Birkert's empty nest!!

In the essay "The Owl Has Flown" Birkerts explains how reading has changed and why. He starts out with a history lesson showing how before the seventh century people did not read silently. He goes on to say that in the past whin there weren't a lot of books people had to reread what they had many times. This gave them a deeper understanding of these readings. After the printing press was invented there were so many more choices of reading material, Birkerts claims that we lost the depth and understanding of true reading. He goes on to portray that we know a little of a lot of things and not to much of one.

I disagree. Yes, they may have had a deeper understanding of that one book. Though who's to say that that understanding isn't their own opinion, or view on the subject? Without reading other texts you are forced into a single minded view on the matter. One part in Birkerts essay he says that people that traveled were known as worldly, because of the knowledge and experience that they gained in traveling. I believe those people would not have survived long in the world if they didn't expand their mind beyond what was taught in their place of origin. If you go to a strange place that doesn't do things the same as you, you can't force your beliefs on them. That's a good way to a short life. Yet if that person were to stay in one place it would be who of them to ingest all of that local knowledge. To immerse themselves in that culture to live the best they can. So is technology corrupting our wisdom, or expanding our knowledge in all things? I believe both. I'll leave it to you to make your decision.