Br. Simon Teller, O.P., on Why It Is Important to Read

"'I don't read books … I go to Google, and I can absorb relevant information quickly.' - A Rhodes Scholar, as quoted in The Shallows

"Nicholas Carr chronicles this statement in The Shallows - a sociological commentary on the way the internet has shaped the human brain. Carr's thesis: Web-use has changed the way we relate to words. Screen-time breeds certain mental habits, which effect, among other things, the way we read. Carr notes that contemplative reading - the kind of reading that stays committed to narratives, arguments, and ideas - is falling out of vogue.  Instead, most reading takes the form of scanning text messages, scrolling through newsfeeds, skimming articles: in a word, power-reading.

"But to our Rhodes Scholar's point: power-reading has its advantages. Why waste time reading a book cover-to-cover, when the same information can be found by a few deft Google Books Searches? Does it really matter how we read, as long as we are coming away with the same information?"

In a recent commentary, Brother Simon Teller, O.P., reflected on how, because God has chosen to reveal himself in writing, the way we relate to words matters.

To access Br. Simon's complete post, please visit: 

Dominicana: Why read? (27 APR 20)