Author: Robert Scholes
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300050622
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 180
Book Description
Discussing a wide range of literary theory in a clear and accessible way, prize-winning author Robert Scholes here continues his ongoing construction of a humane semiotic approach to the problems of reading, writing, and teaching. Taking the view that "all the world's a text," Scholes considers numerous texts from life and literature, including photographs, paintings, and television commercials as well as biographies and novels. "A significant and thoughtful effort to think about the responsibilities of reading in the wake of deconstruction."--Choice Protocols of Reading is a personal, avuncular book, attractive in its common sense and brevity."--Wendy Steiner, Times Literary Supplement "A complex argument developed in delightful plain English, Protocols of Reading sees both textual fundamentalism and deconstructive debunking as needful opposites in an oscillation that Scholes labels nihilistic hermeneutics. Fine-tuning this oscillation is what the humanistic enterprise is all about, he suggests; it is our key to the true connection between reading and ethics."--Richard A. Lanham, University of California, Los Angeles Robert Scholes, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities at Brown University, is also the author of Textual Power: Literary Theory and the Teaching of English; Semiotics and Interpretation; and Structuralism in Literature: An Introduction
Protocols of Reading
Author: Robert Scholes
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300050622
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 180
Book Description
Discussing a wide range of literary theory in a clear and accessible way, prize-winning author Robert Scholes here continues his ongoing construction of a humane semiotic approach to the problems of reading, writing, and teaching. Taking the view that "all the world's a text," Scholes considers numerous texts from life and literature, including photographs, paintings, and television commercials as well as biographies and novels. "A significant and thoughtful effort to think about the responsibilities of reading in the wake of deconstruction."--Choice Protocols of Reading is a personal, avuncular book, attractive in its common sense and brevity."--Wendy Steiner, Times Literary Supplement "A complex argument developed in delightful plain English, Protocols of Reading sees both textual fundamentalism and deconstructive debunking as needful opposites in an oscillation that Scholes labels nihilistic hermeneutics. Fine-tuning this oscillation is what the humanistic enterprise is all about, he suggests; it is our key to the true connection between reading and ethics."--Richard A. Lanham, University of California, Los Angeles Robert Scholes, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities at Brown University, is also the author of Textual Power: Literary Theory and the Teaching of English; Semiotics and Interpretation; and Structuralism in Literature: An Introduction
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300050622
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 180
Book Description
Discussing a wide range of literary theory in a clear and accessible way, prize-winning author Robert Scholes here continues his ongoing construction of a humane semiotic approach to the problems of reading, writing, and teaching. Taking the view that "all the world's a text," Scholes considers numerous texts from life and literature, including photographs, paintings, and television commercials as well as biographies and novels. "A significant and thoughtful effort to think about the responsibilities of reading in the wake of deconstruction."--Choice Protocols of Reading is a personal, avuncular book, attractive in its common sense and brevity."--Wendy Steiner, Times Literary Supplement "A complex argument developed in delightful plain English, Protocols of Reading sees both textual fundamentalism and deconstructive debunking as needful opposites in an oscillation that Scholes labels nihilistic hermeneutics. Fine-tuning this oscillation is what the humanistic enterprise is all about, he suggests; it is our key to the true connection between reading and ethics."--Richard A. Lanham, University of California, Los Angeles Robert Scholes, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities at Brown University, is also the author of Textual Power: Literary Theory and the Teaching of English; Semiotics and Interpretation; and Structuralism in Literature: An Introduction
Verbal Protocols of Reading
Author: Michael Pressley
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136483020
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 165
Book Description
Researchers from a variety of disciplines have collected verbal protocols of reading as a window on conscious reading processes. Because such work has occurred in different disciplines, many who have conducted verbal protocol analyses have been unaware of the research of others. This volume brings together the existing literature from the various fields in which verbal protocols of reading have been generated. In so doing, the authors provide an organized catalog of all conscious verbal processes reported in studies to date -- the most complete analysis of conscious reading now available in the literature. When the results of all of the studies are considered, there is clear support for a number of models of reading comprehension including reader response theories, schema perspectives, executive processing models, and bottom-up approaches such as the one proposed by van Dijk and Kintsch. The summary of results also demonstrates that none of the existing models goes far enough. Thus, a new framework -- constructively responsive reading -- is described. This new model encompasses reader response, schematic and executive processing, and induction from word- and phrase-level comprehension to higher-order meaning. The important concept in this new model is that readers respond to bits and pieces of text as they are encountered, all as part of the overarching goal of constructing meaning from text. This volume also includes a critical review of the thinking aloud methodology as it has been used thus far. This examination suggests that it continues to be an immature methodology, and that much work is needed if a complete theory of conscious processing during reading is to be developed via verbal protocol analysis. Finally, after reviewing what has been accomplished to date, the authors provide extensive discussion of the work that remains to be done and the adequacy of the verbal protocol methodology for permitting telling conclusions about text processing.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136483020
