The power of reading

National Public Radio has been running a series of commentaries called "This I Believe." Today's installment was by author Rick Moody on the power of reading. It made me cheer at my breakfast table. Here's how it starts:

I believe in the absolute and unlimited liberty of reading. I believe in wandering through the stacks and picking out the first thing that strikes me. I believe in choosing books based on the dust jacket. I believe in reading books because others dislike them or find them dangerous. I believe in choosing the hardest book imaginable. I believe in reading up on what others have to say about this difficult book, and then making up my own mind. ...

Read the whole commentary here.