It always makes me sad when people say they don't read. I mean, there are so many worlds closed to them!

What I don't understand is don't these people have any curiousity? Do they think they know absolutely everything they will ever need to know? Yeah, fiction is worlds and worlds of coolness people are missing, but non-fiction is the world these people actually live in, and they're not interested?

T'aint me. I read a whole book at least once a week. Sometimes I will stay up an finish one in a night. Once when I was a kid we had a contest in school. Do a book report and put your name on a label. The label went on a drawing of a segmented book worm. I did 9 book reports before the rest of the segments were filled, and although I had read about 9 books a week (I did not sleep or do much else besides red) the other kids were convinced that it was impossible to read 9 books in the 4-5 month period that we did the contest. I won an order to one of those book clubs that passed out fliers for cheep children's books. It was great, my teacher kept telling to pick more until I got about 10 or so books. I think I still have at least one.

That's great. I just don't understand people who don't want to read...

"550,000 Elvises can’t be wrong."...

Sadly, this describes most of the folx I work with...

(Not all. I wish I could get One of my coworkers to meet you guys.. I knew, when he started quoting Tom Lehrer at me...)

Most of them don't read at ALL??

One girl reads self-help/spiritual/personal pathway books at lunch. Another is always in the finance pages, and keeps current with all the commodity market doings - which fits his personality. Another brings his newspaper every day... in russian. A few others can't have lunch without a comics page or fishing magazine or something.. but they leave it half finished. Too busy talking, etc...

The rest: don't know about at home... but there's always the possibility of the TV guide or sports page, I guess.

I'm not sure if it really is a "vast majority" but I'm not entirely surprised.

Have you ever heard the Bill Hicks bit about how he was sitting in a diner in some southern state and had the waitress walk up to him and ask "What you reading for?" as if no one would actually want to do so. I'm willing to bet he based that on truth and not entirely exaggeration.

When I was in college, I used to read between classes. I repeatedly would have people walk up to me and just start talking to me like I wasn't doing anything at all. It was incredibly annoying and after a while the only thing I could think of was that most people don't understand reading for pleasure and therefore must have thought I wanted to be interupted.

I haven't taken a poll or anything but I'm willing to bet about half of the people I hang out with on a regular basis don't read books. Same with my coworkers. My family throws the curve a bit because we're all pretty much a group of readers, whether it be fiction, nonfiction or self help of some kind.

I've never heard that story, but wow. I'm used to people interrupting reading, too, but I always assumed they were just rude and didn't care that they were bothering me.

"What are you reading for"... Wow. We all need to move to country where people read.

In case you wanted to see it.. :)

I believe it. I tried talking to my coworkers ONCE about literature, and I felt like I'd been transported to the monkey cage at the zoo. All vaguely human but blank stares.

I'm beginning to think there are two different species on this planet that look the same 0_o

Sad truth is: Most people are too busy living...
(Even sadder: I love reading and I can barely fit a few pages in these days. Remember how I despaired when you & Krystal kept on giving me books I had to learn something from? Most of them are still unread... just plain no time...)

I agree about the two species thing, I just wish there was some visible difference so I can find those of our species and avoid the others.

My parents even adopted one of the other species, I was totally shocked when I realized that the reason she reads so poorly is because she actually doesn't want to read!

You could start most conversations with strangers with "Read any good books lately?" and see if they react as though you've grown a second head...

Good idea, but do you think it'll work?

I see one huge flaw: I don't typically speak to strangers unless a financial transaction is involved. (you know, like wait staff, store clerks, &*%* Comcast employees)

I see one huge flaw: I don't typically speak to strangers unless a financial transaction is involved.

You'd make more friends if you did.

But yeah, it couldn't HURT, could it? I've used that line once or twice just for fun and seem to remember at least one person did answer "I don't read."

"You'd make more friends if you did."

True. It's just not something I'm any good at. Once the conversation's begun, it's ok, but this "icebreaker" thing that so many others find so easy, I do not.

Besides, if I haven't already spoken with someone, how am I to know I want to speak with them?

What's that? I find out by actually speaking to them in the first place?

What helps for me on icebreakers is often a sincere compliment. If I find myself thinking someone's purse or watch or something is awesome, I tell them. It always makes people happy to know someone thinks their taste is cool.

FYI, that works with libraries and library books, too. I know you go there sometimes. And you KNOW people you meet in a library are readers.

I did consider trying the library thing, but I never noticed anyone reading anything I'd find interesting... Maybe libraries out there work better. I mean, if nothing else, I'm sure I could find interesting people at the Huntington. ;)