"Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings. Following complex story lines stretches our brains beyond the 140 characters of sound-bite thinking, and staying within the world of a novel gives us the ability to be quiet and alone, two skills that are disappearing faster than the polar icecaps."

Source : "And the Winner Isn’t..." by Ann Patchett, www.nytimes.com. April 17, 2012.

Ann Patchett

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