The secrets of reading: A new book by the neuroscientist Davide Crepaldi

Revealing the fascinating mechanism to identify and understand words
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Do you know that when we read we are able to identify and understand more than 300 words a minute? And that at a glance we can recognise 15 letters in less than a quarter of a second? To explain “the wonder behind the way in which the brain makes an extremely complex task simple” comes a new book written by Davide Crepaldi, neuroscientist and SISSA professor. The book entitled “Neurospsicologia della lettura” (Neuropsychology of reading) is published in Italian by Carocci. 

In his work, Professor Crepaldi investigates different aspects of reading. For example, how can we be so good at reading even though we have no biological predisposition to do so: “We do not realise it but we are incredibly fast and accurate readers, even though the task is by no means easy. There are precise cerebral areas dedicated to oral language but not for writing. This is because it is not a biological property selected by evolution, but a cultural invention”. To come to our aid, writes Professor Crepaldi in his work, there is an extraordinary computational machine that our brain puts into action when it reads. 

That is not all. In his new book, David Crepaldi addresses a number of fascinating and topical issues, such as the difference between reading on paper and on screen and the issue of dyslexia. Or, as better specified by the professor, “of dyslexia, which we should get used to NOT considering as a disease”.

“Neuropsicologia della lettura”  is a book for curious readers, teachers, parents and students. It is also for all those who, while not being a neuroscientist by profession, want to know more about a universe that is as mysterious as it is incredible.