I just came from Goodwill. I bought 17 books.
I have an addiction.
LOL

What do you expect from a country where the President of the United States is not only ignorant, but brags about not reading books?

When people have to work 2 - 3 jobs just to survive, how can you expect them to have time, money or energy to read books.

What else can we expect these days, when a shocking percentage of Americans celebrate their ignorance.

Well, the final fact is obviously not true. I'm skeptical about most of the other numbers, too. For example, if you purchase books through Amazon (as many people do), you don't have to go into a bookstore.

I raise an eyebrow at those numbers... have they included books borrowed from libraries? Books from non-traditional shops (ie Amazon, Target, etc..)? Are they including e-books - Kindle, etc... This seems impossibly low. How big and diverse was the studies population?

People probably read more than ever, but they do most of it on the Interweb.

I can barely believe those stats...real eye opener!

I am not one of these stats...I read every day, even if it is just for a few minutes..

That's not me. Though there was a period after college when I didn't feel like ever picking up another book, but I got over it. Yeah, just looking at what's happening with print newspapers gives a good indication of how reading cogent, informative literature is becoming a thing of the past in this age of inattentiveness and immediate gratification.

Times are changing. Technology has changed the equation. One reason people rarely read books, is there's so much to read on the web. Why buy a book when you can download it or read on line.

My son, who used to use books he read as his trophies, has gone completely digital. He does not have a piece of paper in his home. He photographs any receipt he needs. He says less is more.

I love being able to read scholarly journals, op eds and news from around the world, as well as read opinions and discussions and interacting.

Generally, the only time I actually read physical books is when I'm flying, and I really enjoyed what I read.

There is one major exception. I prefer music be on paper, both for playing and teaching, because I mark them up. I understand that with an application like pencil that will change.

The biggest problem with reading music on a screen are page turns. And, yet, I've heard there are apps that take care of that as well.

The real question is not if people read books, but the quality of what they read. Do they read MEMEs and think they mean something? Fake news and info? Or do they read from respected scholarly sources. Some of the most brilliant minds on the planet have web sites and on line publication.

They invented Google Scholar so I could read the great journals.

I must be an expert in porn then.

The only disturbing fact regarding books is that most of the books people read are fiction.

I find a lot of good, free books through Calibre and the the Gutenberg project, then port them to my phone & read on the train.

[gutenberg.org]
[calibre-ebook.com]

It is sad...or depressing but not surprising

I love to go to Barnes & Noble & sit in the events space reading the books. Sometimes I buy one

When my daughters started dating, one of my rules was that any boy theydragged home had to have a library card. I checked!

3 of the last 5 books I've read were on an e-reader. I definitely don't like to read fiction but I read. I've brought my children to the book store or library dozens of times in the past 5 years. It seems weird that we would be such outliers.

Blame amazon google netflix facebook kindle. And boycott divest from their profits

My goodness, I must be an expert in Rolling Stones lore.

I hope it is an exaggeration!

As a previous adult literacy tutor, I'm horrified.