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From Words to Brain
Once upon a time there was a girl. She was a sweet child, with bright blue eyes, a dimpled smile, and curly golden hair that tumbled over her shoulders. The most distinctive thing about her, however, was a red cloak that she wore everywhere she went. The village called her Little Red Riding Hood.
What is it that transforms a page full of words into a tale that entertains us, informs us, and ultimately leaves us changed? In her essay From Words to Brain, former MIT neuroscientist Livia Blackburne explores the brain basis of reading–a skill that is incredibly complex and integral to modern culture. Using the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood as a guide, Blackburne follows the story from its physical manifestation on the page, through the reader’s visual system, and ultimately into the reader’s imagination and beyond. Because the experience of reading a story does not end with the last page. That’s the point at which the real magic begins.
From Words to Brain is 6700 words long, or roughly 27 printed pages.
What is it that transforms a page full of words into a tale that entertains us, informs us, and ultimately leaves us changed? In her essay From Words to Brain, former MIT neuroscientist Livia Blackburne explores the brain basis of reading–a skill that is incredibly complex and integral to modern culture. Using the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood as a guide, Blackburne follows the story from its physical manifestation on the page, through the reader’s visual system, and ultimately into the reader’s imagination and beyond. Because the experience of reading a story does not end with the last page. That’s the point at which the real magic begins.
From Words to Brain is 6700 words long, or roughly 27 printed pages.
29 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2010
5 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Livia Blackburne
24 books1,326 followersNew York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne wrote her first novel while researching the neuroscience of reading at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then, she’s switched to full-time writing, which also involves getting into people’s heads but without the help of a 3 Tesla MRI scanner.
She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTER OF DUSK, and ROSEMARKED (an Amazon best book of the month and YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee).
Visit her online at www.liviablackburne.com
She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTER OF DUSK, and ROSEMARKED (an Amazon best book of the month and YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee).
Visit her online at www.liviablackburne.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 22, 2010
Complimenti alla giovane ricercatrice per il tentativo di rendere comprensibili, attraverso la fiaba di Cappuccetto Rosso, concetti tutt'altro che semplici riferiti a funzioni del cervello umano che di semplice non ha niente.
Mi sentirei di commentare con una sintesi soprattutto a mio uso e consumo.
I prodotti dell'immaginazione, sia che si concretizzino negli oggetti che l'uomo costruisce, sia le rappresentazioni mentali astratte simboliche, come per esempio i caratteri della scrittura e più generalmente le idee e le intuizioni, sono il risultato della rielaborazione delle componenti concettuale, emozionale e motoria che, integrati a sistema, determinano la personalità dell'individuo.
La lettura, che stimola ed attiva una propria rappresentazione di scenari immaginari, non si esime da questa regola, essa coinvolge le tre aree sopra citate determinando una empatia con il testo più o meno accentuata che coinvolge tutta la personalità del soggetto.
Interessante a questo proposito è la ricerca sui "neuroni specchio" di cui anche l'autrice fa riferimento implicito: (video)
I segreti dei neuroni specchio
Mi sentirei di commentare con una sintesi soprattutto a mio uso e consumo.
I prodotti dell'immaginazione, sia che si concretizzino negli oggetti che l'uomo costruisce, sia le rappresentazioni mentali astratte simboliche, come per esempio i caratteri della scrittura e più generalmente le idee e le intuizioni, sono il risultato della rielaborazione delle componenti concettuale, emozionale e motoria che, integrati a sistema, determinano la personalità dell'individuo.
La lettura, che stimola ed attiva una propria rappresentazione di scenari immaginari, non si esime da questa regola, essa coinvolge le tre aree sopra citate determinando una empatia con il testo più o meno accentuata che coinvolge tutta la personalità del soggetto.
Interessante a questo proposito è la ricerca sui "neuroni specchio" di cui anche l'autrice fa riferimento implicito: (video)
I segreti dei neuroni specchio
January 4, 2011
“From words to brain” covers just that – how our brains process the stories we read and the steps and processes that occur as we do so.
