“I don’t read.”
– Someone you should probably avoid
Six is a magic number in America. The average man has a grand total of six sexual partners during his lifetime, and he reads an average of six books a year.
Between not having sex and not reading, the average man somehow only manages to squeeze in a measly 34 hours a week of television viewing.
I know, and I’m sure that you do too, several people who never read. Off the top of my head I can think of half a dozen of them. They aren’t people I’d willingly choose to be around, but various circumstances force me into their company. All of them are, to use their own rationalizations, “down on their luck.” They didn’t realize a diet of cheeseburgers would lead to obesity, and now they can’t figure out why the exercise program they saw on television isn’t working for them.
While their problems are truly rooted in laziness, all of these men could at least benefit somewhat if they were willing to pick up a book. Instead, at some point long ago, they decided that learning was stupid. Content with being entertained, they perpetually wallow in a slew of problems. Their ignorance prevents them from realizing just how horrible their lives are.
When I was a kid my mom would read me ten children’s books a day. I was around books since birth.
At age four, I was able to read.
When I got a little older, I was paid five dollars for every book I read. It was my first “job.”
Around the time I was in second grade, a local bank was offering a scholarship. The topic was something along the lines of “why I like reading.” I won it.
Whenever I’ve had a problem, I’ve always been able to find a book, essay, or blog that can solve it.
Whenever I’ve had a question about life or the universe, I can always find a book to explain it.
Recently I finished the classic Memoir On Pauperism
For their return, books are cheap. A six dollar paperback can easily hold millions of dollars worth of information. They can open your eyes and lead you down entirely new schools of thought. Change your life. Inspire you to action. Nowhere else can you get that kind off payout from such a small investment.