Why is reading so great? It's a solitary practice, one that takes way from the time that could be spent developing important social networking skills. Reading's not required for wealth, health, happiness or a loving family. Fearlessly tackling the notion that non-readers are doomed to lives of despair and mental decay, Brottman makes the case that the value of reading lies not in the ability to ward off Alzheimer's or that it's a pleasant hobby. Rather she argues that, like the other well known solitary vice, masturbation, reading is a tool for self-exploration.