Reading at Risk

by Peter Saint-Andre

2004-07-12

The (U.S.) National Endowment for the Arts has released a study of reading habits in America, and has concluded that Americans read a lot fewer novels, short stories, plays, and poems than they used to. Given the relatively narrow focus of the study, I suppose I fit the trend. Although I am re-reading the complete poetry of Walt Whitman these days, I mostly focus on history and philosophy rather than literature. Right now I'm reading Freedom Just Around the Corner (the first volume of a new history of America, in which author Walter McDougall argues that America is a nation of hustlers -- in both the good and bad senses of the word). I'm also working my way through the Complete Works of Aristotle -- so far I've finished all of the biological and psychological works except for De Anima. Expect a full report on these books soon...


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