Spy ware could follow different clumps of our population: male, female, age, race, educational level and determine at least what each group is doing on line. Than using that data subsets of each group could be questionnaires as to what they did off line. Than if folks like you want to change folks habits "social engineering I guess you could give that a go Than do follow up to see what pos or neg diffs happened.
Or go to a bar have a few drinks and talk to us natives than write a book about it as other authors have done.
I'm not in the least bit interested in surveilling anyone's reading habits, or engaging in social engineering. I am pointing out the loss in reflective thinking and deliberation made possible by a particular kind of reading.
what's to ???. every move every word we make, every click, every phone call is monitored. The data collected then used by those behind the curtian to sell for profit to others for whatever.
if you buy into this premise and accept that this Jeannie is out of the urn than our rights to privacy don't exist. Currently our rights to free speach are being eroded as well. The rules of law -domestic and international- are being ingnored. Governements are extrajudicially executing folks that disagree with their warped fascist views. the kings rule and we bend the knee.
While I know this was written before last week's terrible political violence, your message couldn't be more timely: we all need to be able to "linger in difficulty" and reject "blind moral certainty" in order to co-exist. And the deep reading of actual books, not the dopamine-fuelled frenzy of social media, may be the only path to doing so.
Thanks, MIchael. Recent trends in the online meme culture, extreme polarization, and examples of terrible political violence suggest a need to encourage nuanced and careful thinking that reading of this particular kind makes possible. Yes, T.C. Wlliams' apt phrase "blind moral certainty" is a besetting vice. Living with the productive uncertainty of deep reading is one way of countering it.
I have been trying by looking at many online lists, to find some deep reading books for my early teen grandsons. I’ve looked at “old” literature, the Autobiography of Ben Franklin, and dismissed it due to having to stop and look up the meaning of the words he used that were commonly used at the time. I’ve looked at “new” lists. Help! Are there any true classics for youth that age? I’m looking for deeply thoughtful books or adventures that give food for thought.
Carol, thanks for your comment. I am not at all an expert on youth literature, but others who are subscribers may have suggestions. I do obsessively bookmark reading lists of various kinds and I may well have identified such a list that's optimized in the way you describe. In fact, I'll review my bookmark list today to see if I can identify something that may be helpful. There's been a spate of articles on substack and elsewhere on the challenges with reading now, and some of them may link to suggested classic readings, so I'll take a look there as well.
I recommend searching for classical school reading lists or homeschool reading lists (e.g., Charlotte Mason method or the Well Trained Mind curriculum), as these pedagogical philosophies are strong with regards to fostering deep reading skills.
You'll find a nice list of books boys love for teens if you explore the book lists on the Read Aloud Revival site.
The "living library" movement is also good for finding book recommendations, e.g. thecardcataloglibrarians.com and look for the article on "what is a list of 101 basic living books for a starter collection?"
Classic books popular with young teens I know: Hobbit, classic mysteries like Sherlock Holmes or for easier reads go with Hardy Boys, Phantom Tollbooth, Narnia series, Wrinkle in Time series. Not a "classic" but Holes is a big hit.
Also, I just finished reading Robinson Crusoe and really enjoyed it. Classic adventure story appropriate for teen boys, before that ditto to Captains Courageous by Kipling and Scarlet Pimpernel. Treasure Island is also a good classic adventure. I enjoyed Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Jungle as a young teen.
I was fortunate to have parents who read often, though neither was a college graduate. Don't need to be a college graduate to be a frequent reader! I was also fortunate to have a great-Aunt who was an English professor who gave me books, from her personal collection, whenever I'd visit, from an early age, and that practice continued up through my undergraduate years, and beyond.
Ok. I thought from reading the article you seeked more clarity to "loss of reflective thinking" and actions that should be taken regarding this concern. So how exactly would you address the problem if you didn't like my suggestion.
Enjoyed the read and like you, I'm very concerned.
