Perhaps a useful aim of writers is to lead the reader to put the book or article down, and disappear in a flight of imagination. After all, surely one measure of success is that what you’ve written led someone to think of something, or to make connections, that had not occurred to them before?

What has prompted these questions? I’m reading a book called The Art of Mindful reading, a review copy of which was sent to me. It’s paradoxical that a book whose concern is making you a more mindful reader has, in some respects, made me think about the value of being less mindful in a way.

Now, I have to say that this is by no means a review, because I haven’t finished reading the book yet. However, I will say this: in my terms, by causing me to think about how I read, and in particular the benefits of what I would call “active” or “thoughtful reading”, the book has been a success. For all I know, the author may yet delve into this area.I will let you know.

One last thing: this book, in keeping with its subject matter, is very beautiful. The cover, which is hardback, is lovingly illustrated, while the pages are very smooth. It’s amazing that the price is so low.