In the United States, but not so much in Europe, you can sometimes walk into a beautiful house decorated with paintings and knickknacks but with no books anywhere to be found. The advent of digital media in the form of audiobooks and Kindle readers has accelerated the disappearance of physical books. Bookstores have dwindled to just a few independent stores and chains where, often, there are more toys and stationary than things to read. The specter of centuries-old intellectual intolerance, well-known from Nazi Germany, is raising its head as well, allowing for the banning or destruction of books in many places in the world. In some countries, the Covid pandemic diminished children’s literacy. Once the Baby Boomer generation disappears, future generations will feel less need to surround themselves with paper volumes, perhaps just making the occasional exception for a coffee table decoration.

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