Goodbye to the Age of the Book

Reading hasn’t disappeared, but its place in American life is quietly shifting. Long, demanding books are giving way to snippets, screens, audio, and video—and with that shift comes a deeper question about how we think, argue, and learn. What once required patience and sustained attention now competes with speed and convenience. The issue isn’t nostalgia for paper, but what may be lost when fewer people spend time inside long, carefully constructed arguments.