UMD’s Robert Waxler Pens Another Classic [VIDEO]

OMG...Imagine a book defending the idea that literature can help us understand ourselves...LOL. The way we're using language today is certainly a departure from the deep meaning that language once connected us to.

UMD English Professor Robert Waxler's newest book titled, The Risk of Reading: How Literature Helps Us to Understand Ourselves and the World, is a wonderful narrative that looks deep into the meaning of books.

Professor Waxler contends we need stories to give our real lives meaning. Much like the ancient Greeks who used the stories of mythology to help explain the manifestations of life, Waxler argues we are linguistic beings and reading fiction enriches our human identity. The book appropriately points out that in a culture dependent on electrical devices and SmartPhones, preserving traditional fiction and literature remains crucial to the healthy continuation of a society.

Bob Waxler is one of the most revered educators at UMD and his clear message in his newest book poses the idea that the written word has and must continue to teach us about our own lives and mortality. So, go ahead, take the risk, and read one of the best works on the real connection between language and our everyday lives.