Has Reading a Future?: George Steiner in Conversation

This is a collection of in-depth interviews between George Steiner, the American master of literary criticism and an outstanding humanist thinker of our time, and Ramin Jahanbegloo, a renowned Iranian philosopher.
 
Through the form of dialogue, this book not only comprehensively reviews Steiner's personal growth, exile, and academic journey during the turbulent 20th century, as well as the intellectual process that led him to become a "master of reading"; it also showcases his profound interpretation of Western cultural traditions, especially his concerns and critiques regarding the contemporary crisis of "culture coexisting with barbarism."
 
By contemplating the meaning of "reading" as a way of life, Steiner resolutely defended the possibility of spiritual life and individual freedom.