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 165
Book Description
Researchers from a variety of disciplines have collected verbal protocols of reading as a window on conscious reading processes. Because such work has occurred in different disciplines, many who have conducted verbal protocol analyses have been unaware of the research of others. This volume brings together the existing literature from the various fields in which verbal protocols of reading have been generated. In so doing, the authors provide an organized catalog of all conscious verbal processes reported in studies to date -- the most complete analysis of conscious reading now available in the literature. When the results of all of the studies are considered, there is clear support for a number of models of reading comprehension including reader response theories, schema perspectives, executive processing models, and bottom-up approaches such as the one proposed by van Dijk and Kintsch. The summary of results also demonstrates that none of the existing models goes far enough. Thus, a new framework -- constructively responsive reading -- is described. This new model encompasses reader response, schematic and executive processing, and induction from word- and phrase-level comprehension to higher-order meaning. The important concept in this new model is that readers respond to bits and pieces of text as they are encountered, all as part of the overarching goal of constructing meaning from text. This volume also includes a critical review of the thinking aloud methodology as it has been used thus far. This examination suggests that it continues to be an immature methodology, and that much work is needed if a complete theory of conscious processing during reading is to be developed via verbal protocol analysis. Finally, after reviewing what has been accomplished to date, the authors provide extensive discussion of the work that remains to be done and the adequacy of the verbal protocol methodology for permitting telling conclusions about text processing.
Protocols in the Classroom
Author: David Allen
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 080775904X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
"Spinning off from The Power of Protocols, David Allen, Alan Dichter, Tina Blythe, and Terra Lynch seek to bring discussion protocols to the classroom for teachers to use with their high school students. Protocols in the Classroom will use the same dependable ideas that the authors developed during more than two decades of work for multiple editions of The Power of Protocols, which has provided an invaluable resource to teachers, administrators, and teacher educators to support their professional learning and development. The authors' proposed book extends beyond professional development for educators by bringing discussion protocols into the classroom while using vignettes and facilitation tips to further explain how educators can use protocols with students effectively. Protocols in the Classroom will feature descriptions of protocols that are familiar from the earlier books (e.g., the Last Word, the Tuning Protocols, the Consultancy) and new ones. Like the earlier books, it also includes guidelines for teachers in using the protocols effectively, as well as discussion of important considerations in using protocols with students, including the role of the teacher and students' preparation for participating in discussion protocols" --
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 080775904X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
"Spinning off from The Power of Protocols, David Allen, Alan Dichter, Tina Blythe, and Terra Lynch seek to bring discussion protocols to the classroom for teachers to use with their high school students. Protocols in the Classroom will use the same dependable ideas that the authors developed during more than two decades of work for multiple editions of The Power of Protocols, which has provided an invaluable resource to teachers, administrators, and teacher educators to support their professional learning and development. The authors' proposed book extends beyond professional development for educators by bringing discussion protocols into the classroom while using vignettes and facilitation tips to further explain how educators can use protocols with students effectively. Protocols in the Classroom will feature descriptions of protocols that are familiar from the earlier books (e.g., the Last Word, the Tuning Protocols, the Consultancy) and new ones. Like the earlier books, it also includes guidelines for teachers in using the protocols effectively, as well as discussion of important considerations in using protocols with students, including the role of the teacher and students' preparation for participating in discussion protocols" --
The Power of Protocols
Author: Joseph P. McDonald
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 0807743615
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 141
Book Description
This important professional development tool describes nearly 30 protocols or "scripts" for conducting meetings, conversations, and other learning experiences among educators--in one, easy-to-use resource. For anyone working with collaborative groups of teachers on everything from school improvement to curriculum development this book features: -Protocols for working together on problems of practice, for studying together, for organizing many different kinds of meetings, and for looking together at student work.-A thorough text that describes each protocol, provides a rationale for using them, explains the particular purpose each protocol was designed for, discusses the value that educators have found in using them, and offers helpful tips for facilitators.-Valuable appendices that list relevant resources, such as websites, contact addresses, and training opportunities, and a table that lists all of the protocols with suggestions for cross-use.-A free supplement on the Teachers College Press website with "Abbreviated Protocols" that can be downloaded and customized to suit each facilitator's needs.
