{"product_id":"reading-a-very-short-introduction-paperback","title":"Reading: A Very Short Introduction - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBelinda Jack\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday many people take reading for granted, but we remain some way off from attaining literacy for the global human population. And whilst we think we know what reading is, it remains in many ways a mysterious process, or set of processes. The effects of reading are myriad: it can be informative, distracting, moving, erotically arousing, politically motivating, spiritual, and much, much more. At different times and in different places reading means different things. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this \u003cem\u003eVery Short Introduction\u003c\/em\u003e Belinda Jack explores the fascinating history of literacy, and the opportunities reading opens. For much of human history reading was the preserve of the elite, and most reading meant being read \u003cem\u003eto\u003c\/em\u003e. Innovations in printing, paper-making, and transport, combined with the rise of public education from the late eighteenth century on, brought a dramatic rise in literacy in many parts of the world. Established links between a nation's levels of literacy and its economy led to the promotion of reading for political ends. But, equally, reading has been associated with subversive ideas, leading to censorship through multiple channels: denying access to education, controlling publishing, destroying libraries, and even the burning of authors and their works. Indeed, the works of Voltaire were so often burned that an enterprising Parisian publisher produced a fire-proof edition, decorated with a phoenix. But, as Jack demonstrates, reading is a collaborative act\u003cbr\u003ebetween an author and a reader, and one which can never be wholly controlled. Telling the story of reading, from the ancient world to digital reading and restrictions today, Belinda Jack explores why it is such an important aspect of our society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE SERIES: \u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cem\u003eVery Short Introductions\u003c\/em\u003e series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBelinda Jack\u003c\/strong\u003e is Fellow and Tutor at Christ Church, University of Oxford, and the Gresham Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College, London. She features regularly in the media thanks to the popularity and insight of her published works, including \u003cem\u003eThe Woman Reader\u003c\/em\u003e (Yale University Press, 2012) and \u003cem\u003eGeorge Sand: A Woman's Life Writ Large\u003c\/em\u003e (Knopf, 2000). Her many articles, essays, chapters, and reviews appear in publications including \u003cem\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e. For a four year period, she gave public lectures at The Museum of London under the general title \u003cem\u003eThe Mysteries of Reading and Writing\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 160\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5 x 6.8 x 4.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 25, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45301309538406,"sku":"9780198820581","price":20.51,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/7255\/0758\/files\/YWVwNXFERGE1TDRGOFZZT2FCMWNKZz09.webp?v=1773946239","url":"https:\/\/infinitylightwa.com\/products\/reading-a-very-short-introduction-paperback","provider":"Infinity Light","version":"1.0","type":"link"}