Statistics

As someone who lives and breathes books and writing, I am always shocked to hear of people who just hate reading.  As in they never read anything unless absolutely required.  I must read or I feel like my oxygen is cut off.  I read shampoo labels in the shower, cereal boxes at the table, shopping receipts while waiting in the car.  Here are some statistics on this:

• 58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school
• 42% of college graduates never read another book
• 80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.
• 70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years
• 57% of new books are not read to completion.
• Most readers do not get past page 18 in a book they have purchased. *

Though, if I really need to follow my own logic, my next-door neighbor is an avid fisherman.  He is gone every weekend, spring, summer and fall, to go boating and fishing.  He lives and breathes fishing.  Since he thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread does not mean that everyone is the world must think the same.  I, most certainly, do not. 

It holds true with anyone interested in anything: save the whales, save the trees, walk to end world hunger, PTA, Toastmasters, and Red Hat Society.  We all have our own variety and scale of interests, and not everyone can like the same thing.

But, I will add, reading is a requirement in learning, so if you are interested in any subject, a good book will set you off in the right direction.

*http://dailysalty.blogspot.com/2007/10/book-reading-statistics-in-usa.html