I don't know that I see it that way. Some of it is just plain old discipline and focused effort, which I don't have. I do much better reading articles, short essays, blog posts, etc. than I do reading books. Therefore, I covet the ability of people who can sit down and absorb a textbook or classic novel. I'd imagine they can often channel that ability toward other useful tasks, too.

Also, more than high-volume readers, I covet the abilities of prolific, interesting writers. And, it is my hypothesis that most good writers do a good bit of reading -- more than the average person, I'd say.