This is an excellent essay. The issue is, I think, the most important issue facing us today. Most of our other cultural conflicts have become amplified because of it. You have put together a superb list of books. I've read most of them but several I wasn't aware of. Thank you.
Thanks, Jeff, and you're welcome. All of the books I've described are touching on the same problem, just in slightly different, but mutually reinforcing ways. It's different braids of research, evidence, and reasoning brought together to describe mental habits that are shifting toward superficiality and in some cases, toward departures from empirical reality. The data about declines in reading are another angle and reinforce the same picture. Those who say this is all "catastrophism" and "moral panics" are missing first-order evidence of direct experience, and the actual behavior that can result from immersion in the online meme culture and the dehumanizing effects of it. This terrible event of last week is one indicator (at the extreme end) of a much larger problem.
Craig: this is a terrific essay about a very difficult subject. Your analysis reminded me of another book you might know: Simon Stow's Republic of Readers? The Literary Turn in Political Thought and Analysis (2007). Stow writes about the substitution of "readings" for "arguments" and the consequences thereof, so his book applies less directly to this essay than it does to some of your other concerns.
I hadn't read or heard of that book, but it sounds as if it would address of my other concerns for sure. So thanks for mentioning it. Without reading it, maybe the question is, can readings form the basis for better arguments? Or is the sense in which the author means "readings"? Or how do we produce better forms of argumentation for a civil society and democratic discourse? (A colleague and I have started discussing that challenge recently).
Stow wants to argue that the literary readings that have tended to displace political arguments of old lack "agreed-upon standards for validity" and "underlying principles to which to retreat in order to adjudicate between competing claims." I'd argue that this kind of displacement is evident in the transformation of feminist theory, and I found his analyses of Rorty, Nussbaum, and Butler particularly thought-provoking.
For anyone interested, there's a very intriguing recent post on Jay van Bavel's substack, "The Power of Us," on an experiment with reading nonfiction books to see if they create more prosocial habits and reduce polarized attitudes. It's an ongoing experiment. (It's well-known that reading fiction produces habits of empathy, but we don't have as much evidence about reading nonfiction).
Thanks, Jonathan. It's remarkable how many of these authors all coalesce around the same set of issues about literacy, mental habits, social media and its effects, and the dire social consequences when at least some form of literacy apart from superficial doomscrolling takes hold with too many people. I look for even more of this kind of treatment of this large problem, from multiple authors, to get published, and it isn't that they're "popularizers" of complex topics for the larger public. The larger public sees and experiences this problem of the "digital life" already.
Sadly, I've met young adults who were failed by public schools that never properly taught them how to read. The move away from teaching phonics has left so many without basic literacy skills. Thankfully, there are schools now rediscovering phonics, but not all of them. The popularity of curriculum programs based on literature primers (with only short stories and brief selections from longer works) means many students never even read full length novels at school. Compound this with libraries that offer so many books based on tv characters, video games, and graphic novels with very few offerings of classic literature... then add in all of the digital culture problems you've documented.
For those with children: there is a growing movement of classical schools that eschew computers in the classroom and focus on teaching long form literature, with time for regular independent reading and libraries stocked with books meant to support development of the moral imagination. The growth of private "living libraries" among homeschoolers is another example of the pushback against digital culture that undermines deep reading.
I also saved this post by William Deresiewicz, "Deep Reading Will Save Your Soul," in which he describes some alternatives to traditional humanities programs in colleges and universities, which too often don't produce "deep reading" at all. The niche programs he describes are all niche and very small, but there's increasing interest in them from readers of all ages. The Matthew Strother Center and the Catherine Project are examples.
Reading about reading....
Spy ware could follow different clumps of our population: male, female, age, race, educational level and determine at least what each group is doing on line. Than using that data subsets of each group could be questionnaires as to what they did off line. Than if folks like you want to change folks habits "social engineering I guess you could give that a go Than do follow up to see what pos or neg diffs happened.
Or go to a bar have a few drinks and talk to us natives than write a book about it as other authors have done.
