some time studying another subject alongside or in place of Buddhism, consider checking out my self-education roadmaps page on Knowledge Lust.

But it was senior year, and like many of my classmates, I was suffering from a debilitating case of senioritis. So I coasted, and nothing really stuck.

A decade later, for whatever reason, my interest in the subject re-emerged.

Maybe it was all the Lord of the Rings I had been watching? Maybe it was struggling through historical or political conversations with my historically informed friend?

Maybe it was the fact that my grandmother, a serious history buff, had recently passed away, and this was my way of grieving and reconnecting with her?

Whatever the cause, over the last four years, I’ve been reading a fair amount of European history.

Recently, I embarked on a DIY course on World War 1, an experience which provided me with plenty of intellectual stimulation, and a fair bit of horror.

Today, I want to help others self-study this fascinating subject.

This self-education roadmap is how I’d structure my studies if I were to approach studying European History from scratch. It’s an 8-step process for learning the subject on your own, outside of school.

Whether you want to become a history buff, teach the subject, write historical essays, fill gaps in your formal education, talk more persuasively about current events, or just feel better about your modern-day predicaments by comparing them to the far more inconvenient frustrations of the past (like the black plague), following this roadmap will give you the foundation to achieve those aims.

Even though the roadmap is designed to be followed sequentially, feel free to hop around and adapt it to your needs and interests. It’s your education, after all. There’s no single best way to self-study a new subject.

Why Study European History?

European history is dramatic.

It’s full of horrific wars, heartbreaking catastrophes, and magnificent revolutions that have created the world we know today.

If you live in the West, studying European history is studying yourself. After all, your worldview, culture, domestic habits, social structures, and public life are a result of things that happened a long time ago.

If you are outside the West, studying the subject is also beneficial to your self-understanding, since Europe has had such a strong influence on other parts of the world, for better or worse...

Why else should you devote time to studying European history?

Here are the reasons I find most persuasive:

• Gain a better understanding of the present: History provides the context for understanding today’s economic trends, social dynamics, and political structures.

• Become enlightened, not informed on current events: In How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler makes the distinction between being informed and enlightened on any given issue. Being informed means accumulating facts. You know what happened, when, and where. But you can’t see beyond the current discussions of the issue, like those on TV or social media. When you are enlightened, you grasp the deeper meaning. You have insight into why it happened, how it connects/compares to other events, and the potential implications. The historical context you get from studying history facilitates this deeper understanding.

• Improve your ability to think about and debate contemporary issues: Churchill once said, “A good knowledge of history is a quiver full of arrows in debates.” The enlightened view discussed above makes you a more adept writer and speaker on whatever current event, political issue, or social trend you’re discussing. James Madison, the most influential person at the Constitutional Convention, got that way by studying ancient history.

• Draw lessons from the laboratory of human experience: You witness leaders and people with influence make decisions and see the consequences unfold in real-time. You live vicariously through them and gain experience through reading, which helps you make wiser choices in your own life.

• Find role models and anti-role models: Some of my biggest role models first appeared to me in history books, including Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln. You get to stand on the shoulders of giants, see how they lived and worked, and emulate them.

• Learn multiple subjects at once: To set the scene and explore all causes and effects, a single history book often touches upon economics, politics, culture, art, philosophy, and other fields of inquiry. Even when you’re reading a history book that is specifically political history or cultural history, it’s still interdisciplinary. Someone writing about ancient Rome’s politics, for example, likely has to bring up facts about its economy and social structure to make their core argument.

• Better understand classics of European literature and philosophy: If you like reading classic novels like Middlemarch or great works of philosophy like Fear and Trembling, gaining historical context about the periods in which they were written will help you appreciate them more deeply and catch more references.

The last reason? Because it’s fun!

There are few better escapes than a trip back in time—as long as you don’t actually have to live there (although, some of them did drink beer for breakfast, soooooo).

What you’ll learn in this self-education roadmap

Today, you’ll learn:

• The 8-step plan to build a foundational self-education in European History

• Recommendations for history books and online courses (organized into a sequential learning path for autodidacts)

• Tips for effectively reading history books

• How to responsibly skim a history book (according to a Historian)

• How to organize your self-directed studies after completing the roadmap

• The best ways to find history books worth reading

• 5 best practices for self-studying history

Alright, let’s get into it:

1. Watch Crash Course European History for an Introduction

Crash Course is one of my favorite resources for getting a broad introduction to the field I’m learning about.

They have an entertaining European History course that starts in medieval Europe. Give it a watch to get a sense of the timeline and bring the most significant events into your awareness.

This will prime your mind for future study and provide scaffolding on which to hang new information, thereby boosting understanding and retention.

The series does have one major flaw.

The producers seem to have passed over a few key events, mainly the rise of Sauron and the battle of Minas Tirith. But I guess Tolkien was right when he wrote: “History became legend. Legend became myth”.

No but seriously, the series is edutainment at its best. The creator is knowledgable and the content fun to consume and relatively sophisticated, but critics do say he tends to prioritize the narrative over historical nuance.

As with any historical content you consume, consider the creator or historian’s biases and use your critical thinking skills!