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 0807743615
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 141
Book Description
This important professional development tool describes nearly 30 protocols or "scripts" for conducting meetings, conversations, and other learning experiences among educators--in one, easy-to-use resource. For anyone working with collaborative groups of teachers on everything from school improvement to curriculum development this book features: -Protocols for working together on problems of practice, for studying together, for organizing many different kinds of meetings, and for looking together at student work.-A thorough text that describes each protocol, provides a rationale for using them, explains the particular purpose each protocol was designed for, discusses the value that educators have found in using them, and offers helpful tips for facilitators.-Valuable appendices that list relevant resources, such as websites, contact addresses, and training opportunities, and a table that lists all of the protocols with suggestions for cross-use.-A free supplement on the Teachers College Press website with "Abbreviated Protocols" that can be downloaded and customized to suit each facilitator's needs.
Textual Power
Author: Robert E. Scholes
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300037260
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
"Robert Scholes has written an enviable book on the uses and abuses of literary theory in the teaching of literature. One of [his] most forceful points...is that 'literary theory' is not something a teacher may either 'use' or not use, for teaching itself is an unavoidably theoretical activity."--Gerald Graff, Novel "Scholes' emphasis in Textual Power is indicated by the book's subtitle. After a provocative analysis of disciplinary values and departmental tendencies...[he] proposes that 'we must stop "teaching literature" and start studying texts'...His book is essential for college libraries."--R.C. Gebhardt, Choice "There is no issue more current, more relevant to the present scene, than the problem of pedagogy and its relation to contemporary theory. Textual Power is an important, provocative, and above all useful contribution to this discussion."--Gregory L. Ulmer Robert Scholes, author of Structuralism in Literature and Semiotics and Interpretation among other books, is Alumni-Alumnae University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Brown University.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300037260
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
"Robert Scholes has written an enviable book on the uses and abuses of literary theory in the teaching of literature. One of [his] most forceful points...is that 'literary theory' is not something a teacher may either 'use' or not use, for teaching itself is an unavoidably theoretical activity."--Gerald Graff, Novel "Scholes' emphasis in Textual Power is indicated by the book's subtitle. After a provocative analysis of disciplinary values and departmental tendencies...[he] proposes that 'we must stop "teaching literature" and start studying texts'...His book is essential for college libraries."--R.C. Gebhardt, Choice "There is no issue more current, more relevant to the present scene, than the problem of pedagogy and its relation to contemporary theory. Textual Power is an important, provocative, and above all useful contribution to this discussion."--Gregory L. Ulmer Robert Scholes, author of Structuralism in Literature and Semiotics and Interpretation among other books, is Alumni-Alumnae University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Brown University.
