I guess I will be the lone dissenter. Sitting down to read just is of zero interest to me. I'm busy. If I've got some free time I would rather do something outside my school work, or my garage/business. Most of the reading I do is technical articles or patents. So in my free time I would much rather go have fun in the race car I just built, or go to a baseball game, go snowboarding, go see my old college roommate, ride my motorcycle, see a play, et al.

I actually resent the implication that if I don't read for leisure that I couldn't be as smart as you book worms. I guarantee that's not the case.

I would challenge anyone in this thread explain and do the engineering of a wankel rotary engine, a laminar flow air to water intercooler, correctly size a turbo - compressor wheel, turbine wheel, a housing A/R for both sides to turn a 180bhp bhp hyundai engine to a 600 hp engine. Then apply that which you just read to make it work in reality.

Whilst we're on the topic, am I the only one who's not a fan of the little e-book readers?

I mean, if I'm reading I feel I -have- to have the paper volume actually in my hands. How conservative does one have to be

Anyway, I've had many people respond 'yeah, ok, but I just don't like reading' - unfortunately most of the stuff I come out with ends up being a (mis)quote from some book or another. I imagine to a lot of these people I make very little sense

How people cope with the world without running away into a book of an evening I've no idea.

It's interesting that people get pissed off when you call them on their incredulity about your library - I'm not going to say people who don't read much aren't intelligent (well, I'll try not to ) - though you have to ask if they find comfort in their appearing ignorant.

Which leads me onto a lovely quote (actually not from a book, but shussh!):

"If ignorance is bliss, then wipe the smile off my face"

M