Oh, hey guys. Didn't see you come in. I'm James Corbett of The Corbett Report, coming to you from the sunny climes of Western Japan in July of 2006.

Welcome to Episode 506 of the Corbett Report. They don't want you to read. And as you might be able to guess from a title like that, yes, this is a story about our

accelerating descent down the slippery slope of idiocracy and towards the Nadir of

21st century society, post-literacy.

So do you remember the story of the Library of Alexandria?

You know, the famed repository of all human knowledge and ancient wisdom

that was famously destroyed by Julius Caesar in his siege of the city in 48 BC?

Well, like most famous stories in history, that one too is mostly wrong.

So do you know the real story of the Library of Alexandria?

And do you know what that story teaches us about the real value of the library?

Well, stick around. At the end of today's episode, I'm going to tell you that story.

But first things first, come with me. I have something to show you on the bookshelf.

All right. Where is it? Here we go.

All right. Where is it? Here we go. All right. Listen to this.

The universe, which others call the library, is composed of an indefinite, perhaps an infinite number of hexagonal galleries with enormous ventilation shafts in the middle, encircled by

very low railings. From any hexagon, the upper or lower stories are visible interminably.

The distribution of the galleries is invariable. 20 shelves, five long shelves per side,

cover all sides except two.

Their height, which is that of each floor, scarcely exceeds that of an average librarian.

One of the free sides gives upon a narrow entranceway, which leads to another gallery,

identical to the first, and all the others.

To the left and to the right of the entrance

...