Happy Towel Day, everyone! If I had known yesterday, this frood would have brought his towel with him on the Metro...

We miss you, Douglas Adams.

The article about the decline of readers is depressing, though not surprising.

I don't think it's as depressing as it is framed. Writing is just a medium. And as more media are introduced, each will see less share.

We have the huge boom in bookstores (Borders, Barnes & Noble) and although there is little scientific value in personal testimony, I can state that my local libraries are pretty full every time I go by. Even the godawful Oprah Book Club boosts books.

Frankly, the written word is unbelievably overrated. The medium doesn't really matter if the content is bad. Speaking of the Oprah Book Club: if my choice is between the pretentious, pointless "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy or a gripping episode of "24", I'll be on the couch, thanks.

Whales are delicious.

It is interesting that in spite of the decline in literary reading, the book publishers are doing very well. Lots of titles in circulation and lots of money being made. It seems a contradiction that reading is declining by such a rate yet book publishing is thriving.

I don't doubt the findings of the report but I don't under stand the apparent contradiction.

At first I thought perhaps they were using a rarified definition of literature, some how weeding out readers of what might be called pulp fiction.

I'm in contact with several people, writers, agents, and publishing people who say that business is booming.

Like I said, I'm not denying the report, I'm just confused.

On a personal note, I have noticed that literary references in conversation don't go over the way they once did simply because fewer and fewer people recognize the references.

Ugh, to finish a secondary thought. At first I thought they were using a specific definition of literature that excluded a lot of the pop fiction being published but near the end of the article it said they were only looking at how much reading of novels and short stories was going on.

That paragraph seems to indicate that they are talking about reading, without regard to content.

I believe they are making a distinction between just reading books and what they're calling literary reading.

That is to say I think they exclude all the non-fiction crap like The Secret and other purported self-help crap that I think accounts for a lot of book sales. I don't have the numbers, but that's my take on it.

If i understand it correctly, they were counting only novels and short story reading. As those other books certainly aren't literature. Thanks Norm, that makes sense.

It also occurs to me that as English as a second language has increased dramatically in the last four decades, the international market in English language books may be increasing due to that factor.

Foolishly I feel compelled to speak in defense of reading. Not in defense of the written word per se.

The importance of reading lies not so much in any power of the written word but in what happens in your mind when you are engaged in a book that means something to you. You may toss the book immediately upon finsihing but the story has meaning to you and engages your brain.

It is a much slower experience than watching video and listening to sound bites but it engages more of your brain and you are getting a lot more information. You find yourself thinking about things outside the story as well. It is a very active experience and you don't know what is being missed if you don't do it. You really are missing a lot more than entertainment.

The printed word is not the power. Not every book will speak to you. Most won't grab your mind and attention but there are so many out there. It's well worth looking for things that do interest you.

Books, novels, history, etc. harbour more than just bits of information. It's not a completely passive experience like watching a movie. You are part of the experience not just the receiver of information and images.

I strongly recommend it as a consciousness broadener. Is that a word?