Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain Audiobook (Free)

Reading is a miracle, because the mind was never wired for written language. This eloquent, accessible take a look at reading explores how they have changed our brains, our lives, and the world.

It took 2,000 years for written vocabulary to build up, and it takes 2,000 times for a child’s brain to understand to read. Throughout that time, the mind must actually rearrange itself in order to understand written symbols. What goes on when a kid has difficulty mastering these abilities?

Using down-to-earth about Proust as well as the Squid: The Story and Science from the Reading Brain illustrations and personal anecdotes, a preeminent researcher and literacy lover embarks on the lively trip through the reading human brain. Drawing on her vast understanding of neurology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and child development, she shows how the brain that examine Sumerian cuneiforms on clay tablets differs from the mind that reads images on a screen. Just as writing reduced our dependence on memory, technology is certainly reducing the need for created language-a change sure to have profound implications for our future.

Fascinating and revelatory for anyone interested in the research of the brain, for parents of young children learning to go through, and for those who wish to know more on the subject of dyslexia.