History of Reading

Steven Roger Fischer's A History of Reading offers a sweeping view of our evolving relationship with text, tracing the story from symbol to sign to electronic texts. It explores ancient forms of reading, the Middle Ages, the explosion of the book trade, and the emergence of broadsheets, newspapers, and public readings. Fischer also assesses a future in which read communication will likely exceed oral communication through the use of the personal computer and the internet.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2019
Publisher: Reaktion Books

Steven Roger Fischer's captivating book, A History of Reading, provides a comprehensive exploration of our evolving relationship with text across time and geography. Beginning with the earliest forms of symbol-based reading, Fischer takes us on a journey through Asia and the Americas, examining the diverse writing systems and scripts that have emerged. In the Middle Ages, Europe and the Middle East witnessed innovative reinventions of reading, including silent and liturgical reading, the custom of lectors, and a focus on reading in general education. The advent of printing transformed society's attitude toward reading, leading to the explosion of the book trade, increased audience, and a shift in subject-matter. Fischer charts the growth of the book trade, the emergence of broadsheets, newspapers, and public readings, and the impact of new font designs on general legibility. He also assesses a future in which read communication will likely exceed oral communication through the use of the personal computer and the internet. Fischer's exploration of visual language and modern theories of how reading is processed in the human brain raises questions about the New Reader's potential to reshape reading's fate, suggesting a radical new definition of what reading could be.

Weight: 422g
Dimension: 131 x 197 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789140682