On the one hand, there's a basic level of literacy -- being able to approach a written document with confidence, and interpret it effectively -- that too many people don't have, to the detriment of their being able to function well in our society.

On the other hand, the sort of voracious reading for pleasure that you or I or other lit fans do -- obviously I think that it's awesome, and that someone who doesn't do it is missing out on something awesome. But there are people out there who think the same thing about skiing or appreciating classical music, and they're probably right, too. But not everything is for everybody, you know?