Opus 2021-253: The State of the Book

Are people reading less now?  Some say yes; others, no.  I am sure there is evidence both ways depending on your desired outcome.

The Zoomers I meet with twice a week all seem to have no time to read.  But I notice they always have time to watch.  And it seems they spend a lot of time on the internet.  They are always asking, “Did you watch Tucker last night?”  Maybe they also take too many naps.

I don’t have time to watch, I am too busy reading, and taking naps.  I will click on a video connection but I find that I get bored quickly.  There are people I respect when I read their comments in short form but when I try to watch their stuff I find that I don’t have time for the introductory yuk-it-up stuff as they work toward why I am watching.  I assume they have a time slot to fill and didn’t have enough material to start quickly.

Since most people can read much quicker than the talking head can talk and readers can skim ahead to the actual information, who gets more information, readers or watchers?  Obviously from the way I ask the question I put my money on the readers.  When you read you have a lot of control, like listening to a cassette tape.  You can rewind, stop and fast forward.  In reading terms that means you can go back and check what you think you remember, take a break to ponder and skim when the material becomes fellow back-patting time.

Recently my wife called me in to watch something that had her excited.  It seems that a bunch of military leaders in Cuba had all died in the same week.  It was six or seven.  The talking head on the screen seemed to think this was a sign that forces were in action.  My wife was almost bouncing on the bed.  She got upset that I did not see how significant this was.  I reviewed the facts.  Six guys died.  The ages reported started at 79 and went up from there.  No cause of death was given.  End of facts.  This is not a campaign by the forces of Free Cuba.  This is what we call old age.

I urge you to keep reading and to think about what you read.  You may not have noticed but the libraries are still open.  In between the liberal trash there are some things worth reading.  And don’t forget the old stuff that was written by dead white males.

homo unius libri