This book presents an introduction to the themes central to the thought of Spivak. The book concentrates on Spivak's engagement, in theory and practice, with deconstruction, Marxism, feminism, and issues of postcoloniality and globalization, and makes clear the extent of her impact in the fields of postcolonial and literary theory. .In this book, Mark Sanders explores the questions Spivak has posed with increasing regularity in recent years: What is the responsibility in today's world of the literary reader? What specifically does a training in the literary habit of reading bring to political and intellectual responsibility? Can reading lead to a responsible form of global or transnational literacy? The book includes a new interview with Spivak herself, in which she discusses the key themes in her work as well as future writing plans.