Slow reading in a hurried age

Abstract

Why should you read a book? Many millions of people in the world can’t read, and of those who can, very few read books regularly. It’s easy to fi ll the day (when you’re not working, doing chores, or talking to friends, family, and coworkers) by surfing the Internet, skimming the headlines of news stories, and checking e-mail—not to mention tele vi sion and video games. None of this activity is reading in the sense I mean. Scanning an e-mail or a text message is fundamentally different from the activity of reading as I will describe it to you. Reading is a craft, a practice. My aim is to provide you with the tools you need to become a better reader.