The End of Reading: From Gutenberg to "Grand Theft Auto

by David Trend

Big changes have been taking place in reading in recent years. While American society has become more visual and digital, the general state of literacy in America is in crisis, with educators and public officials worried about falling educational standards, the rising influence of popular culture, and growing numbers of non-English-speaking immigrants. But how justified are these worries? By focusing on "reading," this book takes a serious look at public literacy, but chooses not to blame the familiar scapegoats. Instead, The End of Reading proposes that in a diverse and rapidly changing society, we need to embrace multiple definitions of what it means to be a literate person.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Rebecca]

I abandoned it after the first two chapters. So many claims are thinly sourced, or fail to engage carefully with the sources. I'm in agreement with many of the author's overall points, but the arguments are not well made. It needs the services of a ruthless fact-checker.

[Kim]

Traces what we have meant by reading and literacy throughout history, from the stories passed down from our ancestors, to the multimedia of today. Concludes that we may not spend as much time with books and magazines as we once did, but reading is everywhere- in print, as well as in the media that surrounds us.