As I continue to press on with writing The Discipline of Discernment and as I see the book starting to come together I am slowly beginning to consider some of the finer details. For example, I have decided to add a “Key Thought” to the end of each chapter. I always appreciate when authors are deliberate about ensuring that the reader has understood the purpose of each chapter (Bryan Chapell’s Praying Backwards is an excellent example of this) and that the reader understands the flow of the book (and I think Alex Chediak’s With One Voice does an admirable job in this regard). Because my argument builds from chapter-to-chapter I feel it is important that people understand each of the components and that they remember what has already been covered. Other details may include whether there will be an index, a Scripture index, and so on.
Another item I am considering is study questions or application questions. This would be a short list of five or ten questions at the end of each chapter that would allow people to think about the topic and begin to apply it to their lives. However, I am not convinced that such a guide would be worth the effort. I will, to my shame, admit that when I read a book it is very rare that I pause at the study questions. I would not be surprised to learn that most other people also pass over them.
And so I thought I would take this public. This is not to say that I will necessarily base my decision on the consensus view here, but more that I am simply interested in learning about your reading habits. And thus I ask: Do you read the study guides or application questions in the books you read? Do you consider the questions and answer them, or do you simply pass over them and move to the next chapter?
Comments (47) »
1. Kristina
January 7, 2007
2:05 PM
Honestly much of the time I just skip the questions. I don’t generally try to move on in a book unless I’ve got a decent grasp on what the current chapter says, so I usually just read the chapter again if I’m confused. And I’ve found reading it again during a different time of day usually helps in my reading comprehension.
Scripture index: Fabulous idea.
2. Lance Roberts
January 7, 2007
2:06 PM
I like summaries, but never bother with the questions. I always have so many questions in my mind, that I usually don’t need anymore.
3. kim from hiraeth
January 7, 2007
2:31 PM
I do read the questions and at least think about them. Unless I am leading a group study of the book, I don’t actually write them out.
I think it is a great idea to include them!
Looking forward to reading the book when it comes out!
K
4. rosemary
January 7, 2007
2:48 PM
If the book is one that challenges me and I’m learning from it (I’m sure yours will be), I do read and consider the questions. I usually don’t write answers, but I think the questions are valuable.
Put ‘em in!
5. Noah D. Lee
January 7, 2007
2:54 PM
This isn’t really what you were asking, but I’ll say it anyway, since I am the consumer of your product and the customer is always right :) Here are the things in a book that makes it exceptionally useful to me:
1. A Scripture Index
2. A Subject index
3. A detailed table of contents/outline (Many of John Stott’s books for example do this. I can still pick up The Contemporary Christian 10 years after having read it, look over the detailed table of contents/outline and remember the big ideas of each chapter).
4. Key points clearly outlined in the chapter (headings, italics, numbered lists, etc.)
5. Footnotes preferably, but at least endnotes. John Piper has extensive endnotes that are often times really great, but often I wish they were at the bottom of the page rather than at the end of the book.
6. If endnotes are used, the page numbers listed at the top of the page for the endnotes appearing on that particular page (ie— these endnotes are for pages 11-19).
7. Small group discussion questions. I like small group questions & study guides much more than personal application questions. I will usually glance at the questions at the end of the first chapter or so. If they are decent, I’ll keep reading them. If they are asinine, I’ll skip the rest. I love the study guides Desiring God is developing for Piper books. The “Let’s Study” commentary series, Bible Speaks Today series, and some others usually have good study/group discussion guides.
Looking forward to the book.
6. Ann
January 7, 2007
2:59 PM
I never read study questions. I do like your scripture index idea and like for all scriptures referenced in the text to be provided in the text. Laziness I’m sure, but I doubt if many people open their Bibles when they are reading a book. I do check the reference for context when reading an author I don’t trust and find much of the time they are taking out of context. I’m sure that will not be the case for your book.
7. John Hollandsworth
January 7, 2007
3:10 PM
Tim,
unfortunately everyone who just skips the questions at the end of a chapter will not comment since they probably skip questions at the end of posts too!
