According to this week's print edition of Business Week (March 24, 2008), e-book sales increased 59% in 2007 over 2006 based on wholesale U.S. revenues of trade book publishers. That's a significant increase, particularly when compared to the less-than-stellar increase (actually a slight decline) in p-book sales.

Also of interest are these statistics from the same page: Americans ages 20-34 spend on average 10 minutes a day reading for pleasure. Those 35-44 spend about 13 minutes; 45-54 spend about 19 minutes; 55-64 spend about 32 minutes; and 65-74 spend about 46 minutes.

the increase in sales is encouraging. maybe content will start to follow.

as for the decrease in minutes of reading per day, i wonder if it's more because the older generations were brought up with the idea of recreational reading (in which case the decline is alarming), or because students / working people have less free time for *anything* than retired people (in which case again the increase is encouraging...). i know in my case, work gets in the way of a *lot* of things i would rather do... ;)

the increase in sales is encouraging. maybe content will start to follow.

as for the decrease in minutes of reading per day, i wonder if it's more because the older generations were brought up with the idea of recreational reading (in which case the decline is alarming), or because students / working people have less free time for *anything* than retired people (in which case again the increase is encouraging...). i know in my case, work gets in the way of a *lot* of things i would rather do... ;)


zelda, you will find as you get older and you need to wear a bib to soak-up that unintentioned saliva dribbling from your mouth [ not yours personally you understand :p ], that the only physical activity you can indulge in is...reading. This simply involves ensuring that the eyelids are prised open and that the eyeballs have some residual movement. I assure you it has nothing to do with ideas or habits, simply age and the availability of time. :true:

what an apt yet witty reply, old chap ! have some karma... ;)

(hey, shouldn't you be asleep by now ? i should... in fact, i'm going *right* *now*)

what an apt yet witty reply, old chap ! have some karma... ;)

(hey, shouldn't you be asleep by now ? i should... in fact, i'm going *right* *now*)

zelda, yes I should..and I am, very shortly...and just to annoy you...here's some stuff for you also. And.....less of the 'old chap' you saucy young minx.

Tommy :p

Also of interest are these statistics from the same page: Americans ages 20-34 spend on average 10 minutes a day reading for pleasure. Those 35-44 spend about 13 minutes; 45-54 spend about 19 minutes; 55-64 spend about 32 minutes; and 65-74 spend about 46 minutes.

I'm not 50 yet, and I get in 2-3 hours reading a day! :yahoo:

(But I really should exercise more.)

So by "reading for pleasure" are they counting online reading? I probably spend more than 13 minutes here most days, plus I have other news sites, blogs and forums that I read on pretty much a daily basis before we even start counting time I spend with paper media or my Kindle.

I'm not 50 yet, and I get in 2-3 hours reading a day! :yahoo:

(But I really should exercise more.)

I get in about that much reading for pleasure a day too... in my case I'm giving up sleep as well as exercise... but one has to have priorities ;)

So by "reading for pleasure" are they counting online reading? I probably spend more than 13 minutes here most days, plus I have other news sites, blogs and forums that I read on pretty much a daily basis before we even start counting time I spend with paper media or my Kindle.

Glad you still consider reading on this site "pleasure reading". :thumbsup:

I'm not 50 yet, and I get in 2-3 hours reading a day! :yahoo:

(But I really should exercise more.)

You should spend more time writing. I finished the The Onuissance Cells and The First Expedition (and I want more of this world). And I am a just about finished with Berserker (the Kestral Voyages), and I know I am gonna want more of that.

So forget the exercise, and put the fingers to the keyboard, Mr. Jordan! :book2:

You should spend more time writing. I finished the The Onuissance Cells and The First Expedition (and I want more of this world). And I am a just about finished with Berserker (the Kestral Voyages), and I know I am gonna want more of that.

So forget the exercise, and put the fingers to the keyboard, Mr. Jordan! :book2:

Doin' that too, doin' that too. :D

Who'll need an exercise if u've taken it with your eyes, fingers, and thougts?
So forget the exercise, and put the fingers to the keyboard, Mr. Jordan!

I'm agree with you.. (lol)

Also of interest are these statistics from the same page: Americans ages 20-34 spend on average 10 minutes a day reading for pleasure. Those 35-44 spend about 13 minutes; 45-54 spend about 19 minutes; 55-64 spend about 32 minutes; and 65-74 spend about 46 minutes.

I find these statistics, as worded here, unbelievable. Surely Americans ages 20-34 spend much more than 10 minutes a day reading for pleasure--for instance, reading blogs, websites, online newspapers, emails, etc. Or does this specifically mean reading books?

I find these statistics, as worded here, unbelievable. Surely Americans ages 20-34 spend much more than 10 minutes a day reading for pleasure--for instance, reading blogs, websites, online newspapers, emails, etc. Or does this specifically mean reading books?

I suspect that this just means there is a huge range between some pleasure readers (like me, 2-3 hours a day) and others ("Pfft! I never read, man!"), and the guys like you and me are seriously outnumbered, which brings the average numbers down pretty low.