Pro Tip: There are also so many fantastic European History documentaries on YouTube, like the one I was watching about The Rise of Napoleon.

2. Read a Few Modern, Popular European History Books

Now that you have a mental map of European history, consider picking a topic of interest and reading a history book about it.

Maybe you find yourself mysteriously drawn to beheadings and executions and therefore want to learn more about the French Revolution:

I specify contemporary books (written in the last 50 years) because the language in these books will likely be more similar to the style you’re used to reading.

Something written in the 16th century by a celibate monk might be hard-going, and when you’re first breaking into a subject, you don’t want a book’s difficulty to slow you down and bounce you out of the self-education project. I abandoned a project a while back for this very reason—I got stuck on Herodotus’s Histories and gave up.

I specify "popular" (commercially popular, that is) because popularity is a good sign that these books have been written for people with no specialized knowledge of the topic covered. Any curious, intelligent reader can read them with profit.

Obviously, you can read books written for specialists too. I know that when I’m starting in a new subject, I want to reduce friction to get the ball moving and start building up curiosity that I can later unleash on more difficult texts.

Now for some recommendations...

One of my favorite modern classics is A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman.

Both commercially successful and respected by scholars, the book covers the black death, chivalry, the Hundred Years’ War, and other nasty events, while also tracing the life of a French knight who, if there is an afterlife, is probably pretty psyched about his recent rise in celebrity.

Tuchman is one of the best non-fiction writers I’ve ever encountered, and she did a great job of making me incredibly grateful that I wasn’t born in 14th-century France.

If you like cultural history, I enjoyed From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present.

It introduces you to so many key thinkers, artists, and influential figures who have contributed to Western culture, writing, science, politics, and art.

You may also want to start with a biography, as these books tend to follow a narrative structure and are easier to stick with than a history book that centers on arguments—just my two cents.

If you are interested in both World War 1 and literature, I have to mention Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory.

Fussell, a literary and cultural historian, uses firsthand accounts from soldiers, such as autobiographies and poems, to demonstrate how trench warfare forever changed the way English people perceived the world.

It’s a fascinating and moving book that does a great job of transporting you into the minds of those serving on the front lines of history’s first mechanized war.

Consider Adding Historical Fiction to Your Reading Diet

Historical fiction set in Europe is a fantastic gateway drug into European history.

A few of my favorites:

• War and Peace (Napoleonic wars, a classic)

• The Nightingale (WW2 France, fast-paced)

3. Learn to Read History Books

There are several ways to read a history book.

You could read for fun.

Or you could read to make a critical assessment of the book.

As a beginner, you’ll benefit from a reading strategy that falls in between those two extremes—an approach focused on learning, understanding, and reflection.

I’m not going to take a highly critical, scholarly approach—analyzing each argument, weighing the evidence, evaluating sources to see if they’re faulty.

I’m certainly not going to head to the academic library and dig through their sources in an effort to disqualify the argument and blast them on academic exchange forums to increase my status as a self-taught history buff. If you want to do something like that, go ahead. That’s honestly badass.

But I find that reading like a historian or a book critic is most satisfying and worthwhile to those who already have a good amount of experience reading history.

Use a critical-lite approach to reading history books

Think critically about what you read, but not to the point of turning the reading experience into serious work.

Write in the margins. Disagree when you feel a point is unsupported. Take notes if you wish. But there’s no need to overdo the critical analysis at this point in your education.

Instead, focus on enjoying the book, understanding the core arguments, learning interesting stuff, uncovering insights about human nature, and using the material to reflect on your own life and times.

If you want to read critically without going overboard, here are some questions to focus on answering as you read:

• What is the author’s core argument, and do I agree?

• How does their argument differ from those of other historians?

• How does the author make their case? What are their main supporting points?

• Does the author have any bias? If so, how is it affecting the argument?

• What types of sources does the author use?

• What did I think of the book—what was most interesting, surprising, or fresh? What did I wish it included or covered in more detail?

A short note on historiography and disagreement between historians

It’s worth reiterating that history books present arguments—attempts at an answer.

This means that two serious, highly skilled historians can arrive at completely different conclusions.

For example, historians disagree about the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. Some, like Edward Gibbon, blame radical Christianity and barbarian invasions. Meanwhile, some modern scholars put more blame on environmental factors screwing up agriculture. Then there are those dreamy rebels in ripped tweed jackets who say Rome never fell, but simply transformed.

If you’re anything like I was when I first started studying history, this “up for debate” attribute might make you feel like history books are a crapshoot—why study them if there’s no real answer?

Well, first off, there is a consensus, which is as close as we can get to a real answer. You can read a few articles about the book you’re reading to get a sense of where the book builds on or contradicts that consensus. The author will usually tell you this in the introduction as well.

Second, the fact that everything is up for interpretation is a great thing for your mind and your reading experience.

It’s an invitation—to think, to judge, to push back, to participate in this lively, ongoing conversation about how the world came to be. It’s an opportunity to sharpen your critical thinking and engage in the great debate.

Read a couple of books on the same topic (dialectical reading)

To form a more informed and nuanced understanding of historical topics, read a few books by different historians.