I think it depends on the kind of questions. Will they just be questions to test understanding of the content? Will they be questions intended to challenge the reader to apply what they have learned? Will they try to draw out personal experience, opinion or be devotional in nature? What kind of questions will make a big difference on their usefulness, and if people will read them.
8. Steve Sensenig
January 7, 2007
3:10 PM
I’m with most of the above commenters. Scripture index, yes. Study questions, no.
Just my American 2 cents, though. :)
9. Ryan Wentzel
January 7, 2007
3:32 PM
I’ve really only used the study questions once when leading a study of a book. I don’t find the study questions to be all that useful most of the time.
10. Ian Vaillancourt
January 7, 2007
3:35 PM
For what it’s worth, I read the study questions if they are worth reading. I tend to test this in the first few chapters, and continue on accordingly.
I’m currently reading Mark Dever’s ‘Promises Made: the Message of the OT’ and find the study questions to be awesome…so I read, reflect on, and even highlight them. In the future I would consider using them as the basis for group discussion, or as helps for my own teaching on similar topics.
So my two cents worth is that it would be good to include them if you can - judging by your blog, they would be thought provoking and valuable.
The Scripture and person index might also be very good tools, if you can swing it.
I’m excited to read this book! What a service to Christ’s church you are performing.
Ian Vaillancourt
11. Trevin Wax
January 7, 2007
3:39 PM
I always skip the study questions, unless I’m using the chapter as a basis for teaching in a class setting at church. Then, I consult the questions, but usually still don’t use them.
12. Jordan
January 7, 2007
4:03 PM
Honestly, I usually skip over that stuff too. However, I wonder that if your book had such an addition if people would then use them for study groups.
On a sidenote, I would highly encourage you to provide a scripture index and even a basic subject index. I get frustrated when any book doesn’t provide such a thing I end up spending wasted time searching for a helpful page or two on a topic I know the book covers (or you will figure out it doesn’t cover the topic and move on rather than keep searching page after page to see if it’s there)
13. David A
January 7, 2007
4:16 PM
“Do you read the study guides or application questions in the books you read? Do you consider the questions and answer them, or do you simply pass over them and move to the next chapter?”
There are some fine books available that have these features from writers of differing backgrounds such as Chuck Colson, Mark Driscoll, Robert Capon and so on. I like this feature personally, not to actually sitting down to draft an answer, but using the questions as ongoing challenges in how to apply what was read more intimately into daily living. It can be very effective because sometimes it takes a question to make the “word ” active.
14. rebeccastark
January 7, 2007
4:19 PM
I’m a bad girl. I skip over study questions. I did like the summary stuff at the end of each chapter in Praying Backwards, though, and I find having things organized like that really helps.
15. Bibliomaniac
January 7, 2007
4:44 PM
Yours is a question that’s dealt with a lot between authors and editors.
A couple of thoughts:
Most people don’t use the study questions or guides. The general experience of publishers is that a book and a separate study guide for use with that book will sell in a range of about four books to one study guide up to 10 books for every one study guide (there are rare exceptions—we’ve had releases with a near 1-to-1 ratio, which is wonderful when it happens). Books in which the study guide is included cannot be tracked for obvious reasons—someone who is buying the book is already buying the study guide anyway. But the ratio given above does give a rough idea of how many will use a study guide.
Following are some thoughts we often share with authors when they ask whether they should include a study guide or not. One, if the book is dealing with a subject that has strongly practical ramifications, then people are more likely to buy the study guide (classic example—books on improving your marriage or raising your children). Two, if a book deals with a subject matter that’s abstract and thus potentially difficult to put into practice, it’s usually a good idea to include a study guide.
Given that your book is on discernment—a HIGHLY important topic that’s sometimes hard to put into practice—if I were your editor, I’d strongly encourage you in the direction of adding at least two or three PRACTICAL-oriented questions or suggestions at the end of each chapter. They don’t have to be study questions; they can be encouragements toward everyday application of the principles the reader is learning.