Verbal Protocols in Literacy Research
Author: Susan E. Israel
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317917987
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 147
Book Description
This volume offers an updated analysis of the methodology of reading and reading research since 1995, when the landmark book Verbal Protocols of Reading: The Nature of Constructively Responsive Reading by Michael Pressley and Peter Afflerbach was published. It offers a thorough cross-analysis of the conscious processes experienced during reading, the structure of reading comprehension, and its application to more current initiatives such as Common Core State Standards and Response to Intervention. It also provides a detailed analysis of Constructively Responsive Reading through relevant online self-report studies in reading and reading comprehension behavior. It is a fresh and comprehensive volume that speaks not only to reading researchers, but to literacy teachers at all levels.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317917987
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 147
Book Description
This volume offers an updated analysis of the methodology of reading and reading research since 1995, when the landmark book Verbal Protocols of Reading: The Nature of Constructively Responsive Reading by Michael Pressley and Peter Afflerbach was published. It offers a thorough cross-analysis of the conscious processes experienced during reading, the structure of reading comprehension, and its application to more current initiatives such as Common Core State Standards and Response to Intervention. It also provides a detailed analysis of Constructively Responsive Reading through relevant online self-report studies in reading and reading comprehension behavior. It is a fresh and comprehensive volume that speaks not only to reading researchers, but to literacy teachers at all levels.
Reading for Understanding
Author: Ruth Schoenbach
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118234529
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
"As elegantly practical as it is theoretically elegant. It is a guided tour, as one examines the tools of expert teachers as they engage students in a journey that is aptly dubbed Reading Apprenticeship?learning how to become a savvy, strategic reader under the tutelage of thoughtful, caring, and demanding teachers.? P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley, and founding editor of the Handbook of Reading Research. Reading for Understanding is a monumental achievement. It was a monumental achievement when it came out as a first edition in 1999, bringing years of rigorous reading research together in a framework for teaching that made sense in actual secondary school classrooms. Now, just thirteen years later, Schoenbach and Greenleaf have several randomized clinical trials and multiple on-going studies at their fingertips to demonstrate the effects of this approach for developing the reading and thinking of young people in our nation?s middle and high school classrooms, as well as in community college classrooms. Their careful work on developing disciplinary literacy among all students represents a passion for and commitment to supporting students?and their teachers?in reading for understanding, which translates to reading for enjoyment, self-awareness, learning, and for purposeful and informed action in our society. ?Elizabeth Moje, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Education, University of Michigan Reading Apprenticeship has proven to be an inspiration to Renton Technical College faculty and students alike. They have learned together to view themselves as readers in transformative ways, as they embrace powerful techniques to increase reading comprehension. The ideas and strategies in Reading for Understanding anchor this new and broad-based energy around reading and an enthusiasm among our faculty to model effective reading strategies for our students. ?Steve Hanson, President, Renton Technical College, Renton, Washington Reading for Understanding has the finest blend I have seen of research, strategies, and classroom vignettes to deepen teacher learning and help them connect the dots between theory and practice. ?Curtis Refior, Content Area Literacy Coach, Fowlerville Community Schools, Fowlerville, Michigan A teacher-tested, research-based resource for dramatically improving reading skills Published in partnership with WestEd, this significantly updated second edition of the bestselling book contains strategies for helping students in middle school through community college gain the reading independence to master subject area textbooks and other material. Based on the Reading Apprenticeship program, which three rigorous "gold standard" research studies have shown to be effective in raising students' reading achievement Presents a clear framework for improving the reading and subject area learning of all students, including English learners, students with special needs, as well as those in honors and AP courses Provides concrete tools for classroom use and examples from a range of classrooms Presents a clear how-to for teachers implementing the subject area literacies of the Common Core Standards Reading for Understanding proves it's never too late for teachers and students to work together to boost literacy, engagement, and achievement.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118234529
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
