"Without a knowledge formation in younger years, adults function as more or less partial citizens. Reading and knowledge have to enter their leisure lives, at their own initiative. Analyzing Pew Research data from 2002 and 2004, political scientists Stephen and Linda Bennett lay out the simple fact: ‘People who read books for pleasure are more likely than non-readers to report voting, being registered to vote, “always” voting, to pay greater attention to news stories about national, international, and local politics, and to be better informed.’"

Mark Bauerlein. The Dumbest Generation, p. 202.