Finally, while it’s true most people won’t use a study guide, those who DO use them appreciate an author or a book all the more when that option is available. Those who don’t want a study guide will NOT refuse to purchase a book just because it has one. But those who PREFER to have a study guide will sometimes decline a book and go for something else that DOES have a study guide (this is especially true when readers consider whether to study a book in their Bible study group or Sunday school class—books with study guides are much more preferred).
A couple of the authors I work with always include either a study guide or practical helps section at the end of each chapter, and their readers love it, write letter of thanks for this, and these books get wider circulation in Sunday school classes because of it. I think it’s no coincidence that these two authors are among our most successful ones.
Oh, one last thing. The study guides that get the best responses from readers are “thoughtful application” type guides, not fill-in-the-blank or simple rote exercises.
16. Christian
January 7, 2007
4:58 PM
Dear Tim,
I rarely read the study questions and when presenting a book to a small group I prefer to extract the questions myself. It ensures that I understand the text well enough to teach it. For the same reason I don’t really like pre-made Bible studies.
I eagerly await your first formal publishing effort. This blog has certainly been an outstanding component of your quest.
Sincerely,
Christian
17. KB
January 7, 2007
5:00 PM
I echo Bibliomaniac’s words.
Further, whether or not I use the study question depends on the topic and the writer. Some writers make it feel so natural to go on and use the questions that I find myself just doing it. But in most cases, unless it is as Bibliomanic suggested where the topic is hard to practice and needs something concrete to tie into, I skip or skim the questions.
18. afrikaner
January 7, 2007
5:43 PM
1. Study guide must point the reader back into the biblical text - not just regurgitate the author’s opinion. Explore the texts you have used in the chapter.
2. Point form summaries are helpful.
3. In text of chapter try to include the biblical passages, not just a reference. I’m lazy and find I lose concentration of the author’s train of thought if I have to be flicking from book to bible etc.
4. Double and triple check that you are using the text in context - not just ripping it out to suit your own agenda. (I know this wouldn’t apply to you Mr Challis - but it does happen).
5. Use a bible version(s) that is (are) sound and doesn’t just accommodate the presupposition of the author. (This is one of my beefs about so many populist books in the modern Christian era… ‘purpose driv….’)
19. Jacob
January 7, 2007
6:02 PM
It depends on the book and the questions it asks. If it’s the kind of book that assumes the reader has only a basic level of spiritual maturity, I’m more inclined to ignore the questions or take them less seriously.
If it’s a meaty book, I’d be more inclined to read questions at the end of the chapter, provided the questions are meaty too.
A problem that some study guide questions seem to suffer from is a legalistic “Jesus has saved your soul, what are YOU going to do about it,” rhetoric that encourages Christian to turn to their own works. However, if I remember correctly, you praised of Josh Harris’ “Not Even A Hint/Sex Is Not The Problem” over the “Every Man’s Battle” books because it identified man’s inability to fix his problems, so I hope that won’t be an issue for you.
20. Kim K
January 7, 2007
6:06 PM
What about questions that have a specific answer. Could you include the answer or at least point to it. Not one of those “what does this verse mean to you?”
Also, I never like discussion points that ask you to dredge up some bad memory such as, “Describe a time when someone hurt you and you wanted to lash out in return.” Those are the types of questions that keep me from doing “women’s Bible study” at our church.
21. Leslie
January 7, 2007
6:09 PM
Tim,
I like the kind of study questions that are challenging and really make me think and evaluate, that cause me to put the content in my own words to ensure understanding, and that will cause me to think it all the way through to application. I like questions that bring conviction. I don’t appreciate study questions with obvious answers.
I almost always take the time to answer the questions in my mind. If the book is one that I’ve chosen for a specific purpose, then I probably have an empty notebook waiting for my answers to the study guide questions. And if a book doesn’t have a bunch of questions, then I almost always write down my reflections after reading the chapter. I find questions very helpful, IF they are good, thoughtful questions.
I prefer questions to come at the end of each chapter rather than as a separate section at the end! I hate flipping back and forth. Same with notes—put them at the foot of the page, please!
