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. 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; BookMark: Sarah Bakewell Recommends "The Pillow Book"; Mixing India and America.
