I was surprised to discover that a large local mall that had 2 bookstores now has none and the Science Store had been replaced by Spencer's. This sadly indicates to me that we are buying fewer books, reading less and have a decreased interest in science. I recently completed reading World Of Pain by Lillian Rubin. There is no way other than by reading to learn what is in this book.
Reading books and magazines such as Scientific American are a major source of knowledge for me. This knowledge makes my life more interesting, helps me understand what is happening and the information is background for my decisions. I'm on the Internet many hours a day too. That is just another source of information, but it does not replace books and journals.
Think about the cost of replacing the bookstores that have been lost at your local mall. Do you think a business person will open a bookstore at the mall if they cannot pay expenses and earn a profit from the sale of books? You may never see another book seller in the mall.
I recall that there was a book written titled Dumber and Dumber. Hummm .... Could be the author's thesis is coming true?