22. Jim Vellenga
January 7, 2007
6:24 PM
I like having study or review questions there, although I don’t always use them. If they are good, I find I use them more, especially if there are some questions that lead to application of what a chapter contains.
Indexes are vital. They make a work useful for both reading and reference. I make extensive use of both topical indexes and scriptural indexes.
I also want to repeat what one commenter said above. Make sure you have footnotes. As one of my seminary professors said to us about paper writing, there are really two essays. One is the actual essay. The other is the footnotes where you can explore and expand things that are not directly necessary for developing your thesis, but are important none the less.
I MUCH prefer footnotes. Nothing annoys me more than constantly having to flip to the back of a chapter or book to find the endnotes. I personally think endnotes should be banned, but that is just one man’s thought :)
23. Joey Day
January 7, 2007
6:45 PM
My vote is for all of the above. I always appreciate having a scripture index along with a subject index in any book, and your idea for a key thought and study questions sounds good. Basically, the more additional resources you can give the reader, the better, even if some will ignore them.
24. Brendt
January 7, 2007
7:11 PM
One word of caution: Study questions have the danger of egocentrism. While The Discipline of Discernment may be God using your mind and pen (or, rather computer) to share with the reader, study questions can often have the implication of “this is what Tim wants you to get out of the chapter”.
If my pastor had a dollar for every time that he’s said something that was tangential in his mind, but earth-shattering for one of the listeners, he would’ve had the church stop paying him a salary a long time ago.
I’m not saying “don’t include them”, but if you do, do so carefully and prayerfully (i.e. what I suspect you’ve been doing all along anyway — just don’t back off ;-)
25. Paul Huxley
January 7, 2007
7:44 PM
I don’t really read the questions normally, but they’re *very* useful for discipling and reading through the books with people.
26. Ann
January 7, 2007
8:28 PM
My second comment… I “second” comment #18, by Afrikaner. Wise words
27. Veritas
January 7, 2007
8:45 PM
I normally would skip the designated questions or maybe just a real partial skim over them - normally cause I want to get into the next chapter (again that depends on how well the author has captured my attention) I do find I pay more attention to perhaps a question or two or maybe a one sentence conclusion/challenge that appears as the normal last paragraph without telegraphing or headlining or delineating the ‘end of chapter question section’ So a question by stealth?
I do like having a study guide separate at the end of the book like Packer did with Knowing God. Again some books lend themselves to be studies and others don’t.
28. Matthew Molesky
January 7, 2007
8:49 PM
I do not use the questions very often when just reading it, but always appreciate them if I decide to use the book for group use. Based on what you’ve shared so far about the book, it seems like it will be a good one to use in the context of a group or class on the topic. Therefore, my vote is “yes, include them.”
Thanks for being a means of the grace of God brother, through this blog and your efforts on this book.
29. alan rogers
January 7, 2007
8:58 PM
I never read the questions, usually if I have understood the book and am at all interested in it I have questions of my own that I have formed, although I like the idea of a “key thought” or a brief summary of each chapter emphasizing the main idea. Blessings on your book, I can’t wait for it to come out, I will definitely be buying a copy.
30. michelle
January 7, 2007
9:10 PM
hi tim,
i really liked kevin miller’s surviving information overload format: outline of key points at beginning of chapter so you know what you’re getting into, and at the end i think there are application-related questions—just a couple.
honestly, i skip over the chapter summaries—seems redundant to me if the chapter is clearly written. and i skim over the questions too, usually because there are so many. maybe if there are three or less, and i’m encouraged to apply only one of them, i’d be more inclined to reflect upon them. otherwise, it’s overwhelming and feels like homework.
michelle
ps i look forward to your book—discernment is such an important topic, and one that there’s not much written on.
31. SquarePeg
January 7, 2007
9:12 PM
I don’t always make use of study questions, but I do appreciate them if they are good ones.
