Why read books?

(An episode of comments on my Facebook profile)
Me:
"A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return" Salman Rushdie

My Friend:
Stop reading books i say you can never learn more than what is written in the book.....experiment innovate and learn.....why learn up what all the mortals have summed up for ages.....you can that way be no smarter than they were...books kill authentic creation...innovate with nature...live in the real world

Me:
Misconception 1: I,or any good reader for that matter does not read to just learn what's in the book. That's always the foundation to your thoughts and ideas so that you don't reinvent the wheel or repeat the mistakes flashing in the history.

Misconception 2: Learning and innovation in today's world go hand in hand-because you can't invent everything starting from scratch.

Misconception 3:'why learn up what all the mortals have summed up for ages' -Because you are also a mortal and you most probably won't be able to do everything all your ancestors did within your own lifetime!

Misconception 4: Books do not kill authenticity! They give you a perspective, and that will remain attached to you if you've already had that in you,it most of the times betters your creativity.

Misconception 5:To innovate you need to be equipped, and books are one of the most effective means my friend.

Ultimately,I find your comment prejudiced for some reason inexplicable to me! But, do read books-there's no point disregarding all the knowledge percolated through ages in the form of books. You need to groom yourself,mature and then hone in your instinctive skills. For that, reading is the best method, else you will live in a delusion.And that is 'not the real world' my friend!

PS: I am not implying that books are better off of authentic creativity, but I am saying that all the authentic creation of our predecessors should be a source of inspiration to us, and to get positively inspired-Reading their works is the best means!