One In Four Americans Didn't Read A Book Last Year.

[otterinbham 0]

So. What was the last one you read? Green Hills of Africa by Hemingway here. Before that, the last Harry Potter book.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070821/ap_on_..._habits_ap_poll

One in four read no books last year

By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer Tue Aug 21, 1:58 PM ET

WASHINGTON - There it sits on your night stand, that book you've meant to read for who knows how long but haven't yet cracked open. Tonight, as you feel its stare from beneath that teetering pile of magazines, know one thing — you are not alone.

One in four adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and seniors were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.

The survey reveals a nation whose book readers, on the whole, can hardly be called ravenous. The typical person claimed to have read four books in the last year — half read more and half read fewer. Excluding those who hadn't read any, the usual number read was seven.

"I just get sleepy when I read," said Richard Bustos of Dallas, a habit with which millions of Americans can doubtless identify. Bustos, a 34-year-old project manager for a telecommunications company, said he had not read any books in the last year and would rather spend time in his backyard pool.

That choice by Bustos and others is reflected in book sales, which have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way indefinitely. Analysts attribute the listlessness to competition from the Internet and other media, the unsteady economy and a well-established industry with limited opportunities for expansion.

When the Gallup poll asked in 2005 how many books people had at least started — a similar but not directly comparable question — the typical answer was five. That was down from 10 in 1999, but close to the 1990 response of six.

In 2004, a National Endowment for the Arts report titled "Reading at Risk" found only 57 percent of American adults had read a book in 2002, a four percentage point drop in a decade. The study faulted television, movies and the Internet.

Who are the 27 percent of people the AP-Ipsos poll found hadn't read a single book this year? Nearly a third of men and a quarter of women fit that category. They tend to be older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas and less religious.

At the same time, book enthusiasts abound. Many in the survey reported reading dozens of books and said they couldn't do without them.

"I go into another world when I read," said Charlotte Fuller, 64, a retired nurse from Seminole, Fla., who said she read 70 books in the last year. "I read so many sometimes I get the stories mixed up."

Among those who said they had read books, the median figure — with half reading more, half fewer — was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger.

Pollyann Baird, 84, a retired school librarian in Loveland, Colo., says J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter fantasy series is her favorite. But she has forced herself to not read the latest and final installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," because she has yet to file her income taxes this year due to an illness and worries that once she started the book, "I know I'd have to finish it."

People from the South read a bit more than those from other regions, mostly religious books and romance novels. Whites read more than blacks and Hispanics, and those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently.

There was even some political variety evident, with Democrats and liberals typically reading slightly more books than Republicans and conservatives.

The Bible and religious works were read by two-thirds in the survey, more than all other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries were all cited by about half, while one in five read romance novels. Every other genre — including politics, poetry and classical literature — were named by fewer than five percent of readers.

More women than men read every major category of books except for history and biography. Industry experts said that confirms their observation that men tend to prefer nonfiction.

"Fiction just doesn't interest me," said Bob Ryan, 41, who works for a construction company in Guntersville, Ala. "If I'm going to get a story, I'll get a movie."

Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives.

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.

The AP-Ipsos poll was conducted from August 6 to 8 and involved telephone interviews with 1,003 adults. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

[Aubie16 1]

Sad.

[TitanTiger 22,006]

That's rather pathetic.

Last book I read was By What Authority? by Mark Shea. Currently reading The Imitation Of Christ by Thomas a' Kempis and Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton.

[Ranger12 53]

Do comic books count?

The last non-school related book I read was the latest Star Wars novel (the series that continued after Return of the Jedi).

I just started reading "Principles of Macroeconimics", "Introduction to C++ Programming", and "Introduction to Astronomy".

[SLAG-91 1,779]

I read about one book a year whether I need to or not... I read Carl Hiaasen's "Basket Case" back in May. I figure I'll finish "Strip Tease" by the same author in, oh, early 2008.

Thing is, I used to love to read as a kid. I read "Midway" until the pages fell out of the book when I was about 8.

I'm good for about a magazine article/short story now...short attention span theater, I know. Guilty as charged.

These days, I do the puzzle section of the paper before I go to sleep...crossword, sudoku, etc.

[AUloggerhead 2,863]

The last two books I read were Flags of Our Fathers and The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. Excellent, both.

[TigerKat 0]

I read about one book a year whether I need to or not... I read Carl Hiaasen's "Basket Case" back in May. I figure I'll finish "Strip Tease" by the same author in, oh, early 2008.

Thing is, I used to love to read as a kid. I read "Midway" until the pages fell out of the book when I was about 8.

I'm good for about a magazine article/short story now...short attention span theater, I know. Guilty as charged.

These days, I do the puzzle section of the paper before I go to sleep...crossword, sudoku, etc.

I am guilty of the short magazine stories and articles too.

Spent 15 years in college getting the two MA's and HAD to read so much I swore i would read books I wanted to once out. I only read a few things in 7 years. Now I am in a gemology program and am HAVING to read stuf again.....

I always have about 5 books open and read bits and pieces ....I read but never finish anything....over ambitious and slightly slothful!

[MDM4AU 339]

I last read "The 5th Horseman" by James Patterson. Before that it was "3rd Degree" by Patterson.

I'm currently reading "2nd Chance" by JP and doing a study on "Letters From a Skeptic" by Gregory Boyd.