It looks like your book is shaping up to be a good one for study groups. It is a topic that most Christians are interested in. I think in this case some well thought-out questions would be very useful for a study group leader. Even if one did not want to use the questions verbatim, they could be helpful in shaping one’s own questions to present to the group.
Also, I vote with those who say put the questions at the end of each chapter, not at the end of the book.
32. Nancy
January 7, 2007
9:25 PM
Please include meaty, thought provoking questions for a study group. Your book will be immensely important and as such, please make it easy (buy one book not two) for us to use in a group setting.
Ditto to Noah Lee’s comments on other things to include.
33. Scott McClare
January 7, 2007
11:32 PM
Regarding study questions, the answer is: It depends.
Generally speaking, when I’m reading a book for myself, I will look at the questions, maybe ponder them for a moment, but generally won’t pay them much attention. That’s just not the way I read books.
However, for a book that I might find useful in a group study setting, good study questions are valuable. Even if I don’t centre the discussion around them, it’s good to have them available to provoke discussion.
I’d include a few for each chapter. If you do, make them thought-provoking and conducive to stimulating discussion, rather than just “reading comprehension” style questions.
34. Stephen Thomas
January 8, 2007
12:12 AM
Like most of the people here, I often skip the study notes in a book. Sort of. As a bit of a perfectionist, I do skim the study notes just to say that I “read the whole thing”, but I don’t really think about them or answer them. On the other hand, I think they are useful if it is the sort of book that could be used in a Sunday School class or something.
35. Bethany
January 8, 2007
3:00 AM
i usually skip the questions, but oftentimes i go over books with other sisters or in groups… and in those cases, questions are helpful. the more insightful, the higher quality the questions are… the more likely they’ll be used. a book w/ exceptional study questions was… “the enemy within” -lungaard.
36. Alan Davey
January 8, 2007
3:13 AM
Review questions - yes. I think they provide a useful summary of the argument of a chapter, especially if I’ve not been able to read the chapter in one sitting.
Study guide etc. I never use them, though I always feel I should!
37. KathyS
January 8, 2007
7:30 AM
Since your book is the kind that might well be used as a group study text, go ahead and include some questions. Though I don’t usually read them on my own, our church often will use a (sound) book’s study guide questions as the basis for small group discussions. Discernment’s an important topic, and one that will inspire a lot of discussion. IMHO, you’d better go with the questions.
38. Josh
January 8, 2007
9:28 AM
If your argument is building from chapter to chapter then the key thought idea is a reallygood one Tim especially considering how short attention spans are these days.
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
—2 Timothy 2:9
39. David
January 8, 2007
10:27 AM
I don’t like questions in the book as they interupt the flow of my reading - but I do think a downloadable PDF or some such available from the publisher’s web site (or yours in this case) is a splendid idea and allows me time to go to this document seperately and think through what I have read.
40. Travis Seitler
January 8, 2007
10:49 AM
I’ll read over the first chapter’s questions, but if they don’t add anything to the content of the chapter (that is, if they’re essentially “review” questions) then I’ll skip over them as I read the rest of the book.
I tend to read this type of book with an eye toward personal application, so it’s more helpful for application points to be suggested, rather than having a question at the end of the chapter asking how I can apply the main point to my work environment, or somesuch.
I like the “Key Thought” idea!
41. Johnny S
January 8, 2007
10:53 AM
Tim,
If I’m reading a book personally, I often don’t bother much with the study questions. But I lead a small men’s study and we are always looking for books we can read together and then work through some questions.
So if you don’t include them in your book, please make them available on your website so people at least have the option to get them and use them.
Thanks!
42. Jason Furtak
January 8, 2007
2:27 PM
Tim,
For me your question comes down to the reason I picked up the book in the first place. If I’ve picked up the book for personal growth then I tend to pay attention to the questions at the end. If I’m just reading to learn more then I tend to ignore them.
Case in point, my favorite business/leadership author is John C. Maxwell (most recenty book 360 Degree Leader) and when I read his books I’m doing so to grow so therefore I read the questions after each chapter.
I agree with Kathys when she stated that some people or groups my use this as a study guide so including them maybe helpful in that case.