Have a nice day
I'm not in the least bit interested in surveilling anyone's reading habits, or engaging in social engineering. I am pointing out the loss in reflective thinking and deliberation made possible by a particular kind of reading.
???
what's to ???. every move every word we make, every click, every phone call is monitored. The data collected then used by those behind the curtian to sell for profit to others for whatever.
if you buy into this premise and accept that this Jeannie is out of the urn than our rights to privacy don't exist. Currently our rights to free speach are being eroded as well. The rules of law -domestic and international- are being ingnored. Governements are extrajudicially executing folks that disagree with their warped fascist views. the kings rule and we bend the knee.
rants over
bye
While I know this was written before last week's terrible political violence, your message couldn't be more timely: we all need to be able to "linger in difficulty" and reject "blind moral certainty" in order to co-exist. And the deep reading of actual books, not the dopamine-fuelled frenzy of social media, may be the only path to doing so.
Thanks, MIchael. Recent trends in the online meme culture, extreme polarization, and examples of terrible political violence suggest a need to encourage nuanced and careful thinking that reading of this particular kind makes possible. Yes, T.C. Wlliams' apt phrase "blind moral certainty" is a besetting vice. Living with the productive uncertainty of deep reading is one way of countering it.
I have been trying by looking at many online lists, to find some deep reading books for my early teen grandsons. I’ve looked at “old” literature, the Autobiography of Ben Franklin, and dismissed it due to having to stop and look up the meaning of the words he used that were commonly used at the time. I’ve looked at “new” lists. Help! Are there any true classics for youth that age? I’m looking for deeply thoughtful books or adventures that give food for thought.
Carol, thanks for your comment. I am not at all an expert on youth literature, but others who are subscribers may have suggestions. I do obsessively bookmark reading lists of various kinds and I may well have identified such a list that's optimized in the way you describe. In fact, I'll review my bookmark list today to see if I can identify something that may be helpful. There's been a spate of articles on substack and elsewhere on the challenges with reading now, and some of them may link to suggested classic readings, so I'll take a look there as well.
I recommend searching for classical school reading lists or homeschool reading lists (e.g., Charlotte Mason method or the Well Trained Mind curriculum), as these pedagogical philosophies are strong with regards to fostering deep reading skills.
You'll find a nice list of books boys love for teens if you explore the book lists on the Read Aloud Revival site.
The "living library" movement is also good for finding book recommendations, e.g. thecardcataloglibrarians.com and look for the article on "what is a list of 101 basic living books for a starter collection?"
Classic books popular with young teens I know: Hobbit, classic mysteries like Sherlock Holmes or for easier reads go with Hardy Boys, Phantom Tollbooth, Narnia series, Wrinkle in Time series. Not a "classic" but Holes is a big hit.
Also, I just finished reading Robinson Crusoe and really enjoyed it. Classic adventure story appropriate for teen boys, before that ditto to Captains Courageous by Kipling and Scarlet Pimpernel. Treasure Island is also a good classic adventure. I enjoyed Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Jungle as a young teen.
Great suggestions, Hailey. I was going to suggest the classical schools reading lists later this afternoon, but I'm glad you did first.
I recall now I saved this post, "Reading is a Game-Changer for Kids." Sound advice here bout role-modeling, and encouraging the reading habit early.
https://www.feathersoundnews.com/july-2025/why-reading-is-still-a-game-changer-for-kids
I was fortunate to have parents who read often, though neither was a college graduate. Don't need to be a college graduate to be a frequent reader! I was also fortunate to have a great-Aunt who was an English professor who gave me books, from her personal collection, whenever I'd visit, from an early age, and that practice continued up through my undergraduate years, and beyond.
Ok. I thought from reading the article you seeked more clarity to "loss of reflective thinking" and actions that should be taken regarding this concern. So how exactly would you address the problem if you didn't like my suggestion.
Enjoyed the read and like you, I'm very concerned.
This is an excellent essay. The issue is, I think, the most important issue facing us today. Most of our other cultural conflicts have become amplified because of it. You have put together a superb list of books. I've read most of them but several I wasn't aware of. Thank you.
