Science and philosophy have similarities: science deals with laws and general rules, while philosophy seeks universal truths; however, the questions raised by philosophy are different from those of scientists, as are the methods to solve them.
If a book's content goes beyond the daily, routine, normal life experiences, it is a scientific book; otherwise, it is a philosophical one. Aristotle's "Physics" should be classified as a philosophical book, whereas Newton's "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" should be considered a scientific work.
Philosophers are thinkers sitting in rocking chairs, and the facts or observations they propose will not exceed ordinary people's life experiences. They prove their statements through normal common experiences. Scientists, on the other hand, are observers who rely on experiments, depending on precise observation and research, and the results of their experiments must possess reliability and validity.
Both scientists and philosophers need to think and observe, but they do so based on different observational results. Scientists provide evidence from specific experiences, while philosophers use examples from human universality.
How to read scientific books?
For instance, reading mathematics. Mathematics is actually a language, and it should be learned like learning one's own language; the difference lies in that one’s own language is learned twice: how to speak and how to read; whereas mathematics only has written language. Therefore, similar to the first time receiving reading guidance in elementary school, learn to recognize specific symbols appearing on each page; memorize the relationships between symbols. Then enter the skimming phase, where there are many propositions in the book. You can first look at the explanation of the theorem, then check the conclusion, and grasp how it was proven. Of course, this kind of reading premise is that you are not becoming an expert in this subject, but rather understanding related issues.
How to read philosophical books?
We need to realize that the profound questions posed by great philosophers are the same ones children are asking; being able to retain the childlike perspective on the world while maturely understanding the significance of preserving these questions. So we need to learn from them, asking questions with a child's innocence and answering with the maturity of a wise person. The questions philosophers raise generally fall into two categories: existence/being, change/formation. Understanding the standpoint of philosophical methods is crucial. Moreover, philosophical concepts cannot be arbitrarily pieced together. There are strict tests for answering philosophical questions to confirm whether the answers are logically sound. This testing is purely general, but philosophers think more deeply than the average person.
Finally, the greatest feature of philosophical questions is that everyone needs to answer these questions themselves, whereas scientific questions require the testimony of experts and experimental results to answer.