Speaking of Reading

By Nadine Rosenthal

Book Overview

Why are some people drawn into reading, pulled as if by magnetic force into distant worlds or intellectual explorations? And why are others repelled by reading, incapable of focusing their attention long enough to create vivid images in their minds or grasp complex concepts? Speaking of Reading presents seventy-seven lively, poignant, and inspiring personal responses to the query: "What is your reading history, and how does your reading affect the rest of your life?" Written in the tradition of Studs Terkel, this book uses oral histories to bring you directly into the worlds of many diverse readers. Sprinkled throughout are narratives of nationally recognized personalities such as writers Maxine Hong-Kingston, Isabel Allende, Julie Harris, Gloria Steinem, and Robert MacNeil. Speaking of Reading invites us to think about our own reading histories and the crucial role reading plays in our lives. Nadine Rosenthal provides substantial insight into reading and the reading process, and offers avid readers a plea: Become a reading mentor. While she explains how to come to the aid of an infrequent reader, her subjects make it clear why it is important to pass the love of reading along to others.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0435081187
• ISBN13: 9780435081188
• Release Date: May 1997
• Publisher: Heinemann
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A book for all readers and non-readers alike.

Something for everyone best describes Nadine Rosenthal's latest offering, Speaking of Reading. A collection of narrative essays from a wide range of people, this book shares the many facets of the reading experience in an intensely human manner. Dividing the people she interviewed into basic categories of "readers" and "non-readers," Rosenthal then groups the narratives by types of readers, including literature, information, habitiual, obsessive, childhood and new adult readers among other categories. Each person sharing a narrative is candid and honest regarding his or her love/hate, excitement/frustration or obsession/apathy for reading and various genres. In addition to crawling inside other readers' heads and discovering myself among more than one of the types, Rosenthal's impassioned plea for more literary mentors was not lost on this reader. Indeed, I belive her goal of increasing literay mentors for non-readers may find great success with the power of this book. If you are a reader of any type, you will find small parts of yourself in many of the narratives. If you struggle with reading, you will be inspired by the honesty of many of those in the book who also struggled and are overcoming their fears of reading to explore a new horizon never before available to them. If you know someone whom you wish to share your love of reading with, this book may be the tool which helps both you and your friend.