So last week, I was pleased to find a funny and enjoyable book that I thought many of you would enjoy (by the way, you can find out some more about the book here). I was glad to give a little support to a new book, and figured that you, my hypothetical audience, would enjoy the opportunity to feel superior to others by knowing that the tome you read had been recommended, something that you could discuss at cocktail parties or high society luncheons or Mr. Potato Head conventions.
That is, until I read this article.
WHAT THE HELL, AMERICA?! Look, I know this isn’t a fully accurate sample – we don’t know the standard deviations, sample size, representative group, questions asked, and so on, but still. Less. than. half.
‘That means every time I see two people, chances are pretty good that one, if not both of them, has read a book at all recently. While they might have read magazines, blogs, comics, or some other type of thing with words on it, it’s still pretty depressing. Books are good for more than evening out wobbly coffee tables and swatting bugs.
Remember when you were a kid, and you liked books? Go to your local library and check them out. I don’t care if it’s Tom Clancy, Joey Comeau, Harry Potter, Marcel Proust, John Steinbeck, Dr. Seuss, Pablo Neruda, Dan Brown – just read SOMETHING! Change that statistic!
And if the conversation stalls during an interview, the line “You know, I was reading the most fascinating book…” might help get things back on track. If you’re good with metaphors. Or reading.
