Humans weren't born to read, yet this skill has changed the trajectory of our development. The human ability to write and read allows us to record history, develops imagination, fosters empathy, expands our understanding of the world around us, and even imbues it with new, vibrant colors. Why and how does this happen? This book by eminent neuroscientist Marianne Wolf explores the cognitive mechanisms that underlie reading. From Sumerian cuneiform to modern digital texts, Wolf immerses us in the history of reading. In a detailed and accessible way, the author explains what happens in the brain of every person when they read or are just learning to read, how what we read changes us, and when the brain fails to learn to read. This book will take the reader on a fascinating journey through the history and neuroscience of reading—one of humanity's most remarkable 'inventions.'