[ishansharma]

The article has a refers to a few sources towards the end including:

  One such study found that children who grew up in homes with between 80 and 350 books showed improved literacy, numeracy, and information communication technology skills as adults.

I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss this as vanity or consumerism.

[a_e_k]

That line reads as though more than 350 books might actually be detrimental. A slightly more detailed explanation from clicking through the link in the article:

> The study, led by Dr. Joanna Sikora of Australian National University, found the greatest gains in adult literacy, numeracy, and ICT skills when a home had from 80 to 350 books — no additional gains were seen above that number.

[luckylion]

So just store 80-350 books in the attic and kids' scores in literacy and numeracy will magically improve. Once they study it some more, maybe the books don't even need to be there all the time. Maybe we can just fill up a truck with thousands of books and have it zig zag across town and every kids will make more progress.

80-350 books is not what the article is about, it's about owning more books than you can read. I assure you, you can read 80-350 books, and I assume that almost everyone commenting here has done so.

[colechristensen]

I know you’re joking but what you suggest is real, some of the books that had the most influence on me I stole from a box packed away in the storage room as a child.

[QuadmasterXLII]

I definitely spent a big chunk of my childhood climbing through junk in my parents attic hunting for books, and found a lot of gems. Hiding 350 books in the attic may not be the placebo you’re looking for :)