This OECD data records an average 7.5% increase in a person’s wages (8.8% for non-native speakers) for every one standard deviation increase in literacy proficiency,… Read More »What’s reading worth? OECD data on the economic returns to literacy
For five-hundred years, books have mattered. Books have never reached the preponderance of people because there are just so many different titles. It’s possible for… Read More »Seth Godin on books, culture and influence
Schopenhauer had quite a lot to say about reading. He liked good books, but was highly skeptical of most books, and especially of contemporary ones.… Read More »Schopenhauer on reading yourself stupid
The faster things change, the more important our reference points if we want to avoid motion sickness. The great books are always contemporary. In contrast,… Read More »More on old books: Mortimer Adler on permanent literature
Here’s more from C.S. Lewis on reading old books – this time highlighting their virtues as lenses for helping us to spot and evaluate the… Read More »C.S. Lewis on reading old books
I love this thought from Lewis, and I’ve found it to be both true and hugely rewarding whenever I’ve acted upon it. There is a… Read More »C.S. Lewis on reading the originals
Picking up Tuesday’s post about transactional reading and contemplation, here’s something interesting that goes a little further in thinking about how we might immerse ourselves… Read More »Extending books: Andy Matuschak and Michael Nielsen on Timeful Texts
Ezra Klein: If you can get the argument of a book – through book reviews or book essays or a Wikipedia page or something –… Read More »Misreading the mind: Ezra Klein and Nicholas Carr on transactional reading and contemplation
There are network effects between books / knowledge gained from books; Not all network connections are created equal; New books within your areas of experience… Read More »Broker books
This is a great riff on how reading works and on the network effects of reading. Links below. Tyler says: … I go through five… Read More »Tyler Cowen on reading fast, reading well, and reading widely