And in an increasingly complex economy, we need to foster life-time learning. T V has a role. But books do not display well on television TV screens are too large, and the shapes and resolutions are not right. And few computers are fit for reading books hours after hour. Many people would rather stretch out on the floor or the couch.
P erhaps a quarter of textbooks in use are a decade years old.
What's more, a survey by the Association of American Publishers and the National Education Association found that 38.6 percent of teachers say that at least some of their students lack textbooks to take home. The study also revealed that half the teachers could not give out homework because the children lacked enough books. Books are hardly the only way to learn. But they are notable for their ability to encourage abstract thought a necessity not just for future workers, but also for future voters. T oday's Internet is no substitute for TeleRead.