80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.

Originally posted by CX

So with that said, how much has reading improved your quality of life, for yourself or for your family?

Maybe you read tons but don't work? Is that a good thing?

CX.

As I understand it, the numbers show that readers are more successful in life than non readers. This is not a condemnation of those that don't read but with so many people that don't read books, it is no suprise that so many people get defensive about it.

As far as reading tons but not working, It's better than not working and doing nothing.

[edit on 19-11-2009 by badgerprints]

Reading Rainbow www.youtube.com...

reply to post by badgerprints


A few years ago while my wife and I were house hunting, we (both keen readers and book hoarders) were amazed at how few homes had ANY books, especially fiction, or even bookcases in them.

After our son was born, and we finally moved in, we made a deliberate point of giving our books as much if not more prominence in our main living areas as say the TV or computer, bookcases gallore! We both feel that our parents doing the same could well have influenced us more than we first realised.

Then we found people expressing things like 'my husband won't have bookcases downstairs' or 'do you really read them again once you've first read them' ?!?!

I'm glad to say reading, and enjoying books is a permanent feature of our home, and we all love them. I am very suspicious about the long term effects of the apparent abandonment of physical books for electronic media.

I also suspect a similar issue may be brewing with the growing disconnection between the extended exploration and refinement of handwriting into late teens (which was unavoidable for most until quite recently) with a too frequent and premature substitution by typed, word-processor assisted and semi automated electronic input, even for those who proceed well in other areas through their education. I suspect it may also be contributing to stunted grammatical and spelling skills and knowledge for a coming generation, as increasingly evidenced by so many appalling errors, even in professionally published texts.

I have never read such a bunch of elitist BS.
I read, read and read when I was a kid. Then I read Kafka (in German) and Dostoyevsky (in Russsian) for my degree. So yes I have a brain.
I have not read a book since. But I tell you what - I have done things and been to places in the world since then would make your hair stand on end.
So to the person who thinks people who don't read books are boring and to others who think they must be stupid - I can only say your smug self satisfaction is almost as astounding as your ignorance.

I feel a bit like the above poster. I read nonstop when I was a kid. My reading level in class was always above grade number. I switched from reading so much, to experiencing the world as a teenager. Now as an adult I read mostly non-fiction books if I'm highly interested. Not nearly as much as I use to reading at least 200+ pages daily, but if you consider how much web material I cover, the difference may not actually be there!

Books mostly bore me these days. I find it much more entertaining to jump from one idea and website to another. It seems I gain more knowledge this way. People often like to think of being properly educated as reading many classic great works. I have never put much weight on this idea. I'd rather have my own experiences, make my own observations, and be untainted by the thoughts of past greats. I'm the same way with chess. Never read a chess book or studied outside of playing. I play decently.

I agree with weir that this issue probably is not limited to the US but i don't necessarily think it's that huge of a problem. I don't doubt that there are MANY problems within the US government and the people themselves, but as weir said, reading on the internet is extremely common.

I still go out of my way to learn about topics that interest me - such as going to Prevention.com to learn more about my field of study or Above Top Secret to read about the latest in conspiracy.

I think the lack of motivation to learn is the biggest problem that Americans face - not the fact that they read less. I think the less reading part is just a symptom of the larger problem.

And as some of the above posters have alluded to - there are many different ways to learn. For some, learning is best done through first hand experience - i.e. traveling, talking with anyone and everyone, taking a cooking class, etc.

And really, I don't see how reading a fictious mystery is that important anyway.

Just think of all the trees that were spared.

If everybody read printed material as much as you claim to, deforestation would be even worse than it already is.

I read all the time up until college. Fiction bores me but I still enjoy reading non-fiction (or what claims to be).

[edit on 18-1-2010 by Deny Arrogance]