How many books do you read in a year? If you're like 25% of the American adult population, you didn't read any.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released last month studied the reading habits of Americans, and found that one in four adults say that they read no books in the past year. Blame it on the Internet or our fast-paced lives, but 25% of the population is not reading books.
Women and seniors read most avidly, and popular fiction and religious books were among the most widely-read. What about classic literature? What about nonfiction?
On average, a person read four books in the past year. I mentioned this to my mom and she remarked, "You and I would skew their results." I read 35 to 40 books a year and my mom gets through two or three a week, at least. A similar Gallup poll in 2005 asked how many books people had started in the past year, and the average was five. This was down from 10 in 1999, but close to the 1999 number of six.
I don't know much about economics, but doesn't the growth figure for this seem very, very low?:
"The publishing business totaled $35.7 billion in global sales last year, 3 percent more than the previous year, according to the Book Industry Study Group, a trade association. About 3.1 billion books were sold, an increase of less than 1 percent."
This report freaked me out. Of course I am biased because I have always loved to read and loved books before I even knew how to read and am now an English major, but regardless I think it is pretty safe to say that reading is a vital activity in an intellectual and productive society. This study is a bit upsetting; it's scary to think that we are dumbing ourselves down. American students already give lackluster performances compared to students in other countries, and clearly many adults are not choosing to develop their intellects themselves by reading.
Unfortunately, the CNN page with this article is missing for some reason. It was located at
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/08/21/reading.ap/index.html
There is a copy of the full article at http://www.hwforums.com/2149/messages/13622.html
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
That's incredibly depressing news. I've bought and read over a 100 since last November (I read fast) when I took my 100 books in a year pledge (will take it again this November too). I couldn't imagine reading no books or only 4 books a year. How do people live with themselves?
It's scandalous!
-----
~Fallon~
"I stood
Among them, but not of them; in a shroud of thoughts which were not their thoughts" -Lord Byron
-----
I read a lot. But the quantity depends on the book. Since I am weighed down by school and extra-curricular activities I don't always have time. But I do read. I'm reading War and Peace, and have been for several years. That's a long-term reading goal for me. But I read a lot of books each year. I like to have something other than the books I am assigned to read.
4 books? Really? I was in shock when I saw that. I've read 4 books in a week. Hell i've read 4 books in two days(granted they were all less than 200 pages) I am an avid reader as well and have over 1000 books in my room, I am going to be one of those people who has their own library in their house lol. But I have easily read 50 books since June when I got out of school.
Silent enim leges inter arma
shocked and appalled am i. 4? i can barely manage 1.
a day, that is. most of the time even more- my college fund is precariously balanced between my library card and a border's credit card.
wow, only 4 books a year?
in the past year, ive read close to 70ish books
what can i say? i love books :)
That is really sad. I can't imagine not at least trying to read ONE.
---------
"I always knew I wanted to be somebody. I guess I should have been more specific."
~Unknown
There is a Chinese proverb that states: Those who do not read are no better than those who cannot.
If this is truly the case, we are a sinking ship.
As a book worm myself, during the summer I read around three books a week, because I don't have any school to interfere.
If I could get paid to read, I would be in heaven.
First I must say that polls can be twisted to say whatever is wanted to be said by whomever paid for them. We aren't given any particulars as to who was polled and where, other than a few vague statements, which seemed to be basically, affluent/educated = reader, undereducated = non reader. There was nothing substantive offered to the discussion other than one extreme or another, and can be dismissed legitimately as an attempt to stereotype. I believe in education and the importance of higher education, but I have to laugh at the comment about "intellectual" society, etc.. because we are a nation of rights, freedoms and equality, the "intellectual" tag s a Marxist concept that is classist and elitist. It implies preference and discrimination in favor of elites over others. So no, we are not an "intellectual" society.
The results do not include factors such as income level, the degree of free time a person has (with the exception of that some were elderly, which does illustrate that with more free time to read, they do so). With our economy being so bad, more American citizens being forced to work far longer hours and for less pay, it's easy to see that there is less money to purchase books, and less time to read them.
Public libraries are no longer the option they once were. The lousy economy has meant cuts for them. It's meant that not only are funds to purchase books are cut, but cuts have meant cutting back on library hours, and has lead to the closing of branches, usually in poor urban and rural areas. The loss of bookmobile programs as well. It also doesn't include any question that would indicate how many of the participants were legal citizens of the US. as that might indicate that overall the poll numbers were misleading in that they were being stated generically to provide an incorect assumption/value judgement.
