1st August 2009
Craig Brown (August) may not remember the details of many books he has read, but he is mistaken that the only value in reading is in the momentary pleasure. He has confused our conscious memory of events and details with the entirety of our selves. I do not remember many of the events of my childhood, but it was during this period that I learnt my native language and acquired many of the habits of thought and feeling that define who I am today. We are more than the memories we can effortfully bring to mind. Good books can change our beliefs, feelings and intuitions—without relying on the fragile surface of conscious memory.
Tom Stafford Sheffield
Craig Brown (August) may not remember the details of many books he has read, but he is mistaken that the only value in reading is in the momentary pleasure. He has confused our conscious memory of events and details with the entirety of our selves. I do not remember many of the events of my childhood, but it was during this period that I learnt my native language and acquired many of the habits of thought and feeling that define who I am today. We are more than the memories we can effortfully bring to mind. Good books can change our beliefs, feelings and intuitions—without relying on the fragile surface of conscious memory.
Tom Stafford Sheffield
