A few months back, I was mailing a book to my dad for his birthday and the post office clerk asked what the contents were. “A book,” I told her.
She replied, “is it educational? “
“Aren’t all books educational?” I asked. Reader, I could not help myself.
She looks at me, gives a little smile and says “no, not really. “ and then proceeds to tell me which books are educational, according to the United States Postal Service.
“Oh,” I said, “so only school related books count as educational.”
Photo by Laura Riviera via Unsplash
Yes, she confirmed.
I had to admit the book I was sending my father - a new non fiction book on baseball and New York at the turn of the century - did not count as educational. Doing so felt a bit like I’d lost a battle although I was unsure what I was fighting.
What is not educational about this book? I would think the purpose of reading a non fiction book about baseball in a specific era would be to learn something about that subject at that time period? 🤔
I agree that all books are educational, even those meant for entertainment because anytime you read you can learn a new perspective or think about things differently from the stories you’ve read.
What is not educational about this book? I would think the purpose of reading a non fiction book about baseball in a specific era would be to learn something about that subject at that time period? 🤔
I agree that all books are educational, even those meant for entertainment because anytime you read you can learn a new perspective or think about things differently from the stories you’ve read.
Totally agree, Ursula!