On books

The Internet-versus-books debate is conducted on the supposition that the medium is the message. But sometimes the medium is just the medium. What matters is the way people think about themselves while engaged in the two activities. A person who becomes a citizen of the literary world enters a hierarchical universe. There are classic works of literature at the top and beach reading at the bottom.

So says New York Times columnist David Brooks in his column The Medium Is the Medium (log-in required).

Free books help kids cultivate a nerd identity which helps keep them from falling behind over the summer? Well if it works.