My mother is a voracious reader. The kind of reader that will pick up almost any book (except romance novels) and give it a chance. When she comes to visit, I try to have several books of fiction and non-fiction for her to choose from. Occasionally, one of my selections will be a home run with her. When that happens, all bets are off and most activities are cancelled because pulling her out of a good book is like trying to separate a starving person from their food source.
During Mom's latest visit, I insisted that she read Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer even though I knew she wouldn't have time to finish it. I explained to her that though the main body of book is a compilation of the author's newspaper articles, there is much more to it than that. It's not merely the subject matter that draws the reader in; it's the wording, the turn of phrase, and the personal stories that immerse the reader.
That's what happened to Mom. Her reaction to the suggestion was the half-hearted comment "I think I've seen this guy on TV" but I prevailed. (She also wasn't too excited about the other choices I presented to her.) Less than ten minutes later, I heard her laughing. Walking past her in my kitchen, it was instantly apparent to me that she was now lost to me until I dragged her out of the house for lunch.
On the way to lunch I asked her what she thought about the book. Her response, "I'm going to have to buy that book when I get home. That guy can write." A ringing endorsement from a discerning lifetime reader who owns a Kindle. Now that we've reached the age when downloading a book is more convenient than owning a book, it's reassuring to know that there remains those people who know what's important. When a book fills the dual need of entertainment and information, it's worth keeping on your actual bookshelf.
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