Proust and the Squid

In the tradition of Stephen Pinker’s The Language Instinct, Tufts University cognitive neuroscientist and child development expert Maryanne Wolf-known for her work in dyslexia-offers an eloquent book about how the brain learned to read and, in the process, changed the way we as humans think.

Making the argument that “Human beings were never born to read,” Proust and the Squid explains how the brain that examined tiny clay tablets of the Sumerians was a very different brain from the one that is immersed in today’s technology-driven literacy. Not only does Wolf explore the brain throughout the course of time, but she also explores the course of a single child’s life, showing in the process why children with dyslexia have reading difficulties and singular gifts.

Using neurology, sociology, psychology and philosophy, Wolf grounds her assertion in historical and scientific fact yet manages to anchor complicated ideas with down-to-earth examples and lively personal anecdotes. Proust and the Squid challenges the way we see the world, or at least the printed page, with an impactful blend of science and culture that is erudite, fascinating, and memorable.