Are we reading enough?

The historian Dominic Sandbrook, has argued that we are - not reading enough and in particular great literature like: Wuthering Heights, Emma, Middlemarch and Moby Dick et al. And consequently this is detrimental to our ability to empathise with other people. He started his podcast The Book Club earlier this year. He cites the polymath and late academic at Oxford University, Dr John Cary’s book What Good are the Arts? Despite the obvious observation about some of the most heinous people in history loved the arts. People like Hitler and other notorious Nazi followers. Nevertheless Carey still argues that overall the arts are - generally good for you. The problem is - how do you measure this? There isn’t an alternative cohort to study over time and make comparisons with. The basic premise is still worth considering.