Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention

'Reading in the Brain' tells of some very fascinating results in how the brain reads. The author tells how though reading is clearly not an evolved capability as reading is a recent invention but fantastically, at least I think fantastically, all people use the same areas of the brain to read. 'Reading in the Brain' explains this as an area of the brain evolved to recognize shapes being co-opted for a different purpose namely reading. The style of the research program here is commendable. An observable present phenomenon, reading, is connected to brain circuits and brain regions via imaging techniques which are again present. The 'mind' is not really treated here but rather at all times present phenomenon are addressed. Chomsky could learn a lesson from this book. Chomsky tries to logically deduce how a mysterious beyond 'deep grammar' or some such must work. Dahaeme looks directly at brain circuits with brain imaging and unconceals this 'mysterious beyond'. The author addresses the nature verus nuture controversy and argues that biology limits what humans can do, certain logically possible cultures are impossible given the biology of the brain, but Dahaeme at the same time shows that the brain can commandeer brains regions to support new cultural inventions such as reading. The discussion of dyslexia was very interesting and from a parent's or teacher's perspective how children learn to read is, of course, of great assistance. The results presented by 'Reading in the Brain' are exciting, graspable by a lay audience and important. Hopefully the author's way of doing research is the future of research in this area.

I found this book extremely interesting with lots of scientific details explained in a very reasonable way.

Author Dehaene, who has some very impressive credentials, has made an exhaustive exploration of how the human brain reads. What he has concluded is that we `recycle' parts of the brain that were evolved to do other things. Humans have been evolving for several million years, but only reading for a few thousand- a new structure just for reading couldn't have been created in that time. And reading arose in several geographical areas around the same time- the chances of a special mutation for reading happening in all those places is pretty slim. Hundreds of experiments, from EEGs, fMRIs, split brain surgeries, tests on people who have had strokes or other brain damage, have found how reading works. From how the eye functions, to the recognition of letters on paper, to turning them mentally into sound, and putting those sounds together into words, Dehaene has traced the path. He gives his opinions on what seem to be the best way to teach reading, but also calls for large experiments in teaching reading to resolve, once and for all, what is the best, most efficient way to teach all- not just average children but adult illiterates and people with dyslexia. The book is very interesting, but it can be slow going. He gives the conditions and results of test after test, and tells us what the information gained tells us about reading. What the reader learns about their brain makes it worth sticking with the book.

Although one of the main topics covered in this book is dyslexia and how it may be a culturally defined disorder as well as a neurological disorder, the book covers a wide range of data. Dehaene is very thorough, offering extensive fMRI maps of up to date research on modules of the brain pertaining to reading. The book may be hard to wade through for those of us unfamiliar with extensive neurological terminology, but Dehaene works hard to ensure that his readers understand the issues. A very worthwhile read for any linguist, cognitive scientist, or anyone simply interested in the evolution of reading in our ambitious pleistocene minds.

An astonishing work, explaining convincingly how mankind acquired (only in the last 5,000 years) a skill we all take for granted: reading. The brief explanation, as I (a non-scientist) understand it? Reading takes quite a lot of brain computer firepower (because of the multiple processing required), such that our eventually huge frontal lobes were necessary. The portions of our brain used initially for visual recognition lead to the wiring of our brains to recognize certain key shapes, shapes that eventually become the key "strokes" used in writing (by all cultures) such that they are in effect structured into our brain's learning algorithm, creating specific neuronal circuits and structures, previously used as visual pathways. It's an amazing story, well told by one well placed to present the many brain science studies (many of which he conducted) which fully explicate the story. Also numerous "side-stories" worth hearing: e.g., re the origins of our alphabet, along with occasional hints of possible future evolution of the human brain. An A+ book.