Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain
"Wolf restores our awe of the human brain--its adaptability, its creativity, and its ability to connect with other minds through a procession of silly squiggles." -- San Francisco Chronicle
How do people learn to read and write--and how has the development of these skills transformed the brain and the world itself ? Neuropsychologist and child development expert Maryann Wolf answers these questions in this ambitious and provocative book that chronicles the remarkable journey of written language not only throughout our evolution but also over the course of a single child's life, showing why a growing percentage have difficulty mastering these abilities.
With fascinating down-to-earth examples and lively personal anecdotes, Wolf asserts that the brain that examined the tiny clay tablets of the Sumerians is a very different brain from the one that is immersed in today's technology-driven literacy, in which visual images on the screen are paving the way for a reduced need for written language--with potentially profound consequences for our future.
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliate
"[Wolf's] conversational style, reflective comments and insights from work with children...create a narrative flow and bright tone."--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Proust and the Squid is an inspiring celebration of the science of reading....Wolf's insights are fascinating....Proust and the Squid has much to offer on this important--perhaps the most important--subject"--The Guardian (London)
"Enjoyable....Wolf, with remarkable agility in a relatively compact book (intended for both aficionados and the uninitiated), transitions seamlessly between disciplines as diverse as linguistics, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and archeology, among others. Her voice comes through clearly; she is fascinated by reading and shares that energy."--New England Journal of Medicine
"Brilliant and eye-opening."--Philadelphia Inquirer
"Blindingly fascinating...detailed and scholarly....There's a lot of difficult material in here. But it's worth the effort....For people interested in language, this is a must. You'll find yourself focusing on words in new ways. Read it slowly--it will take time to sink in."--The Sunday Telegraph
"Everything Wolf says makes sense....She clearly knows her stuff."--Washington Post Book World
"Wolf's alarm about the spread of semi- literacy among the young is obviously justified, and her book provokes thought about it as only reading can."--Sunday Times (London)
"Brilliant and eye-opening."--Albany Times Union
"[Maryanne Wolf] displays extraordinary passion and perceptiveness concerning the reading brain, its miraculous achievements and tragic dysfunctions."--BookForum
"A book worth talking about."--U.S. News & World Report
"This humane and fascinating book...is a paean to what Proust, über-reader, called 'that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude, ' to all that has been and can be achieved for individuals and for mankind through literacy."--The Evening Standard (London)
"Fascinating....Wolf restores our awe of the human brain."--Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
"...intriguing..."--New Scientist
