On reading something again

Familiar pages can leave room for new questions.

A second reading moves at a different pace. Knowing the outline makes it possible to pay attention to how a paragraph begins, where an argument turns, or which detail quietly prepares for something later.

Read an old note before opening a familiar book. It is a record of what seemed important at another time. Changes in attention can be as interesting as changes in opinion.

There is no requirement to reread the whole book. Returning to a chapter with a particular question can be enough to make the earlier reading useful again.