If Books Ruled the World

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if books ruled the world? As in a “booktocracy”? I mean, everything would revolve around reading and learning and discussing, and everything else in life would come second to books. Sure, it would suck for some people (you know, those people who actually don’t like books! I know- bizarre), but they’d eventually come ’round. And yeah, maybe we’d all have to wear glasses, but SO WHAT? Hyperopia is a small price to pay for knowledge.

So if books ruled the world:

Everyone on the planet would know how to read. I’m talking 100% literacy, guys.

The trees would emit a collective groan.

Writers would make more money than professional athletes and movie stars.

Libraries and bookstores would sit on every corner in every city and town. Wasn’t there a McDonald’s there? Well, now it’s a bookstore. Hey, I thought there was a Starbucks here. Sorry, dude, it’s a library now.

Every time you opened a browser on your computer or smart phone or whatever, you’d see messages like “Have you hugged a book today?” and “The new Stephen King book is out. Time to drop everything and read!”

Etched into every street and highway would be quotations from the greatest novels of all time.

Televisions would be banished to a remote island somewhere. Radios are ok- they can stay.

You know how the English have “high tea”? Well, every day at Book O’Clock, everyone would have to stop what they’re doing and read. Like, for three hours.

In colleges and universities, there wouldn’t be a list of majors, like “Math, English, History, French, Music,” etc. etc. Instead, only two paths would be offered: “Books” and “Everything else.”

Billboards wouldn’t advertise beer or shows or cars. HECK no. They’d advertise each month’s new releases from around the world.

via Novel-T

Sports teams would be named for novels (the Huck Finns, the Gatsbys, the Sense & Sensibilities, the Ravens (oh wait, they already did that one…))

Restaurants would have novel themes. The Yellow Wallpaper Restaurant would have- yes- yellow wallpaper that made you crazy if you looked at it too long and the menu would include bread and water. At The House of Mirth Restaurant, the menu would be three miles long and very rich INDEED.

What a wonderful world that would be. What would YOUR booktocracy look like?

(first posted on Book Riot 11/8/13)