That was the question put to me when I was teaching elementary school in my late twenties when chatting with a female graduate friend from a very well-off family who knew about my versatility in many areas, academic and athletic. I was somewhat nonplussed by the question because I didn’t see any connection whatever between being smart, i.e. intelligent/informed/versatile and being rich. She did. It seemed that the only reason that she was happy to be intelligent was because it made being rich so much easier, and that of course was the true aim of life, wasn’t it?

All my life has been associated with books. My mother taught me to read before I went to kindergarten. I was issued an adult library card when I was 8, not in America of course.
It is very hard for me to understand people who cannot or do not read. I cannot comprehend that 80% of American families last year didn’t buy a single book. Since anyone who can read has access to just about any information in the world I cannot understand the lack of curiosity of those who don’t read.