[pvg]

When did reading books become a purely utilitarian thing? Interested in reading it? Read it. It's a good book. You don't have to do the exercises.

[jerf]

"When did reading books become a purely utilitarian thing?"

When the answer to the question "How do I learn to do X?" is "Read this book."

Nice sentiment, wrong place. "Read this book even though it won't help you learn X" translates directly to "Don't read this book." in this context.

[Groxx]

When we started having to prioritize our time.

i.e., around high school, with a significant increase after college / marriage.