I don't care much for tomes, but then again I haven't experienced any alternatives (like FFXI's dungeons) so I guess I wouldn't know what I'm missing.

I do, however, positively LOATHE gathering scrips. Crafting, sure, I can turn them all out in a sitting. But running all over the map to gather at certain times makes me want to light a dog turd in a bag and throw it on SE's porch. It is so very, very frustrating and not fun at all.