Computers vs Books

One area of specialization that I'm particulary skeptical of is computers.You know, "Me Tarzan, you Jane." I always tell my kids that they ought to read as much as they can. You don't

have to be a voracious reader, but if a day passes and you've read nothing, then you've learned zero from that body of knowledge out there which has accumulated over the past two thousand years. Computers vs Books

One area of specialization that I'm particulary skeptical of is computers. Frankly, I'm not so sure that the ability to work a computer is all that essential

to the future of this world. After all, what is a computer? It's a sort of brain that you can nimbly call on with your fingers to obtain information. But what are you going to do with all that information once you get it? Some of the little kids in my neighbourhood are absolutely fantastic with

computers. At twelve years of age, they're masters of the Macintosh. Day after day, they plug themselves into that machine as if it were a life-support system. But does all that time at the screen really teach them to think? I doubt it. Now, I don't dispute the importance of computers. My secretary uses a word

processor, so now she has time to do important things instead of just pecking away at a typewriter. Still, at Chrysler the cost of projects for computers has been increasing at an unbelievable rate. Unfortunately, the computer can't make a decision for me. It can only serve up alternatives quickly. There are some essentials that have to precede technical skills. One of the most important habits students ought to pick up from an education is the love of reading. You've got to read a diversity of things in order to have opinions. Then you've got to know how to communicate those opinions to your fellow men. And finally, you've got to learn to collect your thoughts and be able to write - at least modestly well. Some kids can't write a letter home to their parents because they are unable to spell or put sentences together. The grammar and spelling of kids today just blows my mind. Their compositions read as if they were written by cavemen. You know, "Me Tarzan, you Jane."You don't

have to be a voracious reader, but if a day passes and you've read nothing, then you've learned zero from that body of knowledge out there which has accumulated over the past two thousand years.My secretary uses a word

processor, so now she has time to do important things instead of just pecking away at a typewriter.Still, at Chrysler the cost of projects for computers has been increasing at an unbelievable rate.There are some essentials that have to precede technical skills.You've got to read a diversity of things in order to have opinions.Then you've got to know how to communicate those opinions to your fellow men.It's a sort of brain that you can nimbly call on with your fingers to obtain information.At twelve years of age, they're masters of the Macintosh.I doubt it. Now, I don't dispute the importance of computers.And finally, you've got to learn to collect your thoughts and be able to write - at least modestly well.Some kids can't write a letter home to their parents because they are unable to spell or put sentences together.The grammar and spelling of kids today just blows my mind.Their compositions read as if they were written by cavemen.Frankly, I'm not so sure that the ability to work a computer is all that essential

to the future of this world.Some of the little kids in my neighbourhood are absolutely fantastic with

computers.Unfortunately, the computer can't make a decision for me. It can only serve up alternatives quickly.One of the most important habits students ought to pick up from an education is the love of reading.After all, what is a computer?But what are you going to do with all that information once you get it?Day after day, they plug themselves into that machine as if it were a life-support system.But does all that time at the screen really teach them to think?I always tell my kids that they ought to read as much as they can.