Consider finding historians who disagree on the topic, either mildly or strongly, and read them back-to-back.

This is called dialectical reading, and it’ll help you use productive tension to generate a sophisticated understanding—the real opposite of black and white thinking that plagues so much of online discourse these days.

Skim when appropriate (that’s how you finish these massive books!)

I used to struggle to finish history books.

I’d get to page 200, then fall off the project.

After reading some golden advice from a Historian, I realized the cause of my failures.

I was reading the book as if it were a work of philosophy or a classic novel. I was reading every word and giving each one the same level of attention.

But in a history book, some words and some parts of the book aren’t as important as others, especially if your overarching goal is understanding the main points.

That’s where skimming comes into play.

Now, skimming a history book is not necessary—I do it infrequently because I enjoy most of what I’m reading—but it’s a useful strategy to have in your back pocket for saving time, which is important for autodidacts with so many darn interests!

According to Historian Zachary Schrag, here are the most important parts of a history book you should read without skimming:

• The title and subtitle. They tell you what the book is about and something about the author’s major argument.

• The introduction lays out the argument, contextualizes it, explains how it differs from other positions, and defines the book's overall goal. Later, if you want to sound fancy at a dinner party, you can say "the author ultimately failed because he was unable to [prove, demonstrate, etc.,] the argument due to [misinformation, faulty assumptions, lack of information, etc.,].”

• The opening paragraphs and closing paragraphs of each section are also jam-packed with info. They introduce and wrap up the major argument of that section. In between is typically the support, evidence, and nuance.

Here’s an overall skimming strategy to use in the middle of the book at the paragraph-to-paragraph level:

Treat each topic sentence like the title of an article in a newspaper, and read the paragraph if the title is interesting (or something you disagree with).

Professor Zachary Schrag puts it well when he writes:

“The topic sentences have the same function as headlines in a newspaper. They give you a brief glimpse of the paper”s contents, so you can decide which areas demand more detailed exploration. In other words, read quickly through the parts you believe; read slowly through the arguments of which you are not convinced.”

For more tips, read Schrag’s full article on How to Read a History Book. The man did write The Princeton Guide to Historical Research, so it’s worth seeing his thoughts.

I personally like to skim infrequently.

I probably end up reading 9/10 paragraphs in a history book. But that’s just because, as a writer, I feel guilty if I don’t read everything an author has written. Additionally, I am one of those people who can work up an interest in almost anything, for better or worse.

Find a skimming strategy that works for you and refine it over time.

Steps 4–8 walk you through the specific books, courses, and reading strategies I’d use to build a genuine foundation in the subject — you’ll also find 5 best practices for self-studying history and a rewarding reading project my friend and I have been pursuing for a few years now.

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During the pandemic, when I wasn’t playing Skyrim, reading classic novels, or building my freelance writing business, I was trying to figure that out.

I took several online courses and read some of the classics of the field — paying special attention to Rousseau and the political thinkers of the US Revolution.

And I struggled my way through long, amateur-hour phone calls with my friend Ted, who was also trying to self-learn the basics of the subject, as well as several with a Gov Major friend who challenged my thinking and interpretations and often made me feel rather stupid—in the best way. ructure, which led to some headaches and knowledge gaps I’d like to help you avoid.

This guide is my attempt at a systematic approach to self-learning political philosophy outside of school through books and online courses.

The 9-step roadmap is designed to take you from an absolute beginner in political philosophy to someone with the knowledge to have productive conversations with graduate students in the field.

Through this process, you’ll also become better at political discussion and cultivate a more nuanced understanding of ideas like democracy, justice, liberty, and power. This contextual knowledge should, in theory, help you think more deeply and critically about today’s political events, issues, and opinions.

You’ll also have a lot of fun considering big questions like how to build the ideal government or what it means to be a just individual.

The roadmap is meant to be followed sequentially, as each step builds on the prior. But feel free to jump around as needed, letting your curiosity off the leash from time to time.

Quick Note: I don’t pretend that this is the only way to get an introductory understanding of this massive subject. If you have other sug

The thing is, I did it all rather haphazardly, without much stgestions for resources or approaches, please share them in the comments!

1. Start With “An Introduction to Political Philosophy”

I wish that, before plunging into the classics, I’d read Jonathan Wolff’s “An Introduction to Political Philosophy”.

It’s a fantastic gateway into the subject. It’s no wonder that University professors often assign it as reading for their political philosophy 101 classes.

In this book, Wolff—a political philosopher himself—introduces you to some of the major debates of political philosophy:

• What is the state of nature (a world w/o government) like?

• What makes a state legitimate? Is it consent from the populace? Effectiveness?

• If the state is justified, who should rule it? Philosophers? Normal citizens?e of the greatest political thinkers in history — Rousseau, Hobbes, Locke, Plato, Rawls, etc.

Reading the book early in your self-education will enable you to place the classic texts you read later into the right context of this great ongoing conversation.

2. Learn How to Effectively Read Philosophy

Along the way, you’ll encounter summaries of arguments from som

Reading philosophy is a lot different from reading histories, novels, or even works of sociology or economics.

