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Unread
A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok
Description
As a result of childhood learning disabilities and educational neglect, Oliver James graduated from high school and became one of approximately 45 million functionally illiterate Americans. However, at age 32, with big dreams and few tools to actualize them, he dedicated himself to learning the key skill that had evaded him his entire life: reading.
Oliver has become a TikTok/BookTok sensation for the way he’s candidly documented his decision to learn to read as an adult, and his struggles and triumphs along the way. Here, he tells the full story behind his journey for the first time through the 21 key books that shaped and informed his experience. His story reveals the ways in which reading can teach each of us how to be better, more empathetic people. In just 365 days, Oliver went from barely being able to read a restaurant menu to closing in on his goal of finishing 100 books in a year. Unread is a moving reminder to all of us that words and stories have power, and that, no matter our past, it’s never too late to grow.
Oliver has become a TikTok/BookTok sensation for the way he’s candidly documented his decision to learn to read as an adult, and his struggles and triumphs along the way. Here, he tells the full story behind his journey for the first time through the 21 key books that shaped and informed his experience. His story reveals the ways in which reading can teach each of us how to be better, more empathetic people. In just 365 days, Oliver went from barely being able to read a restaurant menu to closing in on his goal of finishing 100 books in a year. Unread is a moving reminder to all of us that words and stories have power, and that, no matter our past, it’s never too late to grow.
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Praise
“Unread isn’t just inspiration—it’s motivation for each of us to become the hero of our own story. This book is a testament both to the power of reading and to the strength within all of us to overcome our greatest obstacles. Oliver James is a role model for us all.”
—Kelley Coleman, author of Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child
“Unread is an inspiring and deeply human story about resilience, courage, and the transformative power of literacy. Oliver overcame learning disabilities and educational neglect by bravely choosing, at age 32, to learn to read for the first time. His honest and public journey, shared with millions online, has shone a much-needed light on America’s literacy crisis and the barriers so many adults continue to face. Through Unread, Oliver not only tells his personal story but reminds us that it’s never too late to learn, to dream, and to rewrite your own story.”
—Andrew Roberts, President, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy