Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

This blog post contains some Rather Dismal Stats.

It does raise a question though: why is it that every time I go to the library the books that I want are checked out? ;-)

The Article linked, just to get some content on the thread:

"Pew: Fewer Americans Are Reading Books

Whether bought or borrowed, print or digital, the fact remains that fewer Americans are picking up books than in recent years.

The Pew Research Center has a new report out today on American's reading habits. Based on a survey conducted in March and April, Pew announced today that 72% of Americans had read a book (in any format) in the past year, down from 76% in 2014 ans 79% in 2011.

A total of 1,907 Americans were polled for this report, which said that while number of readers has dipped, the average number of books read was still high. Half the survey group had read four or more books in the past year, and an average of 12 books were read for each person in the group."


I don't know if this is a representative sample.

Ugh. Pigeons coming home to roost. Thank the 'genius' Steve Jobs. Real conscientious, there.

It's pretty scary to walk past people's living-room windows, glance inside, and observe almost the whole wall taken up by giant flatscreen monitors, these days.

Predicted as far back the 1920s, in the movies, 'Metropolis', Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times', then later on 'Fahrenheit 451', and Norman Jewison's 'Rollerball'.

The execrable state of a vapid, manipulable, entertainment-addicted, visual-only society. 'Rollerball' to me was the scariest. In that flick, one day the mega-library where all the world's history is stored digitally (for convenience, of course) simply 'loses' the 12th Century. For good.

That is so true, Feliks. Most of the time people prefer watching TV to reading. Binge watching is a new phenomena emerging because of streaming media like Netflix: People watching several years of episodes one after the other.

And the other things is game and texting on iPhones and other phones. Teenagers sit in the same room crouched down to their phones and chat to each other by texting instead of talking. Some homes are the same. People living in the same house, each person glued to separately to a smartphone or another screen.

Now if there were sitting in the same house reading books, how lovely it would be.

Janet,
Pew Research. Know the outfit well. For 25 yrs. I was involved in statistics and census statistics--random samples, etc. If there were over 308 million Americans in 2010, and of these, about 238 million were over 18yrs of age, how is a sample size of under 2,000 representative? There are other factors -- educational level, income level, ethnicity….that impact the sample. Be very careful about the use of statistics. They can be easily manipulated to prove just about anything. I've looked at some of the Pew sample population data and personally don't believe the samples were representative or large enough to back up claims. On TV I heard a "national" political poll based on a sample of 400 voters!!!!

I love to watch good t.v., but I also love to read.

M.A.R. wrote: "Janet,
Pew Research. Know the outfit well. For 25 yrs. I was involved in statistics and census statistics--random samples, etc. If there were over 308 million Americans in 2010, and of these, about..."

There are lots of so called "young adults", mainly girls, who love reading and lots of them have really lovely blogs of their classmates and friend on their blogs.

There are just too many things to read - mostly free on the internet, social media, games, streaming media, TV etc. - nowadays competing for our time. Many a time I have caught myself spending too much time chatting to friends on social media and I have to tear myself from the interesting exchanges to get back to my book.

I like what you said, Jane. Many of our young are reading, but in ways different from our own. I believe ( I must believe) the printed text will never leave us. The fear of becoming automatons needs to be reevaluated. My husband, a teacher, runs an after-school board game. Teens flock to it. 10 years ago people had computer game clubs, but it is now apparent that we humans need the face-to -face contact. People are returning to printed paper text, as well. We are a bundle of tactile and intellectual senses that yearn to me used more than they are on an reader. I use an e-reader when it is convenient. Otherwise, I grab a real book, flip pages back and forth, fall asleep with it on my face, and generally make it my friend. We all need friends.

My two granddaughters love to read. Their mother also loves to read. It makes me feel so good when I purchase books for them as gifts.

Marion wrote: "My two granddaughters love to read. Their mother also loves to read. It makes me feel so good when I purchase books for them as gifts."

I do, too. To all my good friends' and cousins' sons and daughters and my niece and nephew that's what I always give for birthday or Christmas presents. (Except once I gave my nephew a skateboard.) All I ever buy for anybody for presents is books.

I think reading grows less popular every generation. Such a tragedy

Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "I think reading grows less popular every generation. Such a tragedy"

It doesn't have to - I think grandparents should introduce books to their grandchildren. Start when they are very young by reading to them. That's how the passion for the written word begins for children.

Marion is right. I, too, think it is up to the families to pass on the torch. I hate it that in school environments it has become "uncool" for boys to speak. I read statistics in the news the other day that now 3 girls graduate from university for each boy, which is why it is difficult for women to find suitable partners in the educated groups. In the non-college educated group apparently there are 3 men to each woman.

Anyway, I think that boys not reading is one factor that we find a declining number of males in higher education. However much you encourage it at home, it is hard to defy peer pressure at school, specially as they hit the teenage years.

Marion wrote: "Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading* wrote: "I think reading grows less popular every generation. Such a tragedy"

It doesn't have to - I think grandparents should introduce books to their gr..."

Curious, but why did you say grandparents rather than parents?

Yes, parents today are too busy, sometimes working 2 jobs. This is where grandparents come in.

Janet wrote: "Anyway, I think that boys not reading is one factor that we find a declining number of males in higher education. However much you encourage it at home, it is hard to defy peer pressure at school, specially as they hit the teenage years.
"

Ugh, I know. My son had three friends come over to spend the night once, and I had some books out as I was organizing his closet. They said in a surprised, derisive book, "you have books? You READ??" He of course explained that he didn't and that I put him in his closet. Why is it considered an unpopular thing for boys to do? Weird.

When I was at school we had to read certain books for English and I began to relate reading to school work which I think put me off reading for pleasure. Thankfully I came back to reading for pleasure when I went to university and started to buy books through one of those mail order book clubs (pity in a way they don't exist any more). Most of my books I now buy from charity shops.

A friend of mine once came round and saw my front room where my book shelves were full and I had a few books on top of them and some in front. When he told me he thought I have too many books I simply said 'no, I just don't have enough bookshelves'.

I don't know if the fact the school I work at is a boy's school makes any difference but every fortnight when the librarian produces the overdue books lists for each form at least a quarter of my form are on the one I get so they are at least using the library and some always have their book out during form time.

I found surprising the statistic that the average American has read 12 books a year. Last year I read 199 because I read almost all the time. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have my books.

I think that we all have a tendency (based on a level of arrogance that each of us has) to assume that the way that we live our lives is the best way for other people to live their lives, too. And that's just not true. For my money, as long as people can communicate clearly and read at a level that allows them to hold down jobs that will support their lifestyles, then it's perfectly fine to me if they choose not to do much reading.

I love to read. But I also enjoy a number of TV shows and I love a blockbuster movie from time to time. The fact that we all have far more entertainment options versus 100 years ago is something that we should *celebrate* without shaming those who don't share our priorities on the entertainment front.

Olivia wrote: "I found surprising the statistic that the average American has read 12 books a year. Last year I read 199 because I read almost all the time. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have my books."

Truthfully I find that high for the average American. So many around here where I live don't seem to ever read. Even my friends who do read would struggle getting 12 a year.

Jim wrote: "I love to read. But I also enjoy a number of TV shows and I love a blockbuster movie from time to time. The fact that we all have far more entertainment options versus 100 years ago is something that we should *celebrate* without shaming those who don't share our priorities on the entertainment front.
"

I hear you there. I love reading and always strive to raise my personal goal counts - but I also love my TV shows and internet time. I would read much more without the last two, but why give them up? They all suit my personality and add value to my personal time/interests.