The Lost Art of Reading
Books and Resistance in a Troubled Time
The new introduction and afterword bring fresh relevance to this insightful rumination on the act of reading–as a path to critical thinking, individual and political identity, civic engagement, and resistance.
The former LA Times book critic expands his short book, rich in ideas, on the consequence of reading to include the considerations of fake news, siloed information, and the connections between critical thinking as the key component of engaged citizenship and resistance. Here is the case for reading as a political act in both public and private gestures, and for the ways it enlarges the world and our frames of reference, all the while keeping us engaged.
Sep 04, 2018 | Price: $16.95
A book editor for the Los Angeles Times, David L. Ulin has also written for The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, The New York Times Book Review, and LA Weekly. He lives in Los Angeles.
Details
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Sasquatch Books
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781632171948
- ISBN Hyphenated: 978-1-63217-194-8
- Dimensions: 4-1/2 x 7
- Weight: 8 ounces
Book Categories
Adult Education, Arts & Literature, books about books, Classics, Communication, Curriculum and Instruction, Education, essays, Humanities & Social Sciences, Introduction to Mass Communication, Literary Collections, Literary Collections - Asian - Indic, Literary Collections - Essays, Literary Criticism, Literary Criticism - Ancient & Classical, Literary Criticism - Books & Reading, literature, Mass Communication, Non-fiction, Nonfiction, Political Science - Civil Rights, Political Science - Essays, Politics, Politics & Law, technologyYou might also enjoy
“I was electrified by his celebration of narrative, empathic imagination, and startling insights.”
—Joe Hill, author of The Fireman
“David Ulin's soul is up for grabs. The digital era has sunk its hooks into him, and politics has corroded his spirit. But Ulin has found a powerful and instructive form of resistance in his lifelong love of books. The Lost Art of Reading makes us consider our own souls in this crucial moment, and reminds us why books matter. A necessary and deeply human read.”
—Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble
For anyone who has forgotten the joy and rewards of reading. This former L.A. Times book critic has expanded an earlier version of this short treatise, which is packed with ideas about what we experience when we read. Ulin rages on about the importance of critical thinking and its connection with citizenship and resistance during this current period of political divisiveness and uncertainty. Complete with a brand new introduction and afterword, this book will whet your appetite to begin reading again.
--The Detroit Free Press
Why read? Books open windows to other worlds and breed empathy, yes, but there’s another reason. “I am looking for authority, intelligence,” writes David L. Ulin in his short but vital book, “The Lost Art of Reading: Books and Resistance in a Troubled Time” (Sasquatch Books; $16.95). “The last thing I want is someone to tell me what to think.”
--The San Francisco ChronicleI am a reader who, during a few anxiety-driven years, found myself caught up in a dizzying attempt to be connected and “in the know”, leaving very little time for reflection. I believe that Ulin is speaking to that kind of reader. His essay is an exhortation to inspire the distracted reader to remember what they once knew, as opposed to an argument to convert the resistant to a reading life.
—The Everything of Books