Exploring the Origins and Evolution of Reading Practices

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This chapter intricately delves into the historical evolution of reading practices, from the origins of written language in ancient civilizations to the development of various writing systems like cuneiform and hieroglyphics. The conversation explores how reading experiences are intertwined with historical contexts and how reading practices have been influenced by different entities over time. It also discusses the efficiency and historical context of reading different languages and scripts, including various directional methods of reading.

Clay tablets! Printing presses! Old timey audio books! Speed reading strategies! Attention spans! Dyslexia history! Literacy campaigns! Dr. Adrian Johns is an historian, professor, and author of the book “The Science of Reading” and we have a nice mellow chat about when humans started to “read,” what that means, being Hooked on Phonics, Dick, Jane, character languages, audiobooks, e-readers, school segregation, literacy rates, and how long we can focus at a time. He literally wrote the book on it.

Visit Dr. Adrian Johns’ faculty bio at University of Chicago

Shop Dr. Johns’ books including The Science of Reading: Information, Media, and Mind in Modern America (2023) and The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making (1998)

A donation went to 826LA.org and Glioblastoma Research Organization