In your defense, I'd say reading is put on a pedestal by our culture. Most would consider reading a book a more useful time investment than watching television, but I think it depends greatly on what book (trashy novel) and what television show (documentary).

As a reader (LOL) I find it to be a strong negative signal when someone identifies prominently as a reader, puts that in their Twitter bio, wears T-shirts or caries tote bags with reading-related slogans, et c. For some reason it usually turns out that they almost exclusively read young adult, trashy genre fiction, thrillers, romance novels, that kind of thing. Which is fine! I read garbage sometimes too! It's fun! But people who watch reality TV, 24-hour news, and Lifetime movies, don't wear shirts with... hold on, let me find some of these reader t-shirts with an image search:

"Obsessive TV-Watching Disorder" or "TV watchers gonna TV watch" or "Eat Sleep TV-Watch" or "Never underestimate the power of a girl with a TV"

Not sure why things are that way, but I'd go out of my way not to broadcast a "reader" identity, for this reason.

Thanks! I am talking more about courses online that are specifically designed to educate.

I think most books are 90% of business/self help is filled with stuff to make them a saleable book. Fluff. No one will pay $10-$50 for a 3 page PDF. But I prefer the 3 page PDF. Ironically often information in that format is free!

Seeing a psychologist > self help book. Making money on a side hussle > reading 0 to 1. Doing a course on freecodecamp > buying a coding textbook. Etc.

Books can be great but there has to be a big reason to commit to reading 300 pages. History books I will accept for example.

Many self-help books start as articles then are expanded into book-length pieces with fluff. You’re correct, but I suspect you got the downvotes because you said “books” without qualification. As you note, self-help != history.

If I’m interpreting correctly, you’re asserting that doing things is better than reading about them, which I agree with. But I can buy a coding book and do all the exercises, sample problems, and create projects for myself based on the material and potentially get more from it than someone doing a course. Especially if they aren’t terribly engaged.

Or to put it another way: “You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library.”

Business/self help is likely not the bulk of books being sold.

Probably airport fiction right?

Uh... you probably want to complete that paragraph with a "and still I have achieved XYZ in life", otherwise you're just an anonymous commenter :-\

I can complete the paragraph with anything from "average person" to "nobel prize" and statistically and logically there is no conclusion you can draw from it.