Literature professor Bayard contends that, in this age of infinite publication, the truly cultivated person is not the one who has read a book but the one who understands the book's place in our culture. Using examples from works by Graham Greene, Umberto Eco, and others, Bayard examines the many kinds of "non-reading" (forgotten books, books discussed by others, books we've skimmed briefly) and the many potentiallynightmarish situations in which we are called upon to discuss our reading with others.Abstract: Literature professor Bayard contends that, in this age of infinite publication, the truly cultivated person is not the one who has read a book but the one who understands the book's place in our culture. Using examples from works by Graham Greene, Umberto Eco, and others, Bayard examines the many kinds of "non-reading" (forgotten books, books discussed by others, books we've skimmed briefly) and the many potentially nightmarish situations in which we are called upon to discuss our reading with others