The Practice of Reading Good Books: A Plea to Teachers and Students

This article is designed to provoke lively discussion between and among teachers and students regarding the growing state of reading atrophy. It best serves as an “inspirational” beginning piece for undergraduate humanities or social science courses that contain difficult, “primary source,” readings. The article consists of two main parts. The first addresses contemporary sources of reading atrophy. The second part offers arguments for why the practice of reading difficult books is worth the effort.