Renowned cognitive scientist and researcher Maryanne Wolf has devoted her professional life to examining the effects of reading on our brains and minds. She highlights how important "deep reading," which she defines as a complex process involving critical thinking abilities like analysis, analogy, inference, and empathy, is to human growth.

According to Wolf, deep reading entails interacting with the text in ways that enable readers to create intricate mental models of the material, going beyond merely decoding words on a page. For example, our minds actively interpret and connect what we read to our own experiences and viewpoints when we read literature or philosophical essays in depth rather than passively absorbing information.

Consider deep reading as if you were plunging into a huge ocean, the surface of which is only the tip of an iceberg, barely touching the surface of what lies below. Similar to how deep reading enables us to uncover layers of meaning that are not immediately apparent in texts, the deeper sections contain mysteries just waiting to be discovered.

In the current digital era, where skimming and superficial information consumption can frequently overshadow the value of careful thought and analysis, Wolf's observations demonstrate why deep reading is still crucial. Her writing inspires readers to read books and articles more carefully, which leads to a deeper comprehension and admiration of ideas and literature.

Wolf hopes to improve cognitive skills like empathy—which enables us to comprehend various points of view from the text and relate them to our own experiences—by encouraging the practice of deep reading. This process fosters emotional intelligence and personal development in addition to enhancing our intellectual experiences.