Philosophy texts are typically systematically presented, finely tuned, complex arguments, often expressed in language that seems written as if the goal was to confuse the reader.

In other words, they’re freaking dense.

Therefore, to get the most out of a philosophy text, you’re going to have to slow down, read actively, jot down notes, and challenge yourself to think intensely.

In a 45-minute reading session, you might finish only five pages. That was about my pace for Rousseau’s The Social Contract.

And that’s okay. We aren’t aiming for speed when we read philosophy. We’re aiming for comprehension and insight.

On re-reading philosophy books

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She told me, rather nonchalantly, to just “read everything”.

Everything?

With millions of books out there, how was I supposed to pick which ones to read? The last thing I wanted was to read the wrong books and waste time. And what about literary criticism and theory?

While I perceived her answer to be mostly correct, I still wanted a more systematic approach.

So I asked her to elaborate. I perused university curricula. And I spent way too much time in the forums reviewing what literary scholars had to say on the matter of self-education in English Literature (a lot of them also say read everything).

Our conversation, that research, and my years of self-study in the subject all led to the creation of this 12-step roadmap for systematically teaching yourself English Literature.

The roadmap is designed for autodidacts who want a foundational education in literary analysis, criticism, and the great works of English Literature, without going back to school.

It will also help you become a better writer, thinker, and reader.

The steps in the roadmap are designed to be followed in order— each step builds on the last.

But it’s your education. Feel free to skip around the roadmap. Always let your curiosity guide you more than any program or book list. That’s the best way to stay motivated and ensure you’re forming your own taste and cultivating an original mind.

That said, let’s begin our journey through the stories, essays, poems, and plays that stayed with us—the stories that meant something.

Critical Note: There are a million different ways to self-study literature. I don’t by any means claim to have discovered the best path. I simply wish to share a roadmap that I wish I had when I was a newbie. I’m sure a beginner could make it far in the subject by just doing something similar to what my mom recommended: deep reading classics according to their interests. But this guide is for those who like a little more structure to their self-education.

1. Learn Your Literary Devices

Literary devices are techniques writers use to communicate meanings that go beyond what the words say on the page.

A metaphor may be deployed to create a feeling of disgust in the reader, an allusion to borrow power from another great work, and a symbol to convey double meaning.

It would do you well to review the most important literary devices, as they’ll be mentioned regularly in lectures and articles, and used frequently by the authors.

Being able to spot them will also make your reading of the great works of English Literature more enjoyable and your own writing about literature more impressive.

Pro Tip: Grabbing a good English dictionary is another great way to prepare for your readings. I know that when I’m reading a book, I’d like to avoid opening up my phone to look up a word; even just a text message from a friend can send me down a rabbit hole.

2. Watch Crash Course English Literature

In many of my self-education roadmaps, Crash Course earns an early spot in the steps. My fondness for the series owes mostly to the teacher’s ability to introduce academic subjects in an entertaining yet intellectual way.

Crash Course English Literature offers 45 videos, many of them analyzing and interpreting well-known novels, plays, and poems.

So it’s a simple way for the beginning autodidact in English to familiarize themself with some of the greatest works.

As is the case for any video series in English Literature, the lectures will hit harder and be more interesting if you have already read the work the teacher is discussing.

However, you can still enjoy these videos without knowing the plots of the stories beforehand. Consider them a good primer before you tackle them yourself.

3. Take 3-4 Introductory English Literature Online Courses

As an autodidact, it can help to test English Literature by taking some introductory online courses. This gives you a chance to determine if this is a subject you truly wish to study for the long haul.

You’ll have the benefit of a professor reading the books alongside you and providing you with their interpretations, hence displaying to you astute literary analysis in action.

Most courses work by assigning you classics to read. During the lecture portions, the teacher will point out things the uninitiated reader may miss on their first read.

For example, in Yale’s free “The American Novel Since 1945” course, the professor opened my eyes to the fact that the protagonist’s name, Haze Motes, has a biblical significance.

Below, I’ve listed some of the introductory courses I’ve found most helpful in trying to break into English Literature. The list spans three of the main literary forms: novels, plays, and poetry.

Taking all six courses would approximate what many English Literature majors do in their first two years at the University, excluding perhaps a course in English composition and gen ed courses like ECON 101.

Introduction to American Literature 1: Beginnings to Civil War

Professor Patel’s course, which he calls “bootcamp for English majors,” is one of the best courses I’ve found to learn about literature as a beginner.

The professor, who calls himself the drill sergeant, is enthusiastic and expects a lot from his students.

I highly recommend this if you want to learn about American literary tradition, American culture, interpretive techniques for reading, and a few core classics.

The American Novel Since 1945 (Online Yale Course)

The American Novel Since 1945 is a free Yale course found on Open Yale Courses (OYC). Its 26 lectures are recordings of live classes, so it feels almost like you’re actually at University. This course was one of my first impressions of academic English Literature. I loved it.

Throughout the course, you’ll read 14 of the greatest American novels written after 1945, tracing the major thematic and technical developments of the literary form during that period.

