Obviously you can read and probably you have been taught reading skills for academic purposes as part of a study skills course. Unfortunately, mathematics has some special subtleties which often get missed in classes or books on how to study. For example, speed reading is recommended as a valuable tool for learning in many subjects. In mathematics, however, this is not a good method. Mathematics is rarely overwritten; there are few superfluous adjectives, every word and symbol is important and their omission would render the material incomprehensible or incorrect.

The hints and tips here, which include a systematic method for breaking down reading into digestible pieces, are practical suggestions, not a rigid list of instructions. The main points are the following:

The last point is where thinking mathematically diverges from thinking in many other subjects, such as history and sociology. You really do need to be following the details as you go along – check them. In history (assuming you don't have a time machine) you can't check that Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC, you can only check what other people have claimed he did.