Books, who needs them? According to surveys,
most young people today do not read. Discuss your
reading habits and explain why you think they are what
they are. What impact do you think the decline in literary
consumption will have on mass media consumers?

I love to read books and do so as much as possible. This usually consists of reading for 30 to 45 minutes before bed as a way to relax. I would read significantly more, but the rigors of life as a teacher, grad student, parent, etc. consume too much of my time.

I am currently reading Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kessey, which I would recommend as an excellent example of character development and non-linear storytelling. Over the Christmas holiday I saturated myself in science fiction by Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. Both were visionaries and astute thinkers not only in science, but also in politics.

I think the decline in literary readership is creating a citizenry lacking in the ability to consume more than just bite-sized pieces of information. It also is leading to inability to process information and relate it back to life in a critical way.