Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-247) and index.

Reading, the canary in the mind -- Under the big top: an unusual view of the reading brain -- Deep reading: is it endangered? -- "What will become of the readers we have been?" -- The raising of children in a digital age -- From laps to laptops in the first five years: don't move too fast -- The science and poetry in learning (and teaching) to read -- Building a biliterate brain -- Reader, come home.

A decade ago, Wolf's Proust and the Squid revealed what we know about how the brain learns to read and how reading changes the way we think and feel. Now that we are completely immersed in the internet and digital devices, our ways of processing language have altered dramatically. In a series of letters, Wolf describes her hopes and concerns about what is happening to the brain as it adapts to digital mediums, illuminating complex ideas with anecdotes and down-to-earth examples. Wolf considers the future of the reading brain and our capacity for critical thinking, empathy and reflection as we become increasingly dependent upon digital technologies.