"As elegantly practical as it is theoretically elegant. It is a guided tour, as one examines the tools of expert teachers as they engage students in a journey that is aptly dubbed Reading Apprenticeship?learning how to become a savvy, strategic reader under the tutelage of thoughtful, caring, and demanding teachers.? P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley, and founding editor of the Handbook of Reading Research. Reading for Understanding is a monumental achievement. It was a monumental achievement when it came out as a first edition in 1999, bringing years of rigorous reading research together in a framework for teaching that made sense in actual secondary school classrooms. Now, just thirteen years later, Schoenbach and Greenleaf have several randomized clinical trials and multiple on-going studies at their fingertips to demonstrate the effects of this approach for developing the reading and thinking of young people in our nation?s middle and high school classrooms, as well as in community college classrooms. Their careful work on developing disciplinary literacy among all students represents a passion for and commitment to supporting students?and their teachers?in reading for understanding, which translates to reading for enjoyment, self-awareness, learning, and for purposeful and informed action in our society. ?Elizabeth Moje, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Education, University of Michigan Reading Apprenticeship has proven to be an inspiration to Renton Technical College faculty and students alike. They have learned together to view themselves as readers in transformative ways, as they embrace powerful techniques to increase reading comprehension. The ideas and strategies in Reading for Understanding anchor this new and broad-based energy around reading and an enthusiasm among our faculty to model effective reading strategies for our students. ?Steve Hanson, President, Renton Technical College, Renton, Washington Reading for Understanding has the finest blend I have seen of research, strategies, and classroom vignettes to deepen teacher learning and help them connect the dots between theory and practice. ?Curtis Refior, Content Area Literacy Coach, Fowlerville Community Schools, Fowlerville, Michigan A teacher-tested, research-based resource for dramatically improving reading skills Published in partnership with WestEd, this significantly updated second edition of the bestselling book contains strategies for helping students in middle school through community college gain the reading independence to master subject area textbooks and other material. Based on the Reading Apprenticeship program, which three rigorous "gold standard" research studies have shown to be effective in raising students' reading achievement Presents a clear framework for improving the reading and subject area learning of all students, including English learners, students with special needs, as well as those in honors and AP courses Provides concrete tools for classroom use and examples from a range of classrooms Presents a clear how-to for teachers implementing the subject area literacies of the Common Core Standards Reading for Understanding proves it's never too late for teachers and students to work together to boost literacy, engagement, and achievement.
Interconnections
Author: Radia Perlman
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
ISBN: 9780201634488
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 566
Book Description
Perlman, a bestselling author and senior consulting engineer for Sun Microsystems, provides insight for building more robust, reliable, secure and manageable networks. Coverage also includes routing and addressing strategies, VLANs, multicasting, IPv6, and more.
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
ISBN: 9780201634488
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 566
Book Description
Perlman, a bestselling author and senior consulting engineer for Sun Microsystems, provides insight for building more robust, reliable, secure and manageable networks. Coverage also includes routing and addressing strategies, VLANs, multicasting, IPv6, and more.
Early Intervention for Reading Difficulties, Second Edition
Author: Donna M. Scanlon
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 1462528090
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 465
Book Description
Grounded in a strong evidence base, this indispensable practitioner guide and text has given thousands of teachers tools to support the literacy growth of beginning and struggling readers in grades K?2. The interactive strategies approach (ISA) is organized around core instructional goals related to enhancing word learning and comprehension of text. The book provides guidance for assessment and instruction in whole-class, small-group, and one-to-one settings, using the curricular materials teachers already have. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download and print 26 reproducible forms in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Of special value, the website also features nearly 200 pages of additional printable forms, handouts, and picture sorts that supplement the book's content. New to This Edition *Incorporates the latest research on literacy development and on the ISA. *Describes connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). *Explains how to use the ISA with English learners. *Chapter on fluency. *Expanded coverage of morphological knowledge. *Companion website with downloadable reproducible tools and extensive supplemental materials. See also Comprehensive Reading Intervention in Grades 3?8, by Lynn M. Gelzheiser, Donna M. Scanlon, Laura Hallgren-Flynn, and Peggy Connors, which presents the Interactive Strategies Approach--Extended (ISA-X) for intermediate and middle grade struggling readers.
