I came across a review of this book on The Gospel Coalition website. In the book she points out that we tend not to finish articles that we read online. I laughed at myself: I hadn’t read the whole online review, of course. I ordered the book from the library — I think they bought it upon my ILL request, they are really good that way. I didn’t finish it within my 3-week loan period, and it was quite good, and others had holds on it, and she makes me feel really bad for starting things and not finishing them, so I went out and bought it for myself. Hardcover – I could have saved a bunch of money by downloading it as an e-book, but she points out the research that says how much less attention we pay when reading e-books.
The major issue: By reviewing recent brain-science research, Wolf demonstrates that as our reading habits are changing from print to digital, so are our thinking patterns changing. Our thinking is becoming less reflective, less contemplative, less critical, less emphathetic, etc. She demonstrates that all of those good qualities get built up by habits of careful, attentive reading.
The major goal: Instead of coming out with a goal for us to get rid of electronic media, Wolf suggests a fascinating goal: We know that children can be raised in bilingual homes where, if their parents do things right, the children’s brains naturally switch back and forth between different modes of thinking – in that case, different languages. Wolf says that is evidence that we could train our brains, and our children’s, to respond to cues in such a way that we can be in digital-engagement mode (with lots of skimming, response to artificial stimuli, dependence on search engines, etc.) and effectively switch into reflective-reading-of-print mode, and back again. She makes a compelling case that both modes are necessary for life in our contemporary world, and she is very hopeful that if we are purposeful about it, we can do well at both.
The experience of reading this book: The first half or two-thirds of the book is made up of her compiling and summarizing (popularizing) vast amounts of other people’s research. She drops so many names that it makes for choppy, annoying reading. But the content comes across, and it makes a person like me feel guilty for even thinking about not finishing the book. But then in the last third of the book, Wolf comes into her own research and creativity, and the style of her writing improves drastically.
Lessons for my life:
- For most books, aim to read them slowly, cover to cover. Don’t skim. (University can be terrible for promoting skimming.) He uses an image of a hurried, deliberate kind of slowness.
- I need to value the freedom of my mind to wander as I read. She demonstrates the brain science of how the very neural processes of reading depend on a freedom to wander, free from the kinds of planned distractions that happen with digital media, free for our very flesh to feel our bodies’ responses to what we read, etc.
- I need to value the skill of careful, concentrated reading. It may require time and energy, but it is a dying art that is essential to our civilization. If I don’t value it and maintain it as a skill, I will lose it. In recent years, having children and responsibilities, I’ve placed my hopes for learning into listening to podcasts etc. I might be getting some interesting content, but my capacity to think is probably diminishing.
- I need to maintain “empty spaces” in my schedule in which contemplative, critical, heartfelt reflection can be done. She gives the image of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett being interviewed, and the one saying that the other had taught him the value of blank spaces in his calendar. I usually feel guilty for blank spaces in my calendar.
- I need to read worthwhile books a second or third time.
- I need to be on-purpose to aim for my children to be good readers: deep, critical thinkers, empathetic, etc. To do that, I need to drastically limit their screen time. Wolf encourages us to be very aware of how much screen time the children get at school.
WhatPastorSamIsReading 