Okay, sojourns around the interweb (which is actually a series of tubes -- according to Senator Ted Stevens) led me to the following... Courtesy of Erma Bombeck...

The following statistics about book publishing and reading were found on www.parapub.com, the Web site of self-publishing guru Dan Poynter. They'll give you an idea of what you're up against if you want to write books for a living.

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
42 per cent of college graduates never read another book after college.
80 per cent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.**
70 per cent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.

Source: Erma Bombeck!

So basically we're all vying for the same 100 people who buy books. :roll: hock:

So basically we're all vying for the same 100 people who buy books

Let's just hope those 100 people have deep pockets!

Between purchased books and library books I probably read about 25 books last year year. The statistics are bleak but then so is the fact that only 20% of U.S. citizens have a post-secondary degree.

But my reading habits aren't a result of time in college, they predated that era.

I credit grandfather and my grandmother for my zest for books. They both knew I liked to read and so kept me supplied with plenty of books and magazines.

Now the web supplants some of that since there's so many interesting things to read out there. So, I have been reading fewer bound novels, etc.

In defense of America—a couple of ideas off the top of my head,

Americans work like dogs, and have much less time than many in Europe (on average). If I had 2 months vacation or a 35 hour work week (as many do in France) I'd be reading a Hell of a lot more.

Public transportation is not as common in the states. We're all stuck in traffic, listening to worthless morning shows on radio. When I lived in Paris, I read a ton because I was able to read a book in the metro to/from work.

Public transportation is not as common in the states. We're all stuck in traffic, listening to worthless morning shows on radio. When I lived in Paris, I read a ton because I was able to read a book in the metro to/from work. [/list]

That's funny I (used) see people reading books all the time while driving.

Although, I think that has been supplanted by making cell phone calls or trying to use your Blackberry while driving.

Here in my hometown law enforcement is particularly diligent about the no driving while talking thing. I’ve gotten 2 tickets (!) for this over the past 2 years. It’s a hard hard habit to break but at $80 a ticket I am (slowly) trainable.

To me this kind of info-overload in the car could be the necessity that is the mother of the self-driving car invention. Can it really be that far away?

Although I might use the freedom to nap instead…

Anyway, for all of you Crackberry addicts: