Why the Book Hate?

Ugh.  I'm a little angry right now...  One of our friends was over a few hours ago, and--for whatever reason--said she hates books.  Just hates 'em.  I kept my curious composure after she'd said it, and just sat there (shaking my head inside) as my brother showed her a few of our books, trying to convice her to read at least two before summer's end.     

She agreed, though I remained suspicious, and then, five seconds later, decided she didn't want to read them anymore.  She said, expressionless, "I hate books."  And, don't get me wrong, I'm not just pointing her out...because, sadly, I've heard this more times than I can recall. 

It greatly angers me when I hear that, and saddens me.  Books can do so much for someone, for anyone...and even if you're not into that whole intellectual aspect of them, they're still most definitely a source of incredible entertainment.  I honestly don't know why people say this.  In fact--perhaps there are others--I can really only think of one reason, and it's unfortunate.  That reason--the only real thing I can attribute it to--is school.  Because we are given required books we (most of the time) don't like, or barely even read (or just don't read at all) through our years of school, I suppose a bad taste is put in our mouths about books, and thus makes various people "hate" them as a whole.     

I still don't understand, though.  Go ahead.  Don't read whatever you're being "forced" to read.  Fail your test.  Whatever.  But don't say you hate all books because of that. 

Yes, there have been numerous things I've read in school that I haven't liked much.  I haven't hated them completely, but I've certainly disliked them.  But so what?  Everyone has books they don't like.  On the other end of the spectrum, though, there have been other books that---had it not been for school--I probably never would've heard of, never read, and never fallen in love with.  "School," to me, seems like a sorry excuse for hating books, yet it's unfortunately the only one I hear every time I ask why, and that's the truth.   

So, that's my little angry rant for the day.  I can't figure out how you can hate an object that's done nothing to you, something so glorious as a book, no less.  You don't have to like reading, but don't just hate all books because of one experience or what you're being told.

So, what do you think?  Is the reason I run into so many kids and teenagers who "hate" books school?  Do you know anybody who hates them as well?  Maybe there are other contributing factors...?