Among other books, you’ll get to study these heavy hitters:

• Black Boy by Richard Wright (eye-opening and beautifully written)

• On the Road by Jack Kerouac (my father’s favorite book)

• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (deeply disturbing and poetic)

• The Human Stain by Philip Roth (one of my favorite novels of all time)

My favorites were The Human Stain (really prescient of cancel culture) and Black Boy. I liked starting with this course because its works were more current and as a result easier to connect with and enjoy than works from medieval England.

I was able to use novels that engaged me to build my literary chops up to a level that enabled me to understand and appreciate older, more difficult works when the time came to read those.

Sign up for Audible’s 30-day free trial to get a free audiobook.

Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner (Online Yale Course)

Another Yale free course is Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner, which offers you the chance to study the major works of three of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century.

Drawing on her knowledge of US history and modernism, Professor Wai Chee Dimock examines the interconnections between these three writers and their works.

Working your way through classics like The Great Gatsby and The Sound and the Fury and watching their corresponding lectures will improve not only your ability to interpret literature, but also your understanding of US history around the turn of the 20th century.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet (HarvardX)

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is another free, self-paced course, this time created by Harvard and hosted on edX.

Reading Hamlet with Harvard professor Stephen Greenblatt is an excellent way to get acquainted with the Bard and what many call his greatest tragedy, for which there are numerous interpretations, as you’ll learn in the course.

The course involves video lectures, a reading of Hamlet, and conversations with experts.

Here are some things you’ll learn:

If you’re into tracking how many books you read per year, it may strike you as counterproductive to focus an entire course on one work, let alone one character in that work.

If so, I beg you to throw that 21st-century notion of efficiency away. Many great writers of old read very few books by today’s standards. Thoreau re-read Homer’s works numerous times, always finding something new.

Just look at what he had to say in his chapter “Reading” from the book Walden:

“Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written.”

Some works deserve a near obsessive amount of attention, for they have influenced so many other great works of literature, and have so many life lessons, meanings, and writing techniques to offer the careful reader. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is surely one of them. Dig deep into it, and you’ll be rewarded.

Modern & Contemporary Poetry (UPenn via Coursera)

Modern & Contemporary Poetry is a free, self-paced course created by UPenn and hosted on Coursera.

It’s an introductory level poetry course that takes around 93 hours to complete and is focused on US poetry, especially the experimental types.

By taking this course, you’ll learn how to analytically read poems that you may have thought difficult beforehand. You’ll also expose yourself to famous poems by writers like Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman and John Ashbery, thereby filling your mind with creative material.

One of the best parts about this course is how you can attend weekly interactive webcasts where you can discuss the poems with other students and TAs. This feature addresses one of the major gaps in self-education in literature: the ability to discuss literature in real-time with other intelligent readers.

Old English Literature: Language as History (The Great Courses)

Old English Literature is a self-paced online course hosted by The Great Courses, a website that The Wall Street Journal called “A serious force in American Education”.

This course will give you an understanding and appreciation of the foundations of English literary conventions and language, plus some cool knowledge about English medieval history.

By analyzing classic texts like Beowulf and discussing the origins and nature of the English language, Professor Renee Trilling takes you back in time to learn about the beginnings of the English literary tradition.

“Studying Old English language and literature is at once challenging, fun, and an utter revelation. It’s as close to time travel as you can get.”

-Renée R. Trilling, PhD

Exploring the language alongside the literary works it produces will reveal how the stories and words express the values and customs of the early English people, a people whose culture would soon spread across the globe.

If you take all five of these courses, give yourself a pat on the back and go grab a beer at a pub or something English like that. You deserve it.

With freelance writing and studying to do, it took me about two months to finish just that first course. So congrats. Now let’s focus on building up your powers of literary interpretation and analysis.

4. Grab a Copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Noticing my recent uptick in novel consumption, my friend gifted me this handy book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor. It serves as a sort of crash course in literary analysis.

By walking you through common symbols (vampires, weather, illness, etc) and sources of intertextuality (Shakespeare and the Bible), Professor Thomas Foster teaches you how to find the deeper meanings within literary works.

For example, one chapter is about vampires, where Foster discusses how vampires in literature often represent not just a scary character, but also a man trying to steal the innocence of a younger woman.

Definitely grab a copy of this book and either read through the whole thing or use it as a reference guide when you read great works.

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5. Get Acquainted with Literary Theory & Criticism

University students often take a course in literary theory and criticism. Although the two disciplines are closely related, they do differ.

Literary criticism is the act of interpreting, appreciating, and evaluating a work of literature. It’s highly practical. In many of the online courses you’ll take, the lecturer is sharing their literary criticism as they discuss the work.

Literary theory, on the other hand, represents the different literary lenses through which you can view a work of literature. It’s therefore theoretical. It provides approaches you can use to get meaning out of literature and do literary criticism.

For example, a literary critic using Marxist literary theory to analyze 1984 will come up with different interpretations of the book than someone operating under formalism, a school of criticism which treats works as separate from their social and historical context.

For the dedicated autodidact of English Literature, it’s a good idea to get a basic grasp of these two disciplines. This enhances your reading experience and enables you to think and write more effectively about literature.