While the ability to read and write allows us as a large group to communicate ideas better, and practice makes perfect and all that, I'm not sure that reading a certain quota of books each year is paramount to a successful lifestyle. You all value reading alot, but someone else might value time spent exploring individually more than being fed another person's ideas. For another, discussion may be the key to discovery. Or maybe the newspaper is enough. I also like to read, but I don't see not reading as being entirely detrimental.
"What would I like to tell you? That I didn’t get what I looked for: to gather all of us naked on the earthly pastures under the endless light of suspended time without that form which confines me as it once confined you." =Milosz
Reading not only exposes someone to a wide ranging body of experience and thought, but the opportunity to do so and be able to personally interpret and form ones own opinion is important. The classics are works of great depth and body of understanding, far greater than modern works.
In this current time, with for example, internet forums, blogs, etc.. where we're asked to digest and accept data that we are discouraged from thinking about and questioning. We are discouraged from linear thought, and told we should have a narrow focus on issues and concerns. Whether it's the far right or far left wings, each seek to deny us any right to determine for ourselves what we think and believe.
As a working single mother who goes to school full time, I find it hard to sit and read. I bought a few books a year ago and I am still on one of them to this day. I mean I read before I go to be once in a blue moon but I can never find the time to read a book...
a month and if i'm not reading books, i read the newspaper (nytimes for free, thanks to my college) and i read stories (fanfiction, lol) and well....i couldn't...i can't breathe if i am not surrounded by books that I love and live by...
I'm currently in my peotry phase and I am reading a lot of Iqbal's translated work :)
"Things have a life of their own. It's just a matter of waking up their souls."
--Gabriel García Márquez
http://www.progressiveu.org/231615-this-is-a-muslim-girls-plight
I mean, I know that most people don't read as much as I do, but that's just sad. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed with society. I, like asmaw, could just not function properly if I didn't have several books waiting for me at home every day.
"Why should I care for immortality when I am already chained to it for eternity?"
JAZZMAN
I agree, it is appalling that literacy has taken a "nose dive".
When I was very little, my mom did an outrageous thing. She stopped paying for cable TV and gave away the TV sets. We were unplugged!!! I thought she had lost her mind. I was really angry at first. Then she started reading to us. Sometimes she read the newspaper. Sometimes it was classic literature. One night, I got up to get a drink of water and caught her typing frantically on the computer. It was 2 a.m.!!! I peaked over her shoulder and she was so absorbed she didn't even know I was there. She was writing a play. When she did acknowledge my pressence, she asked for my advise. She wanted to now how "kids today really talk to each other when adults aren't around." I told her that we sure don't say "neat-o." Her dialogue was so outdated that It took me a bit to realize the play wasn't supposed to be a comedy The next night, I got up and we worked together again. After awhile, I started to think of new characters and plot twists. Before I knew it, I found out writing and even doing extra reading for research could be fun. After a month, I only rarely missed the TV. When I craved it, I could go watch it at a friend's house. Incidentally, my English grades seemed to go up all by themselves.
Mom did something else that really annoyed me at the time but I'm grateful now. She forbid the use of calculators when we did math homework at home!!! I thought she was just being mean at the time. But now I am taking Physics, Advanced Math, and Chemistry all in the same year so I can graduate a year ahead of schedule. It really saves me time on tests because I can do the arithmetic in my head faster than I can whip out a calculator. This way, I only have to waste time keying in the hard stuff.
Now, mom has discovered the dangers of trans fats and food additives, so fast food is forbidden. My friends thhink it's strange that there are no longer any sodas in the house. Candy has been banned. Here we go again........
addiction...okay, it's not a really bad addiction but I love tea, pepsi (or coke) and coffee
my mom wants me to drink none of these except she might let me continue drinking tea
AH, thankfully, i can sometimes get away with it since I am not totally under her control (perks to being over 18)
but i drink way too much tea, i admit it.
"The good life, let's go on a living spree
Shit they say the best things in life are free" --*K A N Y E
http://www.progressiveu.org/231615-this-is-a-muslim-girls-plight
You know, I'm in school and I have a lot of responsibilities, too, but I manage to read a lot. I think it's rather impossible to not have read any books unless you are making a real attempt not to. But we have to look at the fact that many Americans, if they can read, can't read well, so they are discouraged. I love reading and I don't know what I would do without books of all kinds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return--
I enjoy books ton, and so do a lot of peole. I deal with them everyday, of course I raise my eyebrow at what the content of the books are sometimes. But I think its safe to say that people read about as much as they use to, the only difference is they didn't have polls on this issue before.