Ratings10
Average rating4.2
Draws on the author's extensive research from "Proust and the Squid" to consider the future of the reading brain and its capacity for critical thinking, empathy, and reflection in today's highly digitized world.
A decade ago, Wolf's Proust and the Squid revealed what we know about how the brain learns to read and how reading changes the way we think and feel. Now, in a series of letters, Wolf describes her concerns-- and hopes-- about how digital mediums may be changing our brains. Wolf herself has found that her ability to read deeply has been impacted as she becomes increasingly dependent on screens. What could this mean for our future? -- adapted from jacket
Reviews with the most likes.
Do we read more deeply with physical books? That's one of the conclusions of this book, and I wasn't so convinced by it. I think reading on a mobile device, a tablet, or on a computer is totally different from reading using an e-reader with e-ink technology. The author discusses research that pointed out the importance of the “physicality” of books, the shape, the visual sense of how many pages there are in the book, and how all those cues are important for reading. There are interesting discussions on how technological native children will develop their reading skills. Are they going to be able to read long books? And get a deep understanding of the contents and ideas? Or the way they consume digital information will make them shallow readers?
As an avid e-reader myself, I don't think there is a difference between reading a physical book and an e-book in terms of the level of understanding. The environment and distractions around me are a better indicator of how much I'm engaged in the reading.
This book started a good discussion about the future of reading. And how our brains might change or adapt to different mediums.