Reading and writing, like all communication skills, require the special powers of the human mind, and yet we are usually unaware of the mental activities that make these skills possible. Generally, the human mind works spontaneously: We think without stop ping to think about how we are thinking. For instance, we compare and contrast people, places, and events; we analyze causes and effects; we clarify our definitions of certain words, explaining what we mean when we use them in particular contexts. And we use these patterns of thinking without consciously saying to ourselves: I'm comparing and contrasting, or I'm analyzing cause and effect, or I'm explaining what I mean when I use a certain word. We simply do these things naturally and automatically. - O'qish va yozish, barcha muloqot qobiliyatlari kabi, inson ongining maxsus kuchlarini talab qiladi, lekin biz odatda bu ko'nikmalarni amalga oshiradigan aqliy faoliyatdan bexabarmiz. Umuman olganda, inson ongi o'z-o'zidan ishlaydi: biz qanday o'ylayotganimiz haqida o'ylash uchun to'xtamasdan o'ylaymiz. Masalan, biz odamlar, joylar va hodisalarni solishtiramiz va taqqoslaymiz; sabab va oqibatlarni tahlil qilamiz; biz ba'zi so'zlarning ta'riflarini aniqlaymiz, ularni muayyan kontekstlarda ishlatganda nimani nazarda tutayotganimizni tushuntiramiz. Biz esa bu fikrlash shakllaridan o‘zimizga ongli ravishda aytmasdan foydalanamiz: men solishtiraman va qarama-qarshi qo‘yaman, yoki sabab va oqibatni tahlil qilaman yoki ma’lum bir so‘zni ishlatganda nimani nazarda tutayotganimni tushuntiraman. Biz bu ishlarni tabiiy va avtomatik tarzda qilamiz.