Reading at a Million Crossroads

We have been asked to answer the question whether reading today is “at a crossroads.” Our answer, in short, is yes—yes many, many times over. As we indicate in our title, and as we illustrate in the following pages, our view is that recent years have seen a massive pluralization of practices and conceptions of reading catalyzed by the rapid spread and deep penetration of Internet-based Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), especially the Web.