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The Lost Art of Reading
The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time | David L. Ulin
23 posts | 7 read | 24 to read
Reading is a revolutionary act, an act of engagement in a culture that wants us to disengage. In The Lost Art of Reading, David L. Ulin asks a number of timely questions - why is literature important? What does it offer, especially now? Blending commentary with memoir, Ulin addresses the importance of the simple act of reading in an increasingly digital culture. Reading a book, flipping through hard pages, or shuffling them on screen - it doesn't matter. The key is the act of reading, and it's seriousness and depth. Ulin emphasizes the importance of reflection and pause allowed by stopping to read a book, and the accompanying focus required to let the mind run free in a world that is not one's own. Are we willing to risk our collective interest in contemplation, nuanced thinking, and empathy? Far from preaching to the choir, The Lost Art of Reading is a call to arms, or rather, to pages.
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Of course, reading is not a lost art for Littens, but Ulin here is talking about all the other things that demand our attention in our culture and how this has moved both more people away from reading as more options are available and has fragmented many readers‘ attention. Interesting, though he needs to work on the diversity of the books he cites.

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youngreadrshelf
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GatheringBooks
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#BloomingBibliophiles Day 19: The last time my family and I were #Outdoors was during my birthday, first/second week of March, at Ras Al Khaimah in this glorious beach. Now, only ze husband goes #outdoors as tribute to buy groceries - oh and yes, we do our usual two-hour walk around our complex in the late afternoon - with masks on, of course. 😢

OriginalCyn620 Lovely pic! 4y
Cathythoughts Beautiful 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful ❤️ 4y
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DebbieGrillo
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GatheringBooks
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#NewYearNewYou Day 14: A lot of #RudeAwakening in this extended essay made into a short book. I was a little impatient with the many digressions and asides in this memoir, although I generally appreciated the reader‘s musings. I find that I have to recalibrate my reading expectations after having read exclusively women authors for the whole of 2019.

Eggs Well done! 4y
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MrBook
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#BookNLunch! Trying to eat healthier *grumble, grumble*. Salads are promissory notes that actual food is on its way, but sometimes I only eat the note 😝. Ingredients: lettuce, mesculin mix, spinach, carrots, grape tomatoes, marinated mushrooms and mozzarella balls, cucumbers, black olives, blackberries, imitation crab meat, grilled chicken breast strips, bacon bits, parmesan cheese, ranch. All washed down with sparkling mineral water. 😎

Sleepswithbooks That looks amazing!! 5y
VeryLazyDaisy That looks delicious! 5y
wanderinglynn I too am trying to eat healthier. But today, I skipped the salad & instead went with baked chicken with roasted sweet potatoes & parsnips. 5y
GatheringBooks that is appetising looking 4y
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MrBook
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I didn‘t think of taking the picture until consumption was completed 😆🙈. @BookBabe and @leeloo13 are doing the second and last day of the winery tour. We‘re at stop number 2 now. I‘m the designated driver again, and we have another friend along 😁. This stop had pork shank and cheddar grits. MMMMmmm 😋! Now to read and wait. Cheers! 🍷

tpixie Oh! I‘ll have to go backwards and follow your trip!! 5y
cariashley What kind of wineries are you visiting and where?? 🍷🍷🍷 5y
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WanderingBookaneer
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SW-T @WanderingBookaneer Love the figurine! Is she a book or movie character? Sorry, but it‘s not obvious to me. (edited) 5y
WanderingBookaneer @SW-T : It‘s Belle from Beauty and the Beast. 5y
SW-T @WanderingBookaneer Of course it is! The one character I didn‘t think of. Thanks 😊 5y
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kspenmoll
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lauralovesbooks1
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Pickpick

I loved this quick read about the power and importance of reading -- about digging deep into complicated subjects, about engaging at more than a surface level, about how books develop the empathy of the reader and how reading can help us find common ground because we understand more about other perspectives. Excellent read.

