Eddy Hood and Maryanne Wolf Interview on Reading Deeply

Are Paper Books Better Than Digital?

Wow! I had a wonderful interview yesterday with Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author of Reader, Come Home. While earning her doctorate from Harvard, she focused on the neuroscience of reading and dyslexia. In short, she’s very qualified to speak about the reading brain.

I can’t wait to get this episode published so that you can hear her tips for becoming a better reader.

One hot takeaway that fascinated me was the power of paper books over digital. I get asked all the time if reading on screen is equal to a book. Now I have the answer. According to Dr. Wolf, we’re programmed to be “efficient” when faced with screens. Our eye patterns change from a deep reading strategy to a skimming strategy. We do this without thinking.

Her research shows that when reading paper books, we do get more from the reading experience. Does this make an e-reader bad? Of course not. She argues that if you’re reading a book you want to experience to the fullest, then you should work with the paper version. However, if you’re looking for light entertainment, an e-reader is great.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes -apply the ideas.

-Eddy

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