> A classic book  and strange that not a whole lot more has been done in
> that genre.
>

     I do that....Starting with the calender...and mine says it is still
Thursday...

But since it is close to Friday...When I do get 'into' a new vehicle, moto,
boat, or any complex machine I do like to go right through the workshop
manual, picking up knowledge about that new thing.  One thing I find that
has really improved over the years and with the advent of the digital age
and the internet is the existence of all the online Forums like the Vanagon
list or the CBR (Honda motorcycles) Forum or the Sunbeam Toaster List...(I
made that last one up, but there probably is a discussion board somewhere
about them)

  Another digital improvement I've recently come to use is the electronic
book.....I read a lot now on the Kindle app on my smartphone....Especially
handy when traveling in the van....I no longer have to drag along a box of
paperbacks and find people to trade with or buy them at the supermarket...I
no longer ever end up out at a remote campsite with nothing to read.....
  Yes, I prefer real books, especially shop manuals, rather than
electronically paging through a screen trying to find something....But the
Google is great for getting a quick answer for a specific question, while a
book is great for gaining a general understanding...or for a table of
torque values you need to constantly refer to...

> I also wonder if people read and study much any more.
> Like grab some shop manual and read every word in it,
>
>
>    I bet within a generation there won't be many Readers left alive...