First and foremost, books are free voyages to anywhere in the world. You can open a book and with the flick of your eyes and the will of your imagination, be where ever the book takes you. If the book is about Ireland, then you can read about the country as though you were there and the only limitations as to how real it may be, is your own imagination. Best of all, you can read for free either in your own home with your own books, or at your local library.
Another favored reason books are adored by so many, would be that while reading a book you are escaping your reality; your day to day life. You can become any character in the books you read and leave all of your troubles on the back burner of your mind. It provides a much needed break from our day to day activities and stresses and often times the relief allows us to better deal with our problems. Sometimes you can read a book and it may present a solution to a problem that had not even occurred to you.
Perhaps an even better result of books then a reality break would be that books can provide knowledge to all ages and education levels. A person who is not technologically skilled has difficulty using computers and the information highway. They can pick up a book and find the same such information. Children read and learn; developing their minds as they go. College students read books to help them in their future degrees and careers. Even professionals read books to update their knowledge of a subject. People that never finished school can read books and give them