Some companies will count your travel time, but I've never heard of anyone being paid for the other time you're forced to be away form home.
[Edit]So, my point is there's work, and there's work. Reading a book I don't think is valid work.
Reading a book then using company time to use/develop those idea I don't have a issue with.
But readings fun but pointless without implementing the ideas. Hacking is about doing, not reading.
We all have facebook time at work, if you want to swap that out, also fine.
But to be 'On the clock' using the ~ 4 hours per day programmers do real work to read I don't think is appropriate.
It's a badly phrased question but getting at what it's really asking, then no, it's not ok.
Being paid to further yourself is not what a job is.
And no, reading is not 'work'.
It's like asking should I be paid for 100% of the time when being forced to travel for work.
Work should give you some travel allowance, and work should provide some training.
But being paid to read is basically slacking off.