Reading is a complex cognitive process, this essay/story conveys it easily. Using the tale ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, we’re lead through a series of explanations of how we read, but most importantly what’s happening in our brains when we do so. From the first steps of reading, (e.g. recognition of a letter/visual processing), to how authors manage to evoke empathy from readers, it’s all covered.
It features a number of major cognitive and psychological concepts (such as decoding, schemas, theory of mind, empathy) that we use and need when reading, with specific references to a number of relevant studies.
If it all sounds too technical, don’t worry! Blackburne seems to have achieved the difficult task of conveying the neurology and science of reading and interpreting what we read in a way that’s simple while making me want to keep reading!
December 27, 2010
My Thoughts: I don't normally read scientific papers but the subject of how humans read and interpret stories fascinates me. So, I read it. There is a lot of interesting information in the paper.
For instance, humans are "not born with a reading reflex". We have a need to eat and sleep but we don't have a need to read. However, when we learn the task of reading, "our brains become so adept at this skill that it becomes as reflexive as seeing itself".
Scientists have also found a brain region that responds to words rather than objects.
The writers goes on to examine how a reader's brain and mind works when a story is put before them. I found this very interesting and the more we learn about this, the more writers could change they way they produce stories.
Fascinating read - that's the best way I can describe it.
For instance, humans are "not born with a reading reflex". We have a need to eat and sleep but we don't have a need to read. However, when we learn the task of reading, "our brains become so adept at this skill that it becomes as reflexive as seeing itself".
Scientists have also found a brain region that responds to words rather than objects.
The writers goes on to examine how a reader's brain and mind works when a story is put before them. I found this very interesting and the more we learn about this, the more writers could change they way they produce stories.
Fascinating read - that's the best way I can describe it.
January 28, 2011
A fascinating essay describing how our brains process reading and covering a wide variety of topics along the way. How do marks on a piece of paper turn into images in our minds? How did interpreting these marks become a man-made reflex? How does a story provide a lesson or moral? Do people get the same message from the same story? This is the sort of subject where all the answers give rise to more questions and this very readable book takes you through a lot of them in quite a short space, using the familiar story of Red Riding Hood to explain the parts of the process.
Highly, highly recommended!
Highly, highly recommended!
December 20, 2010
See my review on my website.
July 27, 2011
Livia Blackburn’s ebook From Words to Brain is a fascinating bit of reading… about reading.
For those of us from literate societies, reading is a given. It’s easy. It even seems effortless. But the processes going on in our brain while we read are actually quite complex. We never even imagine what has to happen to turn the visual input of letters on a page or screen into a narrative which entertains, excites, frightens or pleases us while challenging or reinforcing moral values.
But it happens. In fact, we cannot look are words without reading them any more than we can hear a spoken sentence (of a language we speak) without automatically getting the meaning. Don’t believe me? I dare you to read the next sentence and not understand it…
Author Livia describes herself as a “brain scientist and writer.” She is a grad student in neuroscience at MIT, so she studies the complexities of how the brain works. But she also writes YA fantasy. Now that’s a combination you don’t encounter every day. Well, I never have, at least. And she skilfully brings both interests to bear in this short, but informative book.
From Words to Brain packs a lot of information into a concise package, easily read in one sitting. She provides tons of interesting science, without being over-technical for the reader (like me) who is, in fact, not a neuroscientist.
I’ll tell you a couple of reasons you will enjoy this book. First, you should be fascinated by the brain, the body, all the amazing aspects of being human. I appreciated learning more of how my brain processes the written word. I won’t spill the beans here. Buy the book!
I also found myself seeing parallels to how the brain works in two of my own fields of interest: music and language learning.
When we read, our brain activates various regions just as if we were experiencing the action and emotions of the story personally. Does a character kick a ball? The part of the reader’s brain which controls the action of kicking gets all excited. In the same way, when we simply remember a song, the same part of the brain which is stimulated by actually hearing the song is activated in exactly the same way.
As a language learning coach I know that involving the body in an action while speaking about the action is a better way to really learn the vocabulary. Kick while saying “kick,” for example. And setting up situations where the learner must think ahead and make the right choices reinforces learning.
