Sunday, January 9, 2011

Why Books Matter - Elizabeth Taylor - David Ulin

Link to original article in the Chicago Tribune.

At a recent book group meeting, a smart woman asked, "Why do we read?" For those of us who do so instinctively, who reach for a book as they would a coat or hat, "The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time" encourages us to read self-consciously and to think about our relationship with the page.

David L. Ulin's slender book is a manifesto that argues for reading to defy "encroachment of the buzz." Ulin, book critic at the Los Angeles Times and an admired colleague, uses his customary insight to reflect on coming of age as a reader. Ulin's invigorating reflection was inspired by his charming and skeptical 15-year-old son's resistance to annotate "The Great Gatsby."

Reading, Ulin argues, is a "revolutionary act" in the digital age. As the world spins, the active act of reading navigates and balances us against the vicissitudes of life.

Elizabeth Taylor, literary editor

"The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time"

I would like to read this book in the near future.


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