Twilight of the Books

Caleb Cairn's piece in The New Yorker on the decline of reading makes for good reading, ha ha. He discusses not only evidence that Americans are reading less and less each decade, but also the history of reading from early civilization through the Greeks. A lot of the piece explores the different cognitive demands of an oral culture verses a literate one. The "illiterates" or orals, think metaphorically and, in a way, concretely, embedding ideas into actual situations and anecdotes. Literate brains are better at abstract thoughts and categorizing things, etc.

Of course, television and video games are identified as a big component in the declines of reading. There is a firm correlation between television watching, reading, and academic performance. Etcetera. This piece made proud to be someone who reads so much, and I look forward to my twilight years where I will be someone with that "arcane hobby" of reading actual books.

Cairn quoted Proust's description of reading as "that fruitful miracle of communication in the midst of solitude", which resonated with me quite a bit, being alone but much less alone with a book. Being in yourself, but also in communion with another mind, another voice.

Readers also do more than non-readers. We participate in sports, go to live entertainment events and museums and vote more than our non-reading brethren. Readers rock!