Books

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

Which is my way of saying that after my most recent trip to Chapters (this morning) I feel fully prepared for any disaster that might strike. I even bought a book titled (wait for it) "Inside a Dog." Well, when you love dogs as much as I do, how can you not read about them too?

And yes, I also have a stock of Kelp powder and potassium iodide tablets - I'm not taking them - they just kind of feel like a part of a first aid kit - in today's world.

But the books - they're crucial. I read in the newspaper this morning that electronic readers may, in the long term, lead to greater illiteracy, because of the affordability  of books. Books traditionally are passed to other people - lent to friends, taken to second hand stores - they last a long, long time. Some are read by dozens and dozens of people. Electronic readers, if they really replace books completely, will affect they way we read in ways that may not be so good.

I love books. I actually like having all my flat surfaces covered with books. I love being able to pass a good book on to a friend - and I like packaging up a dozen books at a time four or five times a year and sending them to my mother - those books are a highlight of her life. She doesn't own a dog so she does all her reading outside of a dog.