Crazeedi Sounds good 5y
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DrSabrinaMoldenReads
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Look what I just found in this book, dated March 2011. I love my used books. I don‘t know how I feel about this though. It makes me feel some kinda way. Is Victoria still alive? Who was E. T. McLean, Jr. to her? Why does she no longer have this book? Did she enjoy it? 🤔

CocoReads That‘s very cool! 6y
Jazruiz.2014 I find it interesting when I see odd things in books also 6y
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DrSabrinaMoldenReads
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Drum Roll, Please! I just catalogued “The Lost Art of Reading” as my 100th shelved book in my new book organization system. This is just books I own, not including the books I have read. Since this has been the most fun I have had in ages, I really need to do more of this. Any job offers in a clinical psychologist‘s salary range? 🤓🤣

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The.Intentional.Reader
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Amen

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SiriuslyWeasley
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I plan on avoiding tech distractions this weekend. I need to decompress and recharge body, mind & soul. I can think of no better way to do that, than reading. Happy Saturday friends! 😊📚📖☕
#jointheresistance

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The.Intentional.Reader
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The.Intentional.Reader
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Looking for some recommendations for books about books and/or libraries. What are some good ones you have read?

tracyrowanreads I've read a lot of these this year, with mixed results. Of the good: Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, Ink and Blood, The Little Paris Bookshop, The Stories Life of A.J. Fikry. Still good but less successful: Paper and Fire (a sequel to Ink and Bone), Ajax Penumbra 1969 (prequel to the book above), The Museum of Literary Souls. 7y
tracyrowanreads Continued... Generally okay to meh: The Book of Speculation, Of Books and Earth, and Courtship, The Bookshop on the Corner. Of the bad: The Maximum Security Book Club. 7y
tracyrowanreads That would be Storied Life. Damn auto correct. 7y
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The.Intentional.Reader Thanks @tracyrowanreads I will check some of those out 7y
tracyrowanreads @The.Intentional.Reader You are most welcome. Let me know what you think. 7y
Lcsmcat If you want nonfiction about books I recommend The New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman and Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman, or Walking a Literary Laberinth by Nancy M. Malone. 7y
The.Intentional.Reader Thank you @Lcsmcat ! Will look at those too 7y
readinginthedark This is technically a short story but one of the most amazing things I have ever read! Also, The End of Your Life Book Club is good. 7y
The.Intentional.Reader @readinginthedark thank you! I will check those out 7y
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Lissa00
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Overdid it at the library again📚😊. I've already read the first couple pages of each and am excited to get started #24in48.

BekahB The Dead Lands has been on my TBR for a while! 7y
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megnews
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"I like the idea of ... reading as a three dimensional, tactile experience, in which the way a text looks or feels or even smells has an influence over how, or whether, I engage."

Second book I've read in a month that mentions the smell of a book. Glad I'm not alone!

Donna_sBookMinute Usually, if I choose an electronic or audiobook, I don't care about touch or feel. It's a title I don't feel the need to "own." But yes, I prefer to handle a physical book -- even though I've become accustomed to e- and audio. 7y
megnews @Donna_sBookMinute I prefer books. I was very excited when I got my kindle but I missed having books. I do download ebooks from the library which I generally read on the kindle app on my phone when I'm on the go. I have found myself reading a physical book and the Ebook on the go and at times even adding audio to the mix. 7y
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megnews
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"I flipped ahead to see how many pages were in each chapter, as if to calibrate my experience. This is something I've always done, a way to position myself in a book."

Me too. Anyone else?

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megnews
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When I went into the library, I promised myself I was only going to get The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith for my annual Christmas read. But the librarian had created a special display I had to walk right past with books about reading. Now I ask you, how could I walk right past and not hog-er, I mean, borrow- a book or 5? And could you???

#readingaddict
#booksaremydrug
#bettergetstarted

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Cookierooks
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Didion 68. Also 2016.

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Cookierooks
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About 08, still timely.

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Cookierooks
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Ironically, I had to put down my book to post this passage about distracted reading.