Another good one I've read in the last few months is "Turning Angel" by Greg Iles. That and "The Quiet Game" by the same guy.

I just really got into reading in the last 7-8 years. Before that it consisted of the Sports page and...well...not much else.

[jumbo 0]

Does Playboy, Si and the sports section count as reading?

[Wishbone 0]

"The Covenant" by James Michenor. It's primarily a novel that follows the history of the Dutch in South Africa.

[Boonan 0]

In the last month or so I've read the last Harry Potter book and The Reverse of the Medal and The Letter of Marque by Patrick O'Brian. Almost done with the last one so I will be continuing on in the series once I go to Books-a-Million today or tomorrow and pick up a couple more.

[bammanmr 0]

is this really shocking to anyone? we have a generation (or 2) of tv-dependent zombies, who.......ahhh what's the point, you know guys know what's going on.

i just finished Failed States by chomsky. debating my next read; either chalmers johnson's latest or the one from chris hedges.

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

I read pretty much constantly. I just finished Rabbit, Run in the loo this morning (Mr. Updike would be so proud). Before that I finished Catch 22. The book was good, though I found the "protagonist" Yossarian to be about as unlikely as a "hero" in a novel could be.

[otterinbham 0]

In the last month or so I've read the last Harry Potter book and The Reverse of the Medal and The Letter of Marque by Patrick O'Brian. Almost done with the last one so I will be continuing on in the series once I go to Books-a-Million today or tomorrow and pick up a couple more.

I'm glad you're still enjoying the series.

Personally, I think everybody should read Patrick O'Brian. Man, he's a great, great writer.

[saniflush 0]

Last book I read was "Last Flag Down" by Ron Powers. Story of the confederate raider Shenandoah.

Am reading "The Confederate States Marine Corps: The Rebel Leathernecks" by Ralph Donnelly

[TDAuburn 2]

Society is so much faster paced now, it's not surprising that books aren't read by as many as before. I just finished Hideaway by Dean Koontz... weird stuff but I love his work.

[ssgaufan 0]

I read three books last year, The Davinici Code, Flags of our Fathers, and In the Company of Hero's. All three were great IMO. It also helps to motivate my kids to want to read, when they see that I will tune out the TV and read a book.

[Tigermike 4,084]

One In Four Americans Didn't Read A Book Last Year.

Judging by the number of books I read over the last year I would have to say the statistic is skewed. The folks at Books A Million would tell you it should be One In Six Americans Didn't Read A Book Last Year.

[tiger88 934]

I am currently reading The Secret and The Power of Positive Thinking, both of which I highly recommend.

[BamaGrad03 0]

In the last year I haven't read much...

"The Smartest Guys in the Room"

and

"The Pursiut of Happyness"

[Tigermike 4,084]

Last month I read American Sphinx The Character of Thomas Jefferson, very interesting.

Interspaced in-between was a western and a couple of murder mysteries.

In June I read The Meaning of Independence

John Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson

I just finished Leaving Cheyenne, by Larry McMurtry. Which was an enjoyable read, McMurtry really develops his characters. Before that I read a couple by Elmore Leonard, "The Hot Kid" & "Get Shorty".

For lighter reading (mysteries) Michael Connelly is a great writer. I have read every thing he has written.

[otterinbham 0]

Last month I read American Sphinx The Character of Thomas Jefferson, very interesting.

Interspaced in-between was a western and a couple of murder mysteries.

In June I read The Meaning of Independence

John Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson

I just finished Leaving Cheyenne, by Larry McMurtry. Which was an enjoyable read, McMurtry really develops his characters. Before that I read a couple by Elmore Leonard, "The Hot Kid" & "Get Shorty".

For lighter reading (mysteries) Michael Connelly is a great writer. I have read every thing he has written.

"Lonesome Dove" by McMurtry is my favorite novel. And I love Elmore Leonard. Nobody does dialog like he does.

[Tigermike 4,084]

Last month I read American Sphinx The Character of Thomas Jefferson, very interesting.

Interspaced in-between was a western and a couple of murder mysteries.

In June I read The Meaning of Independence

John Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson

I just finished Leaving Cheyenne, by Larry McMurtry. Which was an enjoyable read, McMurtry really develops his characters. Before that I read a couple by Elmore Leonard, "The Hot Kid" & "Get Shorty".

For lighter reading (mysteries) Michael Connelly is a great writer. I have read every thing he has written.

"Lonesome Dove" by McMurtry is my favorite novel. And I love Elmore Leonard. Nobody does dialog like he does.

Did you read any of the other books in the Lonesome Dove series? They were all very good.

You are correct nobody does dialog like Elmore Leonard. He has written some very good books, several which were made into movies. Get Shorty, Mr. Majestyk, Stick, Valdez Is Coming, Last Stand at Saber River and Hombre were all good decent movies with great dialog and great acting. Paul Newman in Hombre & Burt Lancaster in Valdez Is Coming are classic films of the western genre.

[otterinbham 0]

Society is so much faster paced now, it's not surprising that books aren't read by as many as before. I just finished Hideaway by Dean Koontz... weird stuff but I love his work.

I respectfully disagree. People have the time to perch in front of the idiot box five hours a night.

Of course, I've really grown to hate television. It's really destroyed family life, civic life, education, and political discourse in this country. In terms of what it's done to our world, it's a worse narcotic than heroin, meth, and cocaine combined.

[saniflush 0]

I say we outlaw it. (except for Auburn games)