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25 Things That Would Happen If Book Lovers Ruled the World
What would the world look like if book lovers were in charge? We asked you on Facebook and Twitter, and after reading your answers, we're ready to live in that world today. Check out the top responses—we think you'll want to live there, too.
1. "Every rainy day would be Stay Home and Read a Book Day." (A J MacDonald Jr)
2. "We would measure life by chapters, not minutes. Example: I'll be there after a cup of coffee and two chapters." (Rebecca Brewster)
3. "There would be a library on every corner…In other words, a library inside every Starbucks." (Renee Bradshaw)
4. "We would get a free ebook version when buying a hardcover or paperback book." (Tammy Hennig)
5. "Reality television would be replaced by story hour(s), and the grammar police would be real." (Team Linda Gray)
6. "Libraries and public schools would be properly funded." (Darcy Marwick)
7. "Book release days would be national holidays!" (Melissa Fetterman)
8. "You'd get a book, not money, under your pillow from the Tooth Fairy." (CruzMissile)
9. "Book groups would replace political parties." (Book Discussion Scheme)
10. "There would be a book hour in addition to a lunch hour at work every day." (Cindy Bell)
11. "Libraries would never have missing or misplaced volumes." (Katherine May)
12. "Everyone—no matter their gender, nationality, level of poverty, etc.—would be able to learn to read and have access to reading materials." (Bobbi Harman)
13. "Tea sales would skyrocket." (Alena Dolph)
14. "There would be a special lane on walking tracks just for readers." (Misbah Ahmad)
15. "We'd be too busy reading for wars." (Amanda Todd Sexton)
16. "Libraries would be open 24 hours a day." (Chelsea Renee)
17. "There would be more support for English courses and degree programs." (Grace Exner)
18. "The number of television channels would drop drastically." (Toufiq Rahman)
19. "Reading would be an actual job! Paid to read!" (Akshay Kumar Bajpai)
20. "A tree would be planted for every book published." (Becky Engstrom)
21. "We would have a peaceful and quiet world—apart from occasional squeals of delight, horror, long sighs, whimpers, etc." (Chloe Lewis)
22. "This would be a valid excuse to get the day off: I was up late finishing my book." (Joshua Dilts)
23. "There would be less ignorance and more tolerance." (Alicia Aleman)
24. "Hogwarts would be a real school, Middle-earth would be our world history, and everything would be Wonderland nonsense." (Aja Vinet)
25. "Bookstores would have shopping carts." (Julia Andersen)
What do you think would be different about a world run by book lovers? Tell us in the comments!
Comments Showing 151-200 of 329 (329 new)
Although I don´t agree with all the changes, I do believe that number 23 would definitely become true so as long as the writers don´t perpetuate stereotypes. My suggestion:
#26 People would have a much more developed imagination
as a person living in third world country #23 "There would be less ignorance and more tolerance." is my life dream :/but anyhow this list just but me over the moon :)
Rebecka wrote: "Cleo wrote: "#14 FTW!!! I'd love to be able to walk and read--safely. And other readers in the 'reading lane' would understand if I bumped them by accident."AAAND, they would know not to stop you..."
PERFECTION
number 1 is also my number 1. for me it would be enough for everything.
NUmber 19 is the best!!!! Love them all though. Why cant book readers be in charge????
Books would be available in all languages. We would not have to pray desperately for translations.
AMEN! LOLTraci wrote: "For number 13, I'm not much of a tea drinker. I think tea should be replaced with wine. Then it would be a perfect world! :)"
If book lovers ruled the world --- the Library of Congress would be America's top tourist attraction.
All of these are great! Especially #12. If book lovers ruled the world, everyone would be literate and own a few of their favorite books.
3 7 8 11 12 15 16 20 21 25 haha movies based on books would be done right!
Bookstore memberships would be free; no yearly charge to save money on book purchases. Can anyone say, Books-a-million. (This is why i go to Used Book Stores. Period.)
6. "Libraries and public schools would be properly funded." (Darcy Marwick)So true
The presidential Palace will be built from books!
Libraries as well as bookstores should have shopping carts, trust me I could really use one on library trips.
Colleen wrote: "The best is number 23 because ignorance really would end and people would be more understanding. That is one of the reasons I read, damage my own ignorance and escape from the mostly ignorant worl..."agreed totally!
