Distributing books is one of the best things Parton could have done to benefit children like herself who never had a chance to read their own books at home. The days when printed books were a central part of education and later life are gone forever. Those of us who still read or re-read books like Moby-Dick and Crime and Punishment were raised before the advent of screens and probably just find it difficult to adapt, even though these and millions of other books are available in digital form online. AdvertisementIt appears that the human brain and human society are changing, just as it began to change six centuries ago with the widespread availability of printed books. But we should not lose sight of the value of printed books — of what they have contributed and still have to contribute to human society.