Why do we read books?

Kes: I'm fascinated by the opposing perspectives given to reading in these two recent articles, as one focuses completely on reading as work, while the other embraces reading as a kind of mental playfulness. I'm adding three of my favorite quotes about reading because my own reason for reading would probably best be described as "serious play," as I love the intellectual play of reading, but I also have a dead serious need for the way reading opens up possibilities for seeing the world differently. On the other hand, I loathe the sort of sentimental tripe which must force a trite feel-good message or moral onto a story--life isn't full of glib feel-good messages, so why should my books try to tell me it is?

Stories don’t need morals or messages
A "stupid" test shows that the Puritan ethic lives on. Why do we insist on learning lessons from the books we read?
BY
LAURA MILLER
( articles beneath cut )

MIT's President Hockfield to speak in the Boston Public Library Civil War lecture series

Tuesday, February 7, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Her talk: "Fighting for the Nation's Future: The Founding of MIT in a Time of War"
http://www.bpl.org/news/calendar.htm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D95109433
The theme of the 2011-2012 Lowell Lecture series is “Remembering the Civil War.” This is part of the Boston Public Library’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Accessibility fail?

This is going to sound crazy, but is the Network for Good Web site accessible? I've been trying to find the link for Four Paws for Ability, and I can't seem to locate the search results.

Happy

Usually around the first of the month I have a list of things I need/want to buy, but I woke up this morning and realized that, except for some new socks, I really didn't want anything.

So I just donated some money to
4 Paws for Ability
http://www.4pawsforability.org/
after reading this great NY Times article
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/magazine/wonder-dog.html?_r=1&hp
--I love the way that they get animals to people who have invisible disabilities, or who may be worried that they quote aren't disabled enough unquote to qualify for a dog.

Also, and I'm embarrassed to admit this, but those dogs with the butterfly ears sound adorable.