And that brings me to the second reason. If you’re a writer like me, this book a good starting point to think about how to take advantage of the brain’s under-the-surface activity in your readers. It got me to thinking about how to set my readers up for better anticipation, the satisfying feeling they get when they correctly predict “what’s next.” And I want to scheme better ways to lead them on, to prove their prediction wrong, although it was valid based on what I wrote. You can’t lie to your reader, but it’s okay to trick them—skillfully. That’s what mysteries are all about. I want to engage them with action, emotion, empathy, spacial experience… the works. The richer experience I can create in their brain, the more they will like my book (and buy the next one. There, I said it.)
Stop wavering and buy the ebook. And subscribe to her blog (http://blog.liviablackburne.com), while you’re waiting for it to download. You’ll learn some things, and I know you’ll have some fun. And if you’re a writer, I wager you’ll become a better one.
December 22, 2010
Consueto appuntamento bisettimanale in cui presento le nuove uscite e cerco di spiegare perchè le ho scelte. Come al solito, prendetela con beneficio di inventario: in fondo è l'oste che parla del suo vino.
[...]
Sempre in tema profondamente bibliofilo, il saggio di Livia Blackburne esplora quello che le neuroscienze sanno della lettura o, per dirla da un altro punto di vista, racconta la scrittura creativa esaminata attraverso il modo in cui il nostro cervello elabora gli escamotage narrativi. Livia, giovanissima, si divide tra gli studi al MIT di Boston e la passione per lo storytelling.
Dalle Parole al Cervello è il suo primo saggio e noi siamo orgogliosi di averla in squadra. Non farti spaventare da fantasmi ermetici: una delle qualità di Livia è la capacità di spiegarsi in modo avvincente anche per chi non è un suo collega al MIT.
leggi tutto
[...]
Sempre in tema profondamente bibliofilo, il saggio di Livia Blackburne esplora quello che le neuroscienze sanno della lettura o, per dirla da un altro punto di vista, racconta la scrittura creativa esaminata attraverso il modo in cui il nostro cervello elabora gli escamotage narrativi. Livia, giovanissima, si divide tra gli studi al MIT di Boston e la passione per lo storytelling.
Dalle Parole al Cervello è il suo primo saggio e noi siamo orgogliosi di averla in squadra. Non farti spaventare da fantasmi ermetici: una delle qualità di Livia è la capacità di spiegarsi in modo avvincente anche per chi non è un suo collega al MIT.
leggi tutto
Read
December 18, 2010Technically, I didn't actually read this, cuz it's in Italian. But I wrote it, so I think I know what it says...
September 25, 2012
Saggio ambizioso che si propone di spiegare i meccanismi di lettura dalla comprensione delle parole fino all'elaborazione dei testi letti.
Le varie fasi di comprensione sono delineate facendo uso della nota fiaba "Cappuccetto Rosso"; trovo che questo faciliti la comprensione del saggio anche perchè la fiaba è molto nota, quindi il lettore non deve concentrarsi sulla trama in sè (che conosce) ma sul significato delle parti scelte rispetto al livello di comprensione che viene delineato nel paragrafo (mamma mia che spiegazione contorta che ho creato).
Insomma si parla della comprensione delle parole, dell'empatia rispetto alle vicende lette, dell'elaborazione delle immagini durante la lettura da parte del cervello e così via.
Gli spunti sono molti e interessanti, le affermazioni sono corredate da dati scientifici o esperimenti fatti per dimostrarle, il saggio segue un percorso logico che porta da un livello di comprensione semplice a uno più complesso; in definitiva l'ho trovato molto ben scritto e argomentato, consigliato.
Le varie fasi di comprensione sono delineate facendo uso della nota fiaba "Cappuccetto Rosso"; trovo che questo faciliti la comprensione del saggio anche perchè la fiaba è molto nota, quindi il lettore non deve concentrarsi sulla trama in sè (che conosce) ma sul significato delle parti scelte rispetto al livello di comprensione che viene delineato nel paragrafo (mamma mia che spiegazione contorta che ho creato).
Insomma si parla della comprensione delle parole, dell'empatia rispetto alle vicende lette, dell'elaborazione delle immagini durante la lettura da parte del cervello e così via.
