[singleshot_]

1) a smart person writes something 2) a grifter makes that written product into a YouTube video optimized for slurping up advertising money 3) a grifter makes an AI summary for slurping up… well I guess I don’t really understand the business model but it does not seem like an improvement. Why not just read the book and pay the author?

[red-iron-pine]

because time isn't fungible, and 99% of books, esp. about factual-ish stuff, can usually be boiled down to a few bulletpoints.

most books don't require that much nuance, nor "the experience" of reading it

[singleshot_]

An interesting thing about fungibility is that _something is fungible to the extent that one treats it as fungible_. Yes, dollar bills are generally fungible but I might pay more for one with a serial number with lots of zeroes — it’s good for liar’s poker. I might devalue a dollar bill that you just blew your nose on.

That aside, I’m still not convinced I know what you mean when you say time is not fungible. I think what you might mean is that time is precious and not to be wasted, but I’m not sure what this has to do with fungibility.

Regardless, I think I agree with your main point which is that most written works are low-content repetitive trash. Let’s stipulate that I’m only talking about buying and reading rich, innovative, and/or elucidating works of nonfiction. They all require a great deal of nuance, I assure you.