I would think having the questions there is better than not having them. People who don’t need them won’t read them and people who do will.
Hope this helps,
~ Jason Furtak ~
43. Peter Schott
January 8, 2007
4:22 PM
Just depends on how you’re doing the questions. If the book is really challenging me to change (Donald Whitney has a couple of books that I have used/applied), I’ll read through the questions and seriously think about the answers. If I’m not engaged with the book, I’ll tend to skip them or skim them at best. I may go back or may not.
As for group discussion, my biggest problem there is getting people to read the chapter(s) to discuss so we can discuss the questions and answers. I tried that a couple of times and just didn’t get any response.
Personally, I’d say to include them. Perhaps scatter them throughout the chapter as a pausing point if they won’t interrupt the reading of the chapter. Better yet, run them by some trusted friends to get some feedback on the chapter, the questions, and how well they fit. Easy enough before going to press to determine whether or not to include some/all of the questions.
In Him,
-Peter
44. Scott W
January 8, 2007
9:04 PM
Agree with #32. Consider if you’d like this book to be accessible for small groups (or more pointedly, for small group leaders). As the one responsible for the small group leaders and materials for our congregation, it has been my experience that there are (A) lots of good books from a Reformed or sound (no remarks on that being redundant) theological position and (B) lots of books that are good to give to a small group leader so they can lead without hours of prep (I’m dealing with the reality of leader’s lives…of course I wish they all spent many hours getting ready to lead each week—but I know they don’t), BUT there are not a lot of books that combine (A) and (B). In my experience, the people who write the best theology tend to write the worst (or no) study guides while those with awful theology have an eye toward making their books easy on the small group leader. So, maybe a guide in the back would make the book usable for groups and not get in the way of those who are remarking about how they tend to skip such end-of-chapter questions. My $.02.
45. wfseube
January 9, 2007
12:31 AM
Regarding questions, I think many of the responders here have answered from the perspective of individual readers. Some mention small group studies, and that is the perspective from which I encourage you to include questions if at all possible. As a small group leader, I have always looked specifically for books that have great content AND have questions to make my job as leader easier. When my group read Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life”, I had to write my own study questions, and it took a LONG time, since I had to read it repeatedly to understand it deeply enough to write the questions. Sure would have been easier if Piper had done it for me!!
If you do decide to include questions, I suggest that you avoid the “easy stuff” (like “What did the author say about xyz in this chapter?”) and include more open-ended, discussion- or thought-provoking questions. To me, at least, those are much more useful for group study.
——
bill
46. Jacob
January 9, 2007
12:40 AM
I think you should add the questions. If your blog is any indication as to the type of questions you would ask, I believe I would benefit from them. I read the questions, generally if they are obvious answer type questions, they are pointless, as are the fill in the blank type questions. I believe that questions like that are an insult to intelligence. I’m assuming that the audience you are attempting to reach will be those type of people who would regularly read your blog. If that is the case, I would recommend fashioning the questions as ones that take the information in each chapter and challenge the reader to take it a step further. Some of which should be application oriented, some of which should be purely academic in nature. More or less, my recommendation would be to challenge the readers comprehension by asking questions that make it obvious to a reader that they either understand the concepts (not ones that determine if tthey can repeat the content) and can move on to the next chapter, or they need to reread the chapter before moving on.
How’s that for an abstract answer? ;)
47. Robert Talley
January 9, 2007
6:10 AM
I never unless forced even look at the study questions. I do however refer to a Scripture index or biographical index or topical index quite often. If I feel the book is really worth my time and I want to see in the future what the author had to say about a specific passage of Scripture, that is where I will turn to see what he had to say. Good chapter titles do the same but I can’t always remember what information is under what chapter title. If the synopsis sentence of the chapters that you are now planning would help the “referring” reader, that would be an added plus. My best books are the ones after twenty years, to which I still refer to at least monthly and try to find in the table of contents or indexes good ideas to get my mind rolling. I do this both with ministry and with hobby reading (American Civil War) for example.