Shinchosha's Biggest Bet of the Year! Yuki Namba's 'What is a Book?' to be Released on June 17!

What exactly does it mean to read a book? What do we feel or think when we are reading a book? Yuki Namba, who made a sensational solo debut with 'Philosophy of Narrative Critique' (Kodansha Shinsho) and has since penned a succession of talked-about works such as 'Why Can't People Meet Deadlines?' (Horinouchi Shuppan) and 'On Critical Everyday Aesthetics' (Shobunsha), is a young philosopher/aesthetician currently in the spotlight. His next challenge is, precisely, the 'philosophy of reading.' *Temporary cover design 'Is reading books really that great of a thing?' -- Namba's contemplation began with this question posed by several booksellers. While various people tout the benefits of reading, they all skim over the question of 'what it means to read a book.' They skip the fundamental question of what reading really is, and what we are actually doing when we are reading. Moreover, whether reading is good or not can become groundless unless we understand what reading is in the first place. That's why, precisely when we want to say that reading is a good thing (or a bad thing), we need to return to the basics and ask, 'But what does it mean to read a book, anyway?' In this book, we will consider what it means to read a book. (From the 'Introduction' of the text) Using Namba's proposed concept that 'reading is a ' as a guide, the book explores every type of book in existence—from novels, humanities texts, and manga to how-to books, sheet music, and recipes—while traversing numerous academic fields. In an age where reading is unconditionally considered a good thing, this is an unprecedented attempt to re-question the meaning of reading. Once you read this book, there's no doubt that 'reading' will become something entirely different for you. ■ Author's Comment After my debut work was released, I visited several bookstores to greet them. I asked, 'What kind of book would you like to read next? I'll write anything!' Several booksellers told me, 'A book that considers whether reading is really such a great thing!'. At that moment, I knew I had to write it someday. I love books. But I don't think 'love' means 'unconditional affirmation.' Precisely because I love books, I wanted to create words to think about 'what a book is' from a good distance—not too close, not too far. I imagine a future where, sparked by this book, the discourse about books becomes even more diverse. This book's birthplace is the bookstore. I'm excited to see how this book will return to its home, and how it will be read by its readers. ■ Table of Contents - Introduction: What We Think About When We Are Reading a Book - Chapter 1: What's the Difference Between Bad and Good Reading? —Reading as Performance - Chapter 2: Does Reading Stories Help Us Understand Others? —In-between Performance - Chapter 3: Why Is It Fun When You Don't Understand a Difficult Humanities Text? —Incomprehensibility - Chapter 4: Why Do How-To Books Make You Feel Energized? —The Premonition of Transformation - Chapter 5: Why Is It Okay Not to Read a Magazine Cover to Cover? —A Zone of Wandering Time - Chapter 6: Are Manga Books? —Attractions and Critique - Chapter 7: What Are We Reading in Sheet Music and Recipes? —Freedom and Possibility - Chapter 8: Why Do We Share the Books We've Read on Social Media? —Attire and Furniture - Chapter 9: Is Piling Up Unread Books and Browsing Bookstores a Form of Reading? —Gardens and Democracy - Afterword - Book Guide: 18 Books to Make Reading More Fun ■ Book Content What does it mean to read a book? What do we experience when we are reading? Using the concept that 'reading is a ' as a guide, this is a philosophy/aesthetics of reading that considers every type of book in existence—from novels, humanities texts, and manga to how-to books, sheet music, and recipes—while traversing numerous academic fields. It is an attempt to re-question the meaning of reading in an age where it is unconditionally considered a good thing. ■ Author Introduction: Yuki Namba Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1994. Aesthetician. Completed his master's degree at Kobe University's Graduate School of Humanities. Specializes in analytic aesthetics and the philosophy of popular culture. His books include 'Philosophy of Narrative Critique,' 'Why Can't People Meet Deadlines?,' and 'On Critical Everyday Aesthetics.' ■ Book Data 【Title】What is a Book? 【Author】Yuki Namba 【Release Date】June 17, 2026 【Format】Shinsho (paperback) 【Price】1,043 yen (tax included) 【ISBN】978-4-10-611128-0