In his provocative new book, Nadin suggests that the age of the book is being followed by an age of alternative media. The promoters of literacy are doing their best to resist this change. They effectively discount any and all other means of acquiring knowledge and totally disenfranchise anyone who cannot read. There are many avenues to "self-constitution"-all our senses, repetition and memory. Some of these avenues are more efficient that the book medium. If they were not, they would not be succeeding as the do. [...] Nadin also maintains that the child who is forced to read at age three is being deprived of time for developing other skills necessary to his or her mental well-being. The cognitive repertory of these children is being stunted by well-meaning but misguided parents.