I must say for the direction this world is going in, great introduction. The books layout of the practice of reading was special. It came to terms with modernization of the use with hypertext & literature. Being literate in both those areas is important in those areas which was expressed correctly. But I’m not absolutely sure if this book is outdated or not. With names and Authors we know alike philosophizing about literacy across the board ranging from the oral and physical aspects of reading this book was easy to follow and understand the direction it was going in. Especially talking, and the way the author narrated it. I wish I could give it 5 stars but due to length in writing it gives 4. If you could expose me to more like this please do, I’m hear for it!
I enjoyed this collection of essays despite its age. As with any book that explores technology's impact on culture, these essays have lost some of their relevance as software and technology have either addressed some of the concerns or moved in unforeseen directions. Despite this, the book is worth reading if you are interested in text, structure, and the impact of technology on the reader.
Some useful and important insights, mixed with other less useful, less accurate, and/or starting to get dated (already) thoughts. This is an important book in some ways, and certainly an important topic for our modern, digital, information age. As would be expected on such a topic, however, even the 2007 update of this originally 1999 text is getting a bit out of date in places. His scholarship is vast and varied and brings a great deal of credibility to his thoughts, more so than most writers on this and related topics. His writing style can become very academic, and is likely inaccessible in many instances to the average reader.