Here are some ways to study the fundamentals literary theory and criticism:

• Take Yale’s Introduction to Literary Theory: This free online course surveys the main trends in literary theory over the last hundred years. It tackles questions like what is literature, what is its purpose, and how does it relate to the reader?

• Read Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction: If short on time grab this book from the Oxford series of very short introductions.

• Review An Introduction to Literature, Theory, and Criticism: This beginner-level textbook will get you thinking about the biggest questions in literary theory and criticism.

• Peruse Essays of Literary Criticism on Your Favorite Work: You can often find books, articles, or essays of literary criticism on certain works. For example, I found this LOTR criticism book Tolkien and the Study of His Sources: Critical Essays.

If you’re really interested in these topics, then Benjamin McEvoy, a brilliant literary essayist and Oxford graduate in English Literature, recommends the books listed below for learning about literary criticism and theory like you would at Oxford:

I highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel or joining his book club Hardcore Literature as well. They’re excellent resources for the self-educator in English Literature.

6. Study an Annotated Copy of a Classic Work

At this point, consider reading an annotated copy of a great work, perhaps your favorite novel, so that you can see literary analysis in action as you go through the book.

In writing alongside the text, the annotator points out things like historical references, narrative techniques, underlying meanings, and other subtleties you may have missed when reading it on your own.

For example, here’s an annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice, which shows the original text on the left page and the annotations on the right one:

Annotations such as these are meant to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the work. Some copies also give you questions that will help you think more deeply about the text.

In her Medium Article, Author Amy Teegan (MA English) argues that reading annotated works is one of the best ways to learn to read and think about literature like an academic:

“Studying the annotations closely will not only teach you about that particular book, but it will also teach you what to look for in other books. What kinds of common symbolism literary critics recognize. What kinds of word play is notable and what kind of historical context these writers are operating in.”

To get an annotated copy, simply google “annotated copy of {work’s title}.” If it’s a well-known work, you’ll likely find one.

As you read, take your time and think critically about the annotations. Do you agree? What evidence is there to support the claim? And if you don’t, what annotation would you make instead?

Are you a beginner in the classics? Learn how I transformed from non-reader to avid reader of the classics in my article out my guide How to Start Reading the Classics (10 Steps for Beginners).

7. Form the Habit of Writing Book Reviews or Critical Essays

Now that you have a good basic education in English Literature, consider starting a blog or YouTube channel where you write book reviews or critical essays and publish them publicly on the internet.

This serves as an accountability mechanism, which is often missing in self-education programs. The simple knowledge that someone will see your work, even if it’s just friends and family, forces you to take studying the work more seriously.

As you read, you’re more likely to do the following active reading habits:

• Take Better Notes: You’ll write your own reflections on the prose or scene because those thoughts will be valuable when you write your review.

• Ask More Questions: You’ll mark down questions to investigate later for your piece, such as “why did this author choose this odd scene as their climax?”

• Read More Closely: You’ll inspect everything with a detective’s eye, searching to find something unique to share in your essay.

Then, when you go to write the review, you’ll have to revisit the notes and underlines you made when reading. This act of returning to and synthesizing notes helps you lock the information into your brain. You’re less likely to have that moment of frustration that occurs when someone asks what the book was about and you blank.

Writing reviews also forces you to think more deeply about the book in order to create a final piece that expresses an informed and sophisticated opinion.

As you write and rewrite, questions will arise like “Is that argument supportable?” and “How does that symbol I underlined enhance the scene?”

Plus, to answer these questions, you might have to explore what other writers and scholars have said about the piece of literature in their essays or reviews, which in turn enhances your own understanding of the work.

As an added benefit of publishing online, you may even be able to monetize your YouTube channel or blog down the line through ads or affiliate marketing, where you can get a commission cut if someone buys the book in your review. Perhaps you’ll get so good that you can make a career out of being a literary critic.

Here’s a cool video about how to get book reviews published in literary journals (although it’s for new books):

In sum, publishing online about the books you read forces you to be a deeper reader and a better writer, and may open up professional pathways in literature.

8. Pick One Literary Giant & Read Everything They’ve Written

Now that you have a basic understanding of literary analysis and have gained some exposure to the great works of English literature, it may be a good idea to do what Oxford English Lit students call the Special Author Module.

This is where you pick one author and read everything they’ve written. Doing this allows you to get a deep understanding of one of your favorite authors. You become an expert in them, especially if you’re reading critical essays about the writer’s works as well. This expertise can be a real boon to your confidence.

Also, by reading an author’s entire body of work, you come to see an overarching message that the writer is trying to communicate—their overall philosophy of life—and note how they developed as a writer, especially if you read them chronologically. You can see where they improved and how their ideas changed over time.

As for which author to pick, it’s best to pick an author you enjoy who is also influential in English Literature. In his video on how to get an Oxford English Education for Free, Benjamin McEvoy states that he did Joseph Conrad for his special author program.

Here were the other options for special authors when he was at Oxford:

Like any list of great authors, this one is missing some big names, so if you have someone else in mind, like Fitzgerald or Zadie Smith, go right ahead.

