The book has always been a technological marvel. But what makes it stand out from other forms of the written word - reports, articles, messages, etc - itself a more exclusive form of communication than the visual or aural word, is that it requires what the modern common man doesn't have much of: the luxury of active leisure. Reading is not a passive act like binge-watching a streaming show, for which you just need to keep your eyes and ears open and the content will come to you.