I think something that went unsaid here is that readers have fundamentally different reasons to pick up a book. Someone like Tyler Cowen, or indeed many commenters here, are quite keen to absorb knowledge, and time may be limited.

I enjoy reading for learning, but I also enjoy reading to quiet my mind, to practice focus, and to bring myself joy from the beauty of a tapestry of words. I agree with you that some of these objectives can’t be accomplished by ruthlessly discarding a book that doesn’t immediately captivate.

His career as a lobbyist for the Koch brothers requires him to never learn too much (“it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it”).

Why. Bailing out on bad books seems like a better way to read.

Not all books are experience worthy, some are even frustrating to read cover to cover.