9. Familiarize Yourself with Some of Shakespeare’s Works

Shakespeare introduced 1,700 new words into the English language, and many of the clichés we use today in everyday conversation find their origin in his works. “Dead as a doornail” is from Henry IV.

And many later writers drew source material from Shakespeare, whether they meant to for effect, or whether they did so unknowingly.

Just look at all the common phrases we may say without citing their true creator:

Because he influenced language and later writers, familiarizing yourself with Shakespeare will enable you to spot references and nods to the great bard as you read later works, hence adding depth of meaning to the works.

Now, if you’re anything like I was, you’re a bit daunted by the task of reading Shakespeare. His writing is complex, poetic, and old.

To allay your concerns, check out this guide by Oxford on how to read Shakespeare for pleasure.

Here are five of the most accessible plays for beginners:

• Romeo and Juliet

• Hamlet

• Much Ado About Nothing

• Macbeth

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Many film adaptations of these plays are available online. Of course, if it’s possible, attending live plays is the best way to experience Shakespeare, and in doing so, you also support local theater groups.

Pro Tip: Consider reading the King James Bible as well. The Bible had a tremendous amount of influence on the poets, novelists, and playwrights of the English literary tradition.

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10. Read Through the Great Works of English Literature

Step 10 is the longest and most challenging step in the journey towards acquiring a deep and wide foundation in English Literature. It’s where you become well-read in English literature.

It’s time to put your critical thinking powers and reading skills to the test and listen to that advice English teachers love to give to the new student: “read everything!”.

Of course, by everything, they mean the great works of English literature, the canonical works. But this advice spawns two questions: What are the greatest works, and in what order should I read them?

Different scholars have different answers to the question.

A retired Phd who’s fed up with structure from their days in academia might tell you to just follow your curiosity or to find a reputable list online of the greatest novels ever written and read those in no specific order.

Others, like Jason Slavin (M.A. in English Lit), might recommend a more systematic, chronological approach. The key, however, is to read as much as you can, and to fashion a reading program that will keep you motivated.

Because every self-learner is different, I’ve listed a few reading strategies for the beginner in English Lit:

• Chronological Approach: Grab the Norton Anthology of English Literature and read through it from start to finish.

• Lite Chronological Approach: Use Susan Wise Bauer’s Novel reading list from her book The Well Educated Mind, reading one genre chronologically before starting the next genre. It’s worth noting that some are outside of the English tradition, like Dostoevsky.

• Oxford Approach: Read the works in the order in which Oxford English Literature students read them.

• Curiosity-Dominant Approach: Design your own reading list based on other reputable book lists and your interests, and then read within the confines of that list, but in no particular order.

I’ll go over each of these reading strategies in-depth to help you decide which is right for your goals and learning style.

The Chronological Reading Approach

In this strategy, you start in the Middle Ages and work your way through the ages to the present day. By doing so, you’re able to trace the thematic and technical development of English Literature.

This is what Jason Slavin recommends in his response to self-learning English Lit:

You also get the benefit of reading contemporaries alongside each other. You spot parallels in their narrative techniques and see references they make about one another, both of which provide useful material for literary essays and book reviews.

You’ll find a lot of people on Quora recommending the same approach. Many of them also tell you to get a copy of the Norton Anthology of English Literature, which is a staple in English classes around the world.

This 3,192-page tome is a collection of the greatest works of English Literature and spans from Beowulf to the 21st century.

It includes many of the most renowned essays, poems, plays, novels, and short fiction in the English language and arranges them by author in chronological order according to when they were born. Each time period (Middle Ages, Romantic Period, etc.) and author get their own introductions.

According to Slavin, if you read through this entire backbreaking book and followed his procedure of creating a booklet of synopses for each time period, section, and major work, you’d be well-suited for a Phd program in English Lit.

The Lite Chronological Approach (And For One Literary Genre at a Time)

Feeling that I, an economics major, missed out on some liberal arts benefits in my college education, I read The Well Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had.

In the Book, Susan Wise Bauer, English Instructor and Author, teaches you how to intelligently read five of the major literary genres: history, novels, autobiography, poems, and drama, each of which requires a distinct reading approach.

She also provides reading lists for each of the literary genres, which are in chronological order. If you took this approach, you could work through 31 of the most influential novels of all time, then tackle the poems, then the dramas, and then the autobiographies.

I should note that not all of the works are written by native English-speaking authors, so if you want a strictly English Literature education, perhaps go with the Norton Anthology approach.

But, as a self-educator, you have freedom. And reading a few writers from outside of English-speaking countries will broaden your perspective and lend you a bit of worldliness, and perhaps some wanderlust. Plus, the best works of Tolstoy, Flaubert, and others are well translated into English.

The Oxford Approach

Oxford’s English department has a reputation for assigning a brutal amount of reading to its undergraduate students, as if they’re testing their dedication to the English Language.

In his video on how to get an English Lit Oxford Education, Benjamin McEvoy states that they nearly beat the love of literature out of him for good — he didn’t read a book for an entire year after graduating.

That said, as an autodidact, you get to determine your own time frame for your studies. There are only self-imposed deadlines for readings. So there’s no need to torture yourself, unless you’d like to.

