Slow reading: "print is the next big thing"

John Miedema, IT guy and former true believer that "print, books and libraries were on the way out," has written a book titled, Slow Reading:

In the 1990s, society witnessed the mainstream integration of personal computers and the Web. For a time, it seemed likely that print, books and libraries would disappear, and perhaps literacy along with them. A generation later, we have some evidence by which to assess the reality. The analysis that follows shows that there is a close relationship between the media we use to read – books or digital technology – and the way we read and think. This is not to say that reading on screens spells the end of reading. Digital technology is often preferable for searching and scanning short snippets. However, print has endured because it is still the superior technology for reading anything of length, quality or substance. While digital technology lends itself to discovering and remixing ideas in novel ways, slow reading of books is still essential for nurturing literacy and the capacity for extended linear thought. [emphasis mine]

Check out the free chapter.

Via Aggie Librarian

Comments

[Eric Lease Morgan]

I agree with these sentiments, and that is why I am beginning to say things like, "Big ideas don’t fit on a mobile."

[Chris Schwartz]

Thanks for the comment, Eric.

I think slow is the new fast. Recently I've had some health problems that have forced me to scale back and spend less time online. It's been a good thing.

Also, being a student of theology before I became a librarian, serious reading, close study of texts, and critical thinking were my first love. So, I've always been into "slow reading."