Thanks, Jeff, and you're welcome. All of the books I've described are touching on the same problem, just in slightly different, but mutually reinforcing ways. It's different braids of research, evidence, and reasoning brought together to describe mental habits that are shifting toward superficiality and in some cases, toward departures from empirical reality. The data about declines in reading are another angle and reinforce the same picture. Those who say this is all "catastrophism" and "moral panics" are missing first-order evidence of direct experience, and the actual behavior that can result from immersion in the online meme culture and the dehumanizing effects of it. This terrible event of last week is one indicator (at the extreme end) of a much larger problem.
Craig: this is a terrific essay about a very difficult subject. Your analysis reminded me of another book you might know: Simon Stow's Republic of Readers? The Literary Turn in Political Thought and Analysis (2007). Stow writes about the substitution of "readings" for "arguments" and the consequences thereof, so his book applies less directly to this essay than it does to some of your other concerns.
I hadn't read or heard of that book, but it sounds as if it would address of my other concerns for sure. So thanks for mentioning it. Without reading it, maybe the question is, can readings form the basis for better arguments? Or is the sense in which the author means "readings"? Or how do we produce better forms of argumentation for a civil society and democratic discourse? (A colleague and I have started discussing that challenge recently).
Stow wants to argue that the literary readings that have tended to displace political arguments of old lack "agreed-upon standards for validity" and "underlying principles to which to retreat in order to adjudicate between competing claims." I'd argue that this kind of displacement is evident in the transformation of feminist theory, and I found his analyses of Rorty, Nussbaum, and Butler particularly thought-provoking.
For anyone interested, there's a very intriguing recent post on Jay van Bavel's substack, "The Power of Us," on an experiment with reading nonfiction books to see if they create more prosocial habits and reduce polarized attitudes. It's an ongoing experiment. (It's well-known that reading fiction produces habits of empathy, but we don't have as much evidence about reading nonfiction).
https://www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/can-reading-a-book-make-you-a-better?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=7x0hx&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Great post Craig! Now I have even more books to place on my "to read" list.
Thanks, Jonathan. It's remarkable how many of these authors all coalesce around the same set of issues about literacy, mental habits, social media and its effects, and the dire social consequences when at least some form of literacy apart from superficial doomscrolling takes hold with too many people. I look for even more of this kind of treatment of this large problem, from multiple authors, to get published, and it isn't that they're "popularizers" of complex topics for the larger public. The larger public sees and experiences this problem of the "digital life" already.
Sadly, I've met young adults who were failed by public schools that never properly taught them how to read. The move away from teaching phonics has left so many without basic literacy skills. Thankfully, there are schools now rediscovering phonics, but not all of them. The popularity of curriculum programs based on literature primers (with only short stories and brief selections from longer works) means many students never even read full length novels at school. Compound this with libraries that offer so many books based on tv characters, video games, and graphic novels with very few offerings of classic literature... then add in all of the digital culture problems you've documented.
For those with children: there is a growing movement of classical schools that eschew computers in the classroom and focus on teaching long form literature, with time for regular independent reading and libraries stocked with books meant to support development of the moral imagination. The growth of private "living libraries" among homeschoolers is another example of the pushback against digital culture that undermines deep reading.
I also saved this post by William Deresiewicz, "Deep Reading Will Save Your Soul," in which he describes some alternatives to traditional humanities programs in colleges and universities, which too often don't produce "deep reading" at all. The niche programs he describes are all niche and very small, but there's increasing interest in them from readers of all ages. The Matthew Strother Center and the Catherine Project are examples.
https://www.persuasion.community/p/deep-reading-will-save-your-soul?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Sam Harris's recent post, following the Charlie Kirk assassination:
Get off social media
Find real books and quality journalism to read
Connect with friends and family and have humane conversations.
https://samharris.substack.com/p/we-are-losing-the-information-war?utm_source=multiple-personal-recommendations-email&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true