Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain

Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain Features

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The act of reading is a miracle. Every new reader's brain possesses the extraordinary capacity to rearrange itself beyond its original abilities in order to understand written symbols. But how does the brain learn to read? As world-renowned cognitive neuroscientist and scholar of reading Maryanne Wolf explains in this impassioned book, we taught our brain to read only a few thousand years ago, and in the process changed the intellectual evolution of our species.

Wolf tells us that the brain that examined tiny clay tablets in the cuneiform script of the Sumerians is configured differently from the brain that reads alphabets or of one literate in today's technology.

There are critical implications to such an evolving brain. Just as writing reduced the need for memory, the proliferation of information and the particular requirements of digital culture may short-circuit some of written language's unique contributions--with potentially profound consequences for our future.

Turning her attention to the development of the individual reading brain, Wolf draws on her expertise in dyslexia to investigate what happens when the brain finds it difficult to read. Interweaving her vast knowledge of neuroscience, psychology, literature, and linguistics, Wolf takes the reader from the brains of a pre-literate Homer to a literacy-ambivalent Plato, from an infant listening to Goodnight Moon to an expert reader of Proust, and finally to an often misunderstood child with dyslexia whose gifts may be as real as the challenges he or she faces.

As we come to appreciate how the evolution and development of reading have changed the very arrangement of our brain and our intellectual life, we begin to realize with ever greater comprehension that we truly are what we read. Ambitious, provocative, and rich with examples, Proust and the Squid celebrates reading, one of the single most remarkable inventions in history. Once embarked on this magnificent story of the reading brain, you will never again take for granted your ability to absorb the written word.

What Customers Say About Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain:

The author talks a lot about the history of reading and how humans started to read. If you are interested in dyslexia then she talk a lot about this and talks about the reading brain of dyslexia people. This is one of those books that you can't put down. There is also a lot of information on neuroscience and what part of the brain we use to read. This book is very well written and Maryanne puts complex science research into an easy to read format. Reading is something we take for granted but after reading this you look at it in a new light.It starts off on how the brain reads and unlike hearing and seeing which is innate reading is something that we have to teach the brain. It was very interesting on how Chinese and Japanese people use different parts of their brain to read than English readers.

Dyslexic children are often thought to be slow learners, but often they are bright and creative. New paths are forged in the brain and these paths are somewhat different for a child who is learning English as compared with Chinese. For parents, teachers and anyone else who wants to help children learn to read effectively, the book offers practical information about why some children have difficulty learning this basic skill. Neuroscience is probably the most exciting science now examining how people live and learn. Anyone who cares about how children learn will find this book exciting and enlightening. Wolf starts the book by telling us how human beings slowly learned to transfer spoken language into written symbols and how various cultural groups chose different ways to do this. Research on how people use their brains has changed the way we look at everyday processes we thought we understood, but really didn't Maryanne Wolf's Proust and the Squid is the first book I've read that makes the connection between research and the process of reading--one of the most important intellectual achievements humans have ever made. She goes on to explain what happens to an individual child who learns to read.

From the title of the book, I expected more information about the development of reading and writing, and of the changes, which took place in our mind - which clearly did not evolve to read.I am not saying, that the book does not contain this, but far too much space (2/3 0f the volume) is devoted to dislexia, and what to do about it (As the auther has a child with dislexia, this is understandable, but it should say so in the title.).All in all, it contained to much child - development - hints and not enough of the science I expected.

The "Proust" we read in this book is in translation: evidence of shallow thinking by someone who purports to think deeply about language. I learned that at least a decade ago when starting to read about how the Internet is going to change us. 1) This book needed editing. In like manner, the "Proust and the Squid" title smacks of marketing, which is okay but also shallow.3) A student of language was "surprised" to learn (recently I guess) that Socrates (or others as writing emerged) was concerned about written language. It's a wonderful insight, but as much in this book, it is old stuff. She repeats herself. Yes, I probably have a shorter attention span because of using the Internet, but quality demands editing to express things succinctly.2) Why use Proust to write for English readers.

I do think the book is definately worth reading, informative and enjoyable, but I'm sure I would much more enjoy the written version. Interesting book for those who love reading. I did lose interest several times, mostly due to not remembering where I left off w/the cd.