A man in Kansas City, Mo. fired up the grill Sunday and set aflame his book collection.

During the past 10 years, Tom Wayne ran a used book store, Prospero's Books, and during that time accumulated thousands of books.

Recently, when he attempted to clear out some of his collection he found he could not even give the books away. Wayne's collection contains everything from popular titles to obscure books, such as a bound report from the Fourth Pan-American Conference held in Buenos Aires in 1910.

Libraries and other used bookstores turned him down, saying they were too full. In his irritation, Wayne decided to get rid of his books by burning them.

Wayne said he burned books as a protest of society's lack of patronage for the written word.

Society is becomingly increasingly dependent on technology to get news, information and entertainment. Books were once the cornerstone of society, and now they're used as fuel for a fire.

Unfortunately for most, books are no longer a pleasurable past time. They're a chore, a task to be completed. Reading is now associated with work.

Most college students only read their textbooks and many don't even do that. Long gone are the days of book reports and reading appreciation programs that kept us interested in reading when we were young. For a good literary discussion, find an English major.

Some of the people who saw Wayne burn books were shocked at his actions. As a bibliophile, I agreed with him. Granted, permanently destroying a book isn't the best way to make a statement, but what other way is there? In some ways it's as if he's putting his books out of their misery. He would rather destroy them himself than watch society abuse and neglect them.

We're a society that lives on shock value and instant gratification. Books don't provide this. The written word requires patience and provides insight in return. They're a journey, and like any other journey, the path is more important than the destination.

The benefits of reading are far-reaching. Books stimulate thought and conversation, they entertain and they can provide an affordable and swift vacation to any destination.

But many would rather spend hours on Facebook.com and MySpace.com finding out which couples broke up and who's having a party Friday night.

As Wayne burned his books, he said "This is the funeral pyre for thought in America today."

In society, style has replaced substance.

Even other media reflect this preference. Movies are less about plot and more about visual effects. The biggest summer blockbusters have all received reviews saying the action scenes are great, but the plot lines leave something to be desired.

In music, lyrics don't even have to make sense as long as there's a strong beat. Does Fergie's "London Bridge" ring a bell? I appreciate mindless entertainment every now and again, but is the constant instant gratification worth what we are ultimately losing?

Firefighters had Wayne extinguish the fire because he did not have a permit. He plans to get a permit to burn his books on a monthly basis until he has destroyed his 20,000-volume collection.

For the summer, I also will protest the death of the written word by reading more. I will induce others into conversation about books. Unlike Wayne, I will not speed up the destruction of books, but I will attempt to revitalize their place in society.

Summer is the perfect time for reading, so pick up a book. The next time you're relaxing outside bring a novel instead of your iPod. Books make for great conversation when friends and family get involved and read, too.

The written word can open gateways to any time or place. Books are treated as if they are out of date when they should be respected as timeless treasures. Take time this summer to cherish a book and its history - they may be extinct soon.

China Reevers is The State News opinion writer. Reach her at reevers1@msu.edu.