[extropy-chat] Intelligence of Leaders

[pjmanney]

Samantha said:
>> Yet we used to be an extremely literate society where even the
>> "common" person read books of some substance.

Lee Said:
>I still very much doubt it, (having yet to read PJ's recommendation.)
>Not all that many people finished high school, as I recall.  Yes, by
>1906 literacy had improved upon 1856, but still poorer than today,
>I'd say.

In the mid-19th C., they could all read the Bible, Lee.  Every last one of them.  Or they weren't goin' ta Heaven, 'cause in the beginning, there was the word.  Immigration at the turn of the 20th century increased/skewed illiteracy percentages.

Everyone also read "Uncle Tom's Cabin."  You did hear about the American Civil War, didn't you?  ;-)

PJ