Solo Diners Are on the Rise and so Is the Me-conomic Trend

A former colleague — terribly self-important because of winning a number of journalism prizes — once took a protege out to a fancy lunch spot in New York City. When the table talk reached a lull, however, the mentor flipped open a book and started to read. When his dining companion asked why he was being so rude, my colleague responded: “I’ll put the book down once you have something interesting to say.”