Recently, I read the results of a PEW research report on American readers. Some of its findings are thought-provoking, others are not surprising. I thought I’d share a few findings with you.
1. The most likely person to read a book in any format is a black female who’s been to college.
2. Women read more books than men.
3. People who’ve been to college read more books than those that haven’t.
4. People who make more than $50,000. or more a year are more likely to read books.
5. It’s not the case that ebooks are rapidly gaining on traditional book books. More Americans own tablets or ereaders, but still 69% of Americans are reading paper books. Only 28% of Americans read an ebook last year (2013). Actually, that 69% figure is slightly over 2012, when only 65% of Americans did so.
6. The average American reads five books a year, a number that increases as the reader gets wealthier or older.
More fascinating stuff from the 10/8/13 issue of the New York Post:
Several studies done in the United States and Canada show the average reading skill level was estimated to be around 8th to 9th grade. However, one study found that about one in five adults had a reading skill level at the 5th grade or below. Interestingly, most newspapers and magazines are written to a 9th grade level. USA Today, the New York Times, and the New Yorker are written to a 10th grade level. John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Clive Cussler write at the 7th grade level. And would you believe–romance novels are often written at a 5th grade level.
When parents forego discipline and don’t give their child responsibilities, and instead strive to be their best friend rather than their parent, they all too often produce a narcissistic individual with an over developed sense of entitlement. So it is with writers who dumb down their writing in the name of a few more sales and produce less than noteworthy work that only contributes to the dumbing down of America.
What do you think?
docsanborn 
Most of these statistics surprised me. I grew up in a world where it was assumed you would read fiction, no matter your level of schooling. I never really noticed people NOT reading, until I was in my thirties, I think. I read somewhat more than five books a year. Perhaps 25 books or more? If the story doesn’t grab me after chapter one, I’m done.
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