Hard-Wired for the Ancient Greek

As a second installment of my Literacy Week posts, I want to talk about some actual grown-up books I've read recently. Since about January, I've read these books during my quieter times. In this installment I'm focusing in on the ones that have most profoundly affected my teaching, but I think you will find them pretty fascinating too.

Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf: This is an incredibly interesting book about the science behind reading, the history of reading and written language, and reading development. It explains what goes on in our heads while we're reading, and it goes on to give an oral history involving Socrates, Herotodus, and of course Marcel Proust. It explains why dyslexic people have such artistic and spatial gifts (and yes, the author was good enough to include Rick Riordan's explanation of dyslexia and ADHD as a quote in his book The Lightning Thief as well). This book is fascinating. If you're a fan of radio programming such as Radio Lab, This American Life, or A Way With Words, then this book is for you. It's very accessibly written. It also makes you feel smarter just having read it. I wish I would have read it at the start of the school year instead of during the second half, but I guarantee I became a better teacher as a result of having read this book.

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr: At the risk of being alarmist, this is pretty much talking about what was decreed in the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Our lives are becoming so much easier and with so much more instant gratification that our brains are turning to mush. Quite literally. Our brains' very physiology are changing, and we have our collective selves to blame, at least somewhat. This isn't the only idea brought on by this book, but to me, it was the most fascinating. Nowadays, when we say, "I need to research that," we mean, "Let me pull out my phone right now and google that." For anyone like me--nearly Amish by heart, or at least worried about where we're headed as a collective people--this book is a very intriguing read.

Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher: This book is incredible. It shows us what we've always known. The fact is, there's a reason, both cultural and genetic, that our languages affect the way we see the world. There is most certainly a reason that the French language is far more romantic than the Polish. Why the Germans are such incredible engineers and the Italians are more widely loved for their cooking. Anyone who loves languages, the way they affect our minds and our colors and the way we see the world. It talks about how the two halves of the brain take each other on to the point where to the victor goes the spoils--and the gifts. I love this book.

All three of these books are extremely well-written and in a language that is easily understood, not relying on confusing language to trip up the layman reader. Read them all--I need someone to talk with about them. I guess they are only interesting if you're somewhat nerdy like I am, but still, I can't say strongly enough how much I enjoyed each one.