How the literature of fire can help readers find hope among the ashes A single page from a book lies on the charred remains of a home that burned down in the 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles. Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Grace Moore, University of Otago “We are living apocalyptically.” The philosopher … Read more
AI is making reading books feel obsolete – and students have a lot to lose Workarounds to reading a book cover-to-cover have existed for decades, but generative AI takes it to new heights. dem10/E+ via Getty Images Naomi S. Baron, American University A perfect storm is brewing for reading. AI arrived as both kids and adults … Read more
What big data can tell us about how a book becomes a best‑seller Factors ranging from the timing of a book’s release to its subject matter can determine whether it will crack the vaunted list. Billion Photos/Shutterstock.com Albert-László Barabási, Northeastern University The average American reads 12 or 13 books a year, but with over 3 million … Read more
How are books made? Making a book takes lots of brainstorming and writing, but there are many steps to printing it, too. sykono/iStock via Getty Images Plus Lara Farina, West Virginia University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to … Read more
For baby’s brain to benefit, read the right books at the right time How can you maximize reading’s rewards for baby? aijiro/Shutterstock.com Lisa S. Scott, University of Florida Parents often receive books at pediatric checkups via programs like Reach Out and Read and hear from a variety of health professionals and educators that reading to their … Read more
To better understand addiction, students in this course take a close look at liquor in literature Characters in books can teach lessons about addiction. Nataliia Shcherbyna via iStock/Getty Images Plus Debra J. Rosenthal, John Carroll University Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Title of course: Alcohol … Read more
Thousands of AI‑written, edited or ‘polished’ books are being sold – an eerie echo of Orwell’s ‘novel‑writing machines’ When it comes to machine-produced ‘literature,’ does it really matter whether the outputs can pass for original art? J Studios/Digital Vision via Getty Images Laura Beers, American University At some point in the next several months, I … Read more
How do children learn to read? This literacy expert says ‘there are as many ways as there are students’ Not all children learn to read in the same way, but schools tend to adopt a single approach to literacy. luckyvector/iStock via Getty Images Plus K. Dara Hill, University of Michigan-Dearborn Five years after the pandemic forced … Read more
Does listening to audiobooks improve learning? Frédéric Bernard, Université de Strasbourg Whether it’s documents in textbooks or fiction studied in literature classes, reading print remains a pillar in learning. But the audiobook craze opens up new possibilities. Could listening to literary works become part of the curriculum as opposed to reading them? Is reading comprehension the … Read more
The real truth about stories: Book recommendations from the Indigenous Literatures Lab Jennifer Brant, University of Toronto; Erenna Morrison, University of Toronto; Gayatri Thakor, University of Toronto; Jasmine Rice, University of Toronto, and Miyopin Cheechoo, University of Toronto The recent news that Canadian writer Thomas King does not have Indigenous ancestry has prompted necessary conversations across … Read more