Gli spunti sono molti e interessanti, le affermazioni sono corredate da dati scientifici o esperimenti fatti per dimostrarle, il saggio segue un percorso logico che porta da un livello di comprensione semplice a uno più complesso; in definitiva l'ho trovato molto ben scritto e argomentato, consigliato.
December 31, 2019
Interesting but nothing new.
From Words to Brain was interesting and refreshing to read and recap. However, it did just recap. I felt there was nothing new here. No unique notions or anything that changed my perspective. A lot of the content I had read about before. But it was good for research. I liked the tye in of fairy tale but I also felt that could have been more expanded. Overall I had high expectations for this....thought it would explore more of the importance of story telling, rather than relliterating studies and facts. Think Blackburne could really expand on this! (There is so much scope here to explore!) But unfortunately, like the ending, it fell a little flat for me.
From Words to Brain was interesting and refreshing to read and recap. However, it did just recap. I felt there was nothing new here. No unique notions or anything that changed my perspective. A lot of the content I had read about before. But it was good for research. I liked the tye in of fairy tale but I also felt that could have been more expanded. Overall I had high expectations for this....thought it would explore more of the importance of story telling, rather than relliterating studies and facts. Think Blackburne could really expand on this! (There is so much scope here to explore!) But unfortunately, like the ending, it fell a little flat for me.
December 1, 2017
Weldone Blackburne!
of the brain as we read words, sentences, paragraphs and even a whole story. I was disappointed because it really didn't say anything I didn't know, although the references to different psychlovists' experiments were interesting and informative. However, I was expecting a dis ussion of which parts of the brain form the cognitive functions of comprehension, application of abstractions to concrete situations, analysis, synthesis and evaluation as we read. Perhaps there are such books or articles. If anyone knows of any, please contact me at ssengupta@boricuacollege.edu
of the brain as we read words, sentences, paragraphs and even a whole story. I was disappointed because it really didn't say anything I didn't know, although the references to different psychlovists' experiments were interesting and informative. However, I was expecting a dis ussion of which parts of the brain form the cognitive functions of comprehension, application of abstractions to concrete situations, analysis, synthesis and evaluation as we read. Perhaps there are such books or articles. If anyone knows of any, please contact me at ssengupta@boricuacollege.edu
July 17, 2014
This essay looks at how the brain processes words on the page from the initial act of reading through comprehension and memory. It is an easy read even for people without much background in science. I would have liked to see more detail and application to writing as well as reading, but deepening the science would have made the book less readable for the general public. There are some peer-reviewed citations available and I look forward to reading those.
December 1, 2016
Interesting
Livia makes several interesting points about the effect of words in our brain, using state-of-art research. However, I was expecting a more persuasive argument for the advantages of reading from the brain health point of view. Are there any?
Livia makes several interesting points about the effect of words in our brain, using state-of-art research. However, I was expecting a more persuasive argument for the advantages of reading from the brain health point of view. Are there any?
Read
March 1, 2013to read
January 29, 2019
Let me first say I would rate this higher if not for the subtitle "(Can neuroscience teach you to be a better writer?)" it's posted with on amazon. (The answer to which, by the way, is: Maybe, but not through this little book.)
The actual content is interesting in it's own right. A kind of overview of processing of written language in the brain. Perfectly interesting and enjoyable. But if you're looking for tidbits that might inform your writing, go read the author's blog instead. She's got some great stuff there. If how text is processed in the brain is interesting to you, and if you're a writer there's probably a better than average chance it would be, read this.
However, this is the second 40k title I've bought for kindle, and the second time I've felt they've misrepresented the content. I won't be buying another.
The actual content is interesting in it's own right. A kind of overview of processing of written language in the brain. Perfectly interesting and enjoyable. But if you're looking for tidbits that might inform your writing, go read the author's blog instead. She's got some great stuff there. If how text is processed in the brain is interesting to you, and if you're a writer there's probably a better than average chance it would be, read this.
However, this is the second 40k title I've bought for kindle, and the second time I've felt they've misrepresented the content. I won't be buying another.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews