Reading on the Rise—Another Sign of the Failed Economy?

What would Laura Bush say? The First Lady, a former librarian, hasn't been asked what she thinks is the cause of the recently reported increase in the literary reading habits of American adults, at least not by the press. Notoriously, the reading rates of Americans dropped below 50 percent during her husband's tenure in the White House, reflecting his critics' representation of him as the epitome of the dumbing down of America. (See Motoko Rich's New York Times story. The story ends with this quote: "As the economy has soured, Mr. Rettig [president of the American Library Association] said, 'people are discovering that you don't have to spend anything to read a book if you have a library card.'")

The Economy under Bush II:

Neil Irwin and Dan Eggen present the numbers in today's Washington Post, reporting on the failure of economic policy during George W. Bush's eight years in office. "Worst since" becomes a dominant phrase.