If you want to study English with the curriculum of an Oxford student, check out his video and follow his reading plan:

As a preview, you’ll be reading the greatest English-language writers from the following eras:

• Modern: 1984, Heart of Darkness, Brave New World, etc.

• Old English: Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon, The Riddles, etc.

• Middle English: The Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, etc.

• Renaissance: Utopia, Doctor Faustus, Essays of Sir Francis Bacon, etc.

• Restoration: Paradise Lost, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Gulliver’s Travels

• Romantic: Poems by Wordsworth, Blake, Keats, Shelley – Pride & Prejudice

He also recommends some books on the English language and literary theory.

This is a great option for someone who often feels doubt about their method of self-directed learning and wants to follow a plan designed by a prestigious institution, so they have confidence and stick with their self-directed studies.

The Curiosity-Dominant Approach

If you work best with as few rules as possible, consider using what I’ll call the curiosity-dominant approach, where you create a list of the greatest works you want to read, and then read them in no particular order, letting your curiosity pick what you read next.

That way, if you were planning to read Great Expectations next, but you see a video about Thomas Hardy that gets you excited about his work, you have the freedom to alter your course.

There’s enough structure to keep you from feeling like you’re not making any progress, something I’ve felt before as an autodidact when just reading without a program, but not too much structure that you feel oppressed and ultimately discouraged from the venture because you can’t read what you want to read at the moment.

If you’re going to use this approach, consider going through multiple lists like the greatest plays ever written or The Guardian’s 100 Best Novels Written in English, and selecting about 50-100 of your own to read. Try to get a nice mix of genres, but mostly pick from the ones you enjoy most.

This will be your reading program for at least a year (unless it’s all short stories and poems), and after finishing the list, you’ll have transformed into quite the literary butterfly.

11. Supplement Your Readings with Other Online Resources

As you’re reading the great works, consider using other resources to enhance your understanding of each work, to gain insight into the historical and cultural context in which it was produced, or simply to learn something new in the world of literature.

Sometimes this means listening to a YouTube video or reading an article interpreting an especially confusing novel that you just slammed down onto the floor in a fit of fury.

Other times it involves reading numerous literary essays to fuel your own critical thinking about one of your favorite works. It might mean watching a writer give a lecture or partake in an interview.

Typically, the more a work thrills or confuses you the more you’ll want to consult outside sources about that work and the author who wrote it.

Below are some resources to use to help you get more out of your self-directed readings and learn more about English Literature:

• CliffNotes & SparkNotes: These websites provide helpful plot summaries and interpretations of famous works of literature.

• Literary Podcasts: Many literary podcasts feature intelligent readers discussing great works of English literature. A few to check out are the On the Road with Penguin Classics Podcast and The Great Books Podcast.

• Online Courses: There are plenty of online courses that can give you a scholarly perspective on the work you’re reading or help you learn about some topic ostensibly disconnected from your current read, like this Udemy course on Edgar Allen Poe.

• YouTube Channels: Check out what booktubers have to say about the work you’re reading.

Reading a lot of literature written hundreds of years ago is rewarding but can at times be pretty tiresome, so it’s nice to have some other learning devices to fall back on when you want to be a bit more passive in your studies, like after a long day’s work.

Hearing what other people have to say about a novel or poem will also inform your own opinion and broaden your perspective.

I write more about the benefits of secondary literature in my article One Piece of Bad Advice Preventing You From Enjoying the Classics.

12. Follow Your Curiosity

As you get deeper into your studies, let curiosity be your main guide.

With a foundation in English Literature, you can start to focus on more specific topics that capture your interest.

Perhaps that means taking a course on The Life and Works of Jane Austen. Maybe it means creating your own 12-week self-education plan in a few literary topics you want to learn more about.

Whatever pulls at your attention should get heavy consideration as you go about your studies.

Following your curiosity is the best way to stay motivated as a self-taught scholar.

So, You Read a Lot of English Literature — Now What?

As you increase your exposure to great works, improve your critical thinking skills, and heighten your sensitivity to language, you’ll no doubt find yourself becoming more masterful in the art of expression.

You might also start to think about pursuing new career paths where you can use and cultivate these literary talents.

For example, you might find yourself desirous of attending a graduate program in English, or self-educating yourself in another subject.

Or perhaps you’ll want to become a writer. Maybe you’ll feel the urge to become an editor or agent who helps bring new great stories and poems into this world.

Whether or not this self-education in Literature has drawn you to a new career, you’ll have developed communication skills and worldly knowledge that will help you succeed in your current profession and live a deeper, richer, and more literary life.

Additional resources for self-studying literature:

• Three Forgotten Benefits of Reading Great Literature (New eyes, new mouth, new world)

• How to Self-Study Literature with a Habit-Based Approach (for people who want to learn literature using a system of small daily, weekly, and monthly habits)

• The Practical Benefit of Literary Interpretation (How the search for meaning in literary works changes you for the better)

As someone with a bachelor’s degree in the subject, I can confidently say that self-education is an extremely viable, not to mention economical, option for learning this fascinating discipline.

To help you systematically learn e…

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