Books not only make you smarter...

They can make you look smarter too. In fact, for some people, that's the only reason to buy books. Courtesy lisnews.com, I learned about a study done in England which shows that "more than one in three consumers in London and the south-east admit having bought a book 'solely to look intelligent'." In other words, books are the new snobbery. The problem seems to focus on books that hit the prize lists. Those are the titles people want to be seen with, but they aren't necessarily the titles people actually read. "Some consumers hedge their bets by keeping two titles on the go - one an impressive book to show other people, the other an escapist work to enjoy." I'll carry my fluff proudly, thank you.