Discover the Power of Reading: A Velocity of Being: Letters to A Young Reader

Amazon Customer: I leave this out at all times so when I feel the need to check my phone, I can read a letter or two. It is important for my kids to see me read a physical book and this is one with content that I share read on my own AND with my girls:) We can also talk about the art work.

United States on Oct 05, 2023

Mr D. Pye: Every now and again a book comes along that is special. If only all books could delight like this.
Great for your library and brilliant as a gift.

Sweden on Aug 24, 2023

Possumpeg: Very unusual and lovely book. Buy it. You won't regret it

United States on Apr 06, 2023

Corinne M. Vivian: what a great book to read to children on the importance of reading in their lives

United States on Dec 25, 2022

XCHARLYBX: The book has great illustration and impowering messages for younger readers or those that enjoy inspiring words and wisdom, the book was delivered in good condition too by seller as it wasn't brand new, highly recommend

United Kingdom on May 08, 2022

Stiven Skyrah: A Velocity of Being: Letters to Young Readers, a beautiful and huge, 280-page hardcover brick of a book compiled over eight years or more through their asking dozens of leading people in the public sphere—many of them not surprisingly writers—about the way reading had been central in the shaping of their lives (no one said it hadn’t been important, of course; I assume any such letters were respectfully not included. I was imagining some of the letters from some of my high school students many years ago as a counter-argument).
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Some letters I liked came from Jane Goodall, Neil Gaiman, (educational psychologist) Jerome Bruner, Ursula K. Le Guin, Yo-Yo Ma, Judy Blume. I liked most of them, don’t get me wrong, but after a time I wondered about the audience for such a book. Pro-reading types, of course: Librarians, English/language arts teachers, Goodreads readers!! as well as the target audience stated in the title, young readers, but if they already like to read they would mostly rather read a book than talk about why books are so great. And the kids (or adults) who hate reading, well, this book ain’t gonna talk ‘em into it. But many of the statements are lovely,...

United Kingdom on Dec 18, 2020

Alireza: You find an essay about "reading" on left hand side of every page and on the right hand side, there is an illustration inspired by the text which all are so beautiful. As they are made by different illustrators, they appear in different styles. This is the best I love about this book.

The essays probably are not all great but there are lessons to learn even from weak essays! what is fun is to investigate who is the author and again watch the illustrations. You don't know most of the authors, but that is alright.

There is one short essay that I wish was placed at first. It says, books are like candies, don't feel you have to finish them when you open them ! so if you happen got this book, don't feel you have to read through all essays thoroughly, skip quickly the ones that you find boring ! that is what is called "velocity of being"

United Kingdom on Oct 28, 2020

Vivi FigueiraVivi Figueira: São mais de 100 cartas endereçadas às crianças, de pessoas de áreas diferentes mas com uma coisa em comum: o amor pelos livros. Cada carta vem acompanhada de um ilustrador, todos maravilhosos, vários dos melhores ilustradores da atualidade, por sinal.

Existem três exceções aqui, nas quais texto e ilustração pertenciam a uma só pessoa. É o caso de Tomi Ungerer ou os quadrinhos de Roz Chast e Ariel Schrag. Estes três artistas foram os únicos a fazerem ambas as coisas: texto/imagem. Mas isto é só uma curiosidade. Todas as cartas e ilustrações são bonitas de se ler/ver.

Envio fotos com o índice para vocês conhecerem todos os artistas que estão neste livro maravilhoso, de 280 páginas, formato próximo de A4 e capa dura.

Brazil on Jan 27, 2020

C. Malone: Growing up in Rawlins, Wyoming until 5th grade and then moving to Casper, I was lucky enough to discover the libraries in both towns. Big stone buildings, huge stairs leading up to the doors, high ceilings, endless shelves of books. I was enthralled and so it all began. My love of books, being transported to worlds beyond small town Wyoming. The smell of books, the texture of paper, the titles, storylines...it was all a wonder, magic. This incredible book, A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader--eight years in the making just made my heart sing. When I read about it I immediately went to the small but wonderful library in our small town of Hailey, Idaho and tried to check it out. The librarian was captured when I described the book. We looked it up on Amazon and when she saw the list of people writing letters to youngsters about books, why they read them, loved them and how they shaped their lives--she scanned the libraries of Idaho to try to get it for me. When there were NO libraries that had the book she immediately decided to order it. So the FIRST library in Idaho to get this book allowed me to be the first person to check it out. This renewed my gratitude, love,...

United States on Oct 08, 2019

Janet Bickel: With this book maria popova offers the world an enduring gift. I would wish it into the hands of every adult and child and all those in between. Here are a few of my favorite take-aways (from just the first half!):

*The most enduring relationships are the ones we have with ourselves and God (books deepen our growth in this direction too)--they help us learn what is true for us
*Where the reader and writer meet they create something which has never existed before...also there is a meeting of a tree (from which the paper derived) and human gifts
*You only have one life but reading gives you many, ditto re personality – you get to be inside another heart and mind.
*Experiencing the elegance of language is one of the greatest pleasures of consciousness
*Reading let's you be quiet in a chaotic world and commune with people who happen to be dead now
*Reading takes apart our world and expectations and rearranges them...souls meet and find the way together
*Barriers of personality fall, joys and sorrows accumulate, the individual pours himself into the collectivity and unreservedly experiences whatever is allotted to humanity--an expansion takes...

United States on May 13, 2019