IRB Media Summary of Maryanne Wolf's Proust and the Squid

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Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The reading brain is the result of our intellectual evolution, and it has changed over time as we have learned to read new things. It has expanded our capacity to think, feel, and infer, and it has changed how we communicate.#2 The brain's ability to learn new things is based on its plastic design, which allows it to make new connections among structures and circuits that were originally devoted to more basic brain processes.#3 The reading process is a great example of how the human brain has to adapt when things go wrong. It is similar to the study of the squid in earlier neuroscience, as it involves understanding different dimensions in the reading process.#4 When we read, we are able to pass over into the consciousness of another person, another age, and another culture. We never come back the same after reading. Through this exposure, we learn both the commonality and the uniqueness of our own thoughts.