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If you are with a group of teens, more often than not you will catch them engrossed in looking at their cell phones. I have been blessed with bright children and grandchildren (Grandaddy has the right to brag a little.). But they don’t read enough.

Reading can open new worlds of thinking and bring not only pleasure but an immeasurable amount of knowledge.

Lack of reading can be one reason too many Americans do not appreciate the free and democratic life we enjoy. I seriously doubt there is anywhere near a majority of Americans who have ever read our constitution. Every citizen would have a greater understanding of America and how it became as great as it is (It still is today).

One writing you will more than likely not find on your computer was written by Alexis De Tocqueville, a French nobleman. He came to study America following the great French Revolution. He wanted to research various forms of government in order to find the best to install in France after the overthrow of the monarchy. Even though this book was written over 100 years ago, it contains a wonderful analysis of the American way of life. Reading De Tocqueville’s book will also give you food for thought about what things we need to fix in America and how to fix them. More importantly it will give us a new found appreciation for the value of the freedoms we enjoy.

I promise you that you will learn more from De Tocqueville’s book than watching Fox, CNN, MSNBC or Facebook.