The pleasures of reading in an age of distraction
by Alan Jacobs · first published 2011
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In recent years, cultural commentators have sounded the alarm about the dire state of reading in America. Americans are not reading enough, they say, or reading the right books, in the right way. In this book, Alan Jacobs argues that, contrary to the doomsayers, reading is alive and well in America. There are millions of devoted readers supporting hundreds of enormous bookstores and online booksellers. Oprah's Book Club is hugely influential, and a recent NEA survey reveals an actual uptick in the reading of literary fiction. Jacobs's interactions with his students and the readers of his own b
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In the book "The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction", by Alan Jacobs, he advocates reading "at Whim". It was a welcome antidote to the notion that one ought read a lot and read "great" books. It's a good, quick read that will give some thought-provoking…
on “Reading a book a week for your career” ↗I would recommend Alan Jacob's work in this space: * The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9859899-the-pleasures-of...) * Breaking Bread with the Dead (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608945/breaking-bre...) I would also recommend some of Matthew…
on “Reading in the Age of Constant Distraction (2019)” ↗You might also enjoy: Sven Birkerts, The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age Alan Jacobs, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction Andrew Piper, Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times Robert Darnton, The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future And another essay for you: https://harpers.org/archive/2018/10/living-animals/
on “The Progress of Reading (2018)” ↗