Surveys say more people are reading books and novels than in the good old days

Barty · 04-07-2012, 06:20 PM

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...-chart/255572/

The % of people who say they are currently reading a book/novel has gone UP through the years. Maybe we're reading more crap, there are more authors so it's harder to make money, there are fewer books that get wide attention, and "literary" books don't have the same cultural influence and cachet they used to. But it's still pretty remarkable considering all the options we now have distraction/entertainment/enlightenment.

xg4bx · 04-07-2012, 09:49 PM

even a 'bad' book is usually more entertaining and illuminating than anything you'll see at the movies, on the boob tube or in your xbox.

RainingLemur · 