Parsis and books

A friend recently asked if I could recommend a good book on Zoroastrianism. Puzzled by his inquiry, I quoted a renowned title by a famous authority, only to spy the tome’s brightly colored spine on his book shelves. "But you already have this volume!” I protested. His sheepish response was, "Oh! have I? I must get round to reading it sometime!” "Great!” I retorted, "Since you purchased it new at least 40 years ago!” One friend less!
Some time? No time? Busy with other matters? Then follow limp excuses along the lines of "It’s too difficult” or "Can you recommend something easier?” or "It’s too long.” Given the good Parsi’s average attention span, "difficult,” "easier” and "long” become understandable, but inexcusable. When reading matter becomes onerous, given the slick ways of TV documentaries and compelling (!) dramas, the insidious lure of certain "encyclopedias” on the Internet, and the much indulged curse of mobile apparatus, then perusing books for study and pleasure among our "highly educated, most advanced, etc” communities will assuredly disappear.
No longer will one be able to say "I was admiring your library,” but "I do like your wall furniture.” The corollary is obvious: not just poor readers, but no readers! FARROKH VAJIFDAR
London
f.vajifdar@btinternet.com