How does Montag explain why Mildred should read?

Basically Montag tells Mildred that reading gives meaning to life: she can actually learn things instead of watching her vapid soul crushing parlour walls,

What for! Why! ... I saw the damnedest snake in the world the other night. It was dead but it was alive. It could see but it couldn't see. You want to see that snake. It's at Emergency Hospital where they filed a report on all the junk the snake got out of you! Would you like to go and check their file? Maybe you'd look...