Have you ever been at a party when someone starts talking about a TV show or TV star? Did you notice how quickly people click in to the program or actor/actress? It's almost immediate. I always feel left out of these conversations for the simple reason that I do not watch television. In fact, in our home, we disconnect the cable Monday to Friday so the kids only watch some television on the weekends.

With my free time, I much prefer to read. In fact, I'm an avid reader, consuming one to two books a week. That means I'm reading between 50 and 100 full-length books a year. I can quote statements authors have made in the top business and economic books of our time. The "right" books have enabled me to learn from the failures and successes of others to improve my own life.

Yes, I have an appetite for the written word. It is with sadness that I see the American way of life has turned everyone away from reading -- there are just too many distractions. Reality television, fast-paced living, aimless cyber surfing, and loud, movies, videos, and DVDs have pulled us away from the never- ending knowledge base of information available to readers. For me, reading shares wisdom.

I spend hours each week pouring over new periodicals and books. I guess I'm the bookworm type.

What kind of reading do I most enjoy? I tend to be interested in current events and non-fiction, although I would name a number of exceptional works of fiction amongst my top 100.