Blind Progress

In Jonah Lehrer's article "The Future of Reading", he clearly expresses his love of reading and the written word. In the piece he discusses the fact that technology is causing major changes in the way that reading is being done. As an author Lehrer uses his degree in neuroscience and literary training to bring common issues into a slightly different light. His writing takes on a scientific mood while remaining entertaining. I find this interesting, because his article seems to be working in both a scientific and literary way.

In their piece "The Stases in Scientific and Literary Argument", Jeanne Fahnestock and Marie Secor discuss that scientific articles go through the statses of "face, definition, and cause" (436). I found this to be true in Lehrer's article. He begins with the fact that our world is going digital. He then goes on to define why he is wary of such advancements by bringing to light how different formatted text is perceived by the brain. He states that "the words will shimmer on the screen, but the sentences will be quickly forgotten" (Lehrer, Future of Reading). The cause which he presents is that the brain can more easily read text on an electronic screen, but comprehension is hindered. Lehrer goes on to incoporate the last two stases mentioned by Fahnestock and Secor of evaluation and proposal. The fact that he does this makes it clear that this is no dry scientific blog. Lehrer wishes to connect with his audience by drawing them in and incorporating his literary style in with his scientific findings.

Lehrer's very first sentence and paragraph introduces an idea that "the future of books is digital". This tells much about the audience he is writing for and what he assumes his readers know and have experienced. If he were writing for citizens of a country other than one that is culturally connected to books, he may not be able to make this generalization. Lehrer, being from England, is also used to a literary culture. Also, the fact that he has had an extensive educational background make it unlikely that he woul dbe writing for an audience he has no understanding of. The fact that this article is published on a scientific blog also makes it more geared towards those who care about the functions of the brain.

Lehrer makes his text entertaining by not only appealing to his audiences love of science, but to books as well. He does not simply give a factual account of the process of reading. He carefully incorperates this information while using literary moves to draw his reader in. He does not neglect the fact that his audience is made up of those who choose to read for the fun of it. The piece would have no effect on someone who can not relate to his love for reading. Those who do, however, are most likely impressed by his ability to make neuroscience interesting.