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 1462528090
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 465
Book Description
Grounded in a strong evidence base, this indispensable practitioner guide and text has given thousands of teachers tools to support the literacy growth of beginning and struggling readers in grades K?2. The interactive strategies approach (ISA) is organized around core instructional goals related to enhancing word learning and comprehension of text. The book provides guidance for assessment and instruction in whole-class, small-group, and one-to-one settings, using the curricular materials teachers already have. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download and print 26 reproducible forms in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Of special value, the website also features nearly 200 pages of additional printable forms, handouts, and picture sorts that supplement the book's content. New to This Edition *Incorporates the latest research on literacy development and on the ISA. *Describes connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). *Explains how to use the ISA with English learners. *Chapter on fluency. *Expanded coverage of morphological knowledge. *Companion website with downloadable reproducible tools and extensive supplemental materials. See also Comprehensive Reading Intervention in Grades 3?8, by Lynn M. Gelzheiser, Donna M. Scanlon, Laura Hallgren-Flynn, and Peggy Connors, which presents the Interactive Strategies Approach--Extended (ISA-X) for intermediate and middle grade struggling readers.
The Reading Protocols of Science Fiction
Author: James Gunn, Col
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
"The invitation came online, probably an e-mail. I was aware of the existence of SFF.net, a website that specialized in discussions of science fiction issues, often by authors who were too impatient to get their opinions published in the SFWA Bulletin, which got published every two months and was the battleground for some classic debates and sometimes name-calling... The invitation was to join a discussion--in midstream--about the protocols for reading science fiction. One of the exchanges online included a reference to the fact that I had written about the protocols in a recent article... I didn't read the website regularly, mostly because I didn't have time; these were busy days for me, both teaching and publishing, and my days as president of SFWA and then of SFRA were long over, and the debates were still raging about mostly the same issues. But the debates about the protocols of reading science fiction were still fresh and the discussion about them, if they existed, was still fresh. And the discussion was brisk and sharp, particularly from Damon Knight, with whom I had an interesting relationship since I had read his fiction and his critical opinions... We had met in a bar at the World Science Fiction Convention..." And so begins James Gunn's definitive and fascinating study of the reading protocols of science fiction -- the way readers read science fiction differently than other kinds of fiction. (Or, do they?) The journey may seem academically dry, but is anything but, as it involves all sorts of beloved personalities and brawling debates about reading, writing, the very definition of science fiction itself, and what sets it apart from other fiction, and, ultimately, what makes us what we are as humans. The lively debate involves Damon Knight and many other professional science fiction writers and critcs. The book includes Samuel R. Delany's key essay on the subject, and several by James Gunn, to thoroughly explore the subject. This is James Gunn's last book, finished just before his death, and a most fitting capstone to his incredible career, all carefully put together with his friend and associate, Michael R. Page. It's a must-read for any fan of the science fiction genre and those who write it.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
"The invitation came online, probably an e-mail. I was aware of the existence of SFF.net, a website that specialized in discussions of science fiction issues, often by authors who were too impatient to get their opinions published in the SFWA Bulletin, which got published every two months and was the battleground for some classic debates and sometimes name-calling... The invitation was to join a discussion--in midstream--about the protocols for reading science fiction. One of the exchanges online included a reference to the fact that I had written about the protocols in a recent article... I didn't read the website regularly, mostly because I didn't have time; these were busy days for me, both teaching and publishing, and my days as president of SFWA and then of SFRA were long over, and the debates were still raging about mostly the same issues. But the debates about the protocols of reading science fiction were still fresh and the discussion about them, if they existed, was still fresh. And the discussion was brisk and sharp, particularly from Damon Knight, with whom I had an interesting relationship since I had read his fiction and his critical opinions... We had met in a bar at the World Science Fiction Convention..." And so begins James Gunn's definitive and fascinating study of the reading protocols of science fiction -- the way readers read science fiction differently than other kinds of fiction. (Or, do they?) The journey may seem academically dry, but is anything but, as it involves all sorts of beloved personalities and brawling debates about reading, writing, the very definition of science fiction itself, and what sets it apart from other fiction, and, ultimately, what makes us what we are as humans. The lively debate involves Damon Knight and many other professional science fiction writers and critcs. The book includes Samuel R. Delany's key essay on the subject, and several by James Gunn, to thoroughly explore the subject. This is James Gunn's last book, finished just before his death, and a most fitting capstone to his incredible career, all carefully put together with his friend and associate, Michael R. Page. It's a must-read for any fan of the science fiction genre and those who write it.