BMJ  2003;327 (19 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7407.0-f

Editor's choice

The pleasures of deep reading

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The competitors of the BMJ include Hollywood films, Manchester United, and a walk in the park. We live in the "attention economy" and compete desperately for a few moments of your time. There are so many other things to do apart from read the BMJ. Consequently many readers spend only a few minutes on the journal, flicking from Minerva to the news and checking the obituaries (as a very old joke has it) to see they are not there. But there is much insight—and even pleasure—to be had from reading articles slowly, savouring every thought, word, and nuance. This issue has at least two examples.

John Iredale has spent over 13 years studying mechanisms of fibrosis in cirrhosis and shares his insights into how it may eventually be possible to treat the underlying fibrotic process and reverse the disease (p 143). Hepatic stellate cells seem to mediate . . . [Full text of this article]

Richard Smith, editor


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Attention taken by Man. Utd.
Andrew J Smith
bmj.com, 19 Jul 2003 [Full text]
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