It was a very good book, a work of historical fiction with vivid and interesting characters coupled with scholarly accuracy.  I received it as a Christmas gift and, despite a busy schedule, could not stay away from it.  The story fulfilled my criteria for a great work; it had a staying power that will remain in my memory for a long time, perhaps forever.  It also had a timeless quality that made for as interesting a read in 2012 as when it was published in 1930.  When I reached the final page, I felt a sense of loss, like leaving a friend whose company I enjoyed keeping.

I suspect that you have determined already that this newsletter is about books, their joy and their importance.  It is increasingly becoming a lonely subject, for many people in today’s culture see book reading as outdated and insignificant.  Indeed, some remarks made to me in recent years concerning books have shaken me to the core.  I have heard people say with pride that they have not read a book in years; that no one needs to read books anymore, just key excerpts; that with a fast moving society, people no longer have the time to invest in long periods of reading; that what we really need to know, we can find from the internet and cable news.

Perhaps you disagree with my assessment.  Perhaps I am coming across as some sort of elitist.  Whatever your thoughts, I ask you to conduct an easy experiment.  In you conversations with family, friends, and colleagues, begin a discussion on books.  Make it casual and unthreatening.  Try hard not to approach the subject of books and reading as some sort of privacy invasion.  What you will find, I can tell you already, is that most people are very uncomfortable with the topic.  And the reason for that discomfort is that most have nothing to say.  Books are irrelevant to their lives, behind the times, antiquated, and clearly out of fashion.

Well, so what!  Do I have some point to make or are these simply the ravings of a Jeffersonian who still holds libraries in high regard?  Let me put it this way.  Modern education has many problems and even more critics.  The news is filled with opinions on how to fix the problems.  If we could only end teacher tenure; if only the school year were longer; if only schools would place more emphasis on math and science; if only there were more national standards; if only educators would recognize the need to compete in the global economy.  Yes, the litany of problems and solutions is endless.  This issue is, no doubt, complex, and there are no silver bullets.  But one thing that would surely help would be if people read more good books.  Society would be much more thoughtful, tension and stress would be reduced, actions and discourse would be more civil.

The time has passed for New Year’s resolutions, but permit me to propose one anyway.  Determine to read more books.   Set aside some time each week when your family sits quietly and reads.  Try to find books of common interest that will precipitate discussion.  You may well find that your quality of life improves.  You may also discover that many of the educational problems of our time suddenly disappear.  Please let me know.