Peggy Noonan has been reading more books, and even reading more fiction.  She predicts that America will follow.

I suspect reading is about to make a big comeback in America, that in fact we’re going to be reading more books in the future, not fewer. It is a relatively inexpensive (libraries, Kindle, Amazon), peaceful and enriching activity. And we’re about to enter an age of greater quiet. More people will be home, not traveling as much to business meetings or rushing out to the new jobsite. A lot of adults are going to be more in search of guidance and inspiration. The past quarter century we’ve had other diversions, often expensive ones-movies, DVDs, Xboxes. Books will fit the quieter future.

Or maybe they’ll just be watching a lot more TV.  Or smoking a lot more crystal meth.

It would be nice if Noonan’s vision came true on a large scale, but I’d be surprised.  If anything, it will be the over-educated and underemployed who will turn to books, but their numbers are not significant enough to cause anything but a statistical blip.

P.S.  The Kindle is neither inexpensive nor available.

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