Amanda wrote: "Thank you for the book love! I'm a bibliophile and was fully identifying with all of these brilliant ideas until I smacked into #16 As someone who works in a library, I could only shudder.Librari..."
Um....Job sharing could work out. ;)
Every house will have a specially designed cozy nook just for reading. So house selling ads will look like that: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, 2 reading nooks.
Dragoness24 wrote: "I think we should be paid in books not money. Libraries would be the new banks!"It's so sweet :).
Totally agree with #5 and love 12 and 15 as well.
LOVE THIS LIST! Also, book insurance/waterproof books needed. Every book will contain a free bookmark. Glow in the dark ink needed. :) But I disagree with the grammer police thing because that would take a lot of fun out of language....
Skydreamer wrote: "LOVE THIS LIST! Also, book insurance/waterproof books needed. Every book will contain a free bookmark. Glow in the dark ink needed. :) But I disagree with the grammer police thing because that woul..."Exactly. I think people should be free to make up new words, how are we to express ourselves if we can't use words??
GLOW IN THE DARK INK WOULD BE THE BEST
Shopping carts in bookstores would be dangerous. How much I can carry is my buying limit...Sounds like a great world.
I love #5 and #6. I get so sick of reality TV, I don't watch TV anymore. Where I come from most people don't act like that. I vote for #6 because when the city has budget issues it seems like the first cut is from the public library.
I especially like 1, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 21-23. And I would absolutely be in favor of 24. I'm not sure the number of TV channels would go down, but I think there's room for the quality and originality of what they show to go 'way up.For the shopping carts in bookstores - maybe if that was too expensive for them, they would go for bookbags. Our library gave away bookbags as part of a reading program for a couple of summers. They were very useful at the library book sale. Theirs are sort of like re-useable grocery bags, only bigger. You could still get in your exercise picking up the bag, but it would be less likely to spill everything.
Books would be waterproof so that they could be read in the shower as well as in the bath. :)
I will definitely leave books under my children's pillows one day.
#26 It would be a federal offense to interrupt a reader. Double penalty if it was at 'the good part'.
mosquitoes would be extinct and bookworms would be the biggest threat
oh yes! 5- i'd finally have my POWER!!!so what are we waiting for?
Carol wrote: "Books would be waterproof so that they could be read in the shower as well as in the bath. :)"in love!!
Nisrin wrote: "I will definitely leave books under my children's pillows one day."oh same!!
Erma wrote: "Aura wrote: "I would totally vote for number 5."Love the first half, but not such a fan of the grammar police. I mean, colloquial is sometimes a good thing... (like when I'm talking with my young..."
I feel like I agree with the Grammar Police. They would be no fun. And there would be many arguments around how things should be spelt. Just because of the differences between American English and English.
It will be a fantastic world, and i hope to live in.
I especially love the 20th idea. Though I prefer planted 10000 trees than just one tree, that way not only can we save humanity but we also have woods to print more books. lol
Also, for #7... books would come out on Fridays instead of Tuesdays, like movies do, so you have all weekend to read them...
No phone-staring when you're in cafe, no crime except dog-earing someone else's book, no expensive books, every shopping center's main attraction is the bookstore!
#22 was a really good one, I would like that one happening in reality.
22. "This would be a valid excuse to get the day off: I was up late finishing my book."Could work for me lol !
Traci wrote: "For number 13, I'm not much of a tea drinker. I think tea should be replaced with wine. Then it would be a perfect world! :)"Fantastic!!
Amanda wrote: "Thank you for the book love! I'm a bibliophile and was fully identifying with all of these brilliant ideas until I smacked into #16 As someone who works in a library, I could only shudder.Librari..."
Perhaps libraries could be self-service and OF COURSE everyone would respect books and reading SO MUCH that they could be trusted with that responsibility. :)
#26. You can be late for work to finish the last 30 pages of the book you are reading.
Every month the best book of the month would be delivered free to every house (#26)
XD
XD
I absolutely love this list! In fact, this will be getting posted in my classroom. :) (World Literature and Composition)
I totally loved all the comments, especially 2 and 20!
my parents : "time to go to sleep"
me : "but I'm reading"
parents : "OK, you switch off the light in 1 chapter"