Professor Bloom's book is full of information about him and his opinions, including the Preface and Prologue. He then demonstrates his ideas by using other authors he knows well in the rest of the book.

His answer to the question of why read is that it matters. He adds that if individuals are to retain any capacity to form their own judgments and opinions, they must continue to read for themselves.

How they read, well or badly, and what they read cannot depend wholly upon themselves, but why they read must be for and in their interest.