Wonder Cabinet

The Art of Reading


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It used to be easy to get lost in a good book, but now lots of people say reading is boring. Scientists say all that skimming and surfing on electronic screens is actually rewiring our brains. So we examine the new science of reading, and meet celebrated New Yorker book critic James Wood. Also, Jordanian scientist Rana Dajani tells the remarkable story of how she started a reading program for kids at her local mosque, which has spread to hundreds of libraries across the Middle East. And Princeton historian Tony Grafton uncovers the history of reading by looking in the margins of books. In our last segment, Jonathan Gottschall's dangerous idea is to remove padded gloves from combat sports to reduce the brain damage of fighters. And renowned MMA fighter Ronda Rousey describes her long, hard road to the top. Why it's Hard to Read in the Electronic Age; What Makes a Good Book Critic?; Teaching Kids to Love Books in the Middle East; Reading History from the Margins; Take Off the Gloves; The Toughest Woman in the World.

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Wonder CabinetBy Wonder Cabinet Productions

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