I really feel for people who have never learned to read and write. Over the year's I've derived enormous pleasure from books!
I agree!  I love reading and couldn't imagine not being able to.  Most people can read though, right?
It's surprising  how many adults are barely literate. Mind you, the modern meaning of being literate now includes such things as the ability to use numbers, computers and other basic skills to communicate.
That's interesting.  I did not know that number were included.  Is there an estimate of literacy in the US?
As usual, there's no one definition! The numbers seem to depend on which particular definition of literacy is used.
That makes sense.  I would imagine it is more of an issue with 3rd world countries than the US anyways.
It's getting better in OECD countries. The concept of literacy there now includes access to knowledge through technology.
What does OECD stand for?  I have never heard of that.
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , "") is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 36 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI
It's like, imagine if everyone thought Hamlet was a dumb story with dumb characters because they had never taken the time to read it? And I was able to show them the true depth and humanity of Hamlet. So my attachment and love of the book grew even more, being this conduit. People understand these projects because of their form and passion. They personally couldn't care less about Rambo, but they appreciate it as a vehicle for excellent storytelling. And I can live with that, because I've done