In almost every college class, we are asked to read someone else’s writing, explain what that person is arguing,
So when you are just trying to get the barebones ideas about something you have read straight, how do you go about it?
In this chapter we look at how to take notes not just on the meaning of each part of the argument but also on its relation to the other parts. Then we use these notes to draw a visual map of an argument. In the map we see the argument's momentum as the reason points us toward the claim. We see how each element implies, supports, limits, or contradicts other elements. Thus, we begin to imagine where the argument is vulnerable and how it might be modified.
In Chapter 3, we’ll discuss how to use this logical map to write a summary, and in Chapter 4, we’ll see how to follow up the summary with our own opinions.