Stay Attentive

You pay attention (hopefully) when your friend tells you a story, while you are on the phone getting directions, and during confrontations with your roommate(s), but you rarely stay this attentive while reading a book. The reason you stay alert in the previously mentioned circumstances is that you have established a personal connection with the party involved. This is why you find it easier to stay attentive while reading books with great characters, because you build up personal connections with these characters and are genuinely interested in what happens to them.

Sadly, most people fail to establish the same level of personal connection with the author of the book they are reading. The author is using the medium of written text to converse with you, to educate you, to entertain you. When you read, imagine the author becoming a real physical presence. Listen to an author's story like you would listen to a friend's. Speak to your book's author, ask him or her questions and jot down the answers. You can even debate the author, although try to stay civil and open-minded, as we would hate to see you slap, punch, or otherwise harm a book.

Change your assumptions about written text. Books are not inanimate objects, they are frozen interactions with the author. Thaw them and drink up the knowledge held within.