Proust and the Squid

The Story and Science of the Reading Brain

By: Maryanne Wolf

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Interweaving her vast knowledge of neurology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy with fascinating down-to-earth examples and lively personal anecdotes, developmental psychologist, neuroscientist, and dyslexia expert Wolf probes the question, "How do we learn to read and write?" This ambitious and provocative new book offers an impassioned look at reading, its effect on our lives, and explains why it matters so greatly in a digital era.©2007 Maryanne Wolf (P)2008 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Wolf's alarm about the spread of semi- literacy among the young is obviously justified, and her book provokes thought about it as only reading can." ( Sunday Times London)
"Blindingly fascinating...detailed and scholarly....There's a lot of difficult material in here. But it's worth the effort....For people interested in language, this is a must. You'll find yourself focusing on words in new ways. Read it slowly--it will take time to sink in." ( The Sunday Telegraph)

I want to buy this for every teacher I know! A must read for every educator.

Outstanding reading performance! Brilliant compilation and discussion! A book with the potential to shape many lives for the better!

Great read

I think this book is a great book for anyone who wants to know more about reading, language, and learning. It attacks the topic on so many levels that even if you had a PhD in the topic you would learn something. However, its vocabulary beaks down these topics into a book that could be read by anyone! I truly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend you at least give it a try!

Deserves your full attention

Listening to this on audio did a disservice to the book. There were several times Wolf asked us to read passages and reflect on what we experienced that I could not engage with because I listened to and did not read the passages.
The first and last thirds were interesting but I got lost during the middle section about how people learn to read. This book explains some complicated processes that I would need to read over and over again to understand and this is difficult when listening while driving. So if you are really interested, you should get a paper copy.
I am unsure if the book would have held my attention enough to finish if I had read a paper copy instead. I think it could benefit from more of an overarching personal storyline of how the reader came to learn about how reading works in her own education/research. This would hold my attention much more to be able to make sense of the dry facts as part of her inquiry into the subject.
I picked up this book because I am interested in learning and teaching in general and it held my interest enough to finish the audiobook. The first section about the history of reading actually made me very curious and happy so the book was worth it for that section alone.

Fascinating

This book will be of particular interest to anyone in education, but also enjoyable for those who just love reading. The narrator is excellent. Highly recommended.

A Great Read

Would you listen to Proust and the Squid again? Why?

Yes, I would listen to Proust and the Squid again because reading along with the book gives you a better understanding of what the author is writing about.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was how wolf shows us how the dyslexic brain works

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book open my eyes on how people treat others when they learn differently from them.