Everyone needs their daily fix...

I love books. I love reading books, I love talking about books, looking for books, finding books, even reading books online with my handy-dandy little Sony E-Reader. I may be addicted to the written word. And, like any true addict, I need my daily fix. But for me, it's intellectualism. Unfortunately, when your job keeps you on the move and helping customers all day, it can be quite difficult to sneak in ample time with your precious treasure tome of knowledge (especially if said tome is a large hardcover edition because you were too impatient to wait for the paperback...ahem...).

Therefore, we intellect addicts are forced to turn to our fellow man (and woman) for our fix of brilliant and stirring--or at least tolerable and coherent--conversation. I have found, however, that in my line of work, this presents something of a challenge. Mainly because the majority of my interaction with people is limited to customers who ask questions like "Is that a two-headed snake?" to which I am inclined to respond "No. Just two snakes in the same cage." Or "Yes; your tomato plants will freeze if it gets below 32 degrees tonight."

A friend of mine--and fellow shameless bookworm--is currently studying abroad in the Czech Republic, and he recently sent me a link to an INGENIOUS idea from Germany. It seems a German publisher named Hamburger Automatenverlag is restocking old cigarette vending machines surrounding the University of Hamburg with books. Let's ignore the obvious pun that someone named "Hamburger" is working with vending machines and no junk food is involved, and focus on the main cause: Books! Not highly-carbonated drinks, not cholesterol-and-calorie-soaked junk food, not even nicotine is being vended from these machines. Literature! Glorious literature from the press of a button!

Can you imagine how much better off America would be with these things?! Not only would Americans be less overweight, but as a culture we would be more well-read, more intellectual, capable of carrying on a conversation about something other than the weather, and just think of the vast improvements in spelling and grammar! :D

Goodbye Ding-Dongs, hello Dickens! Hell, I'd even take Stephenie Meyer at this point!*

*Disclaimer: I reserve the right to endlessly mock the Twilight Series as well as any and all readers thereof...because I have all four books hidden in the far bottom corner of my bookshelf...

Unfortunately, I highly doubt these wonderfully advanced book-vending machines will breach our shores in my lifetime. But perhaps my children's children will be able to choose a copy of Wuthering Heights during their break at work instead of a bag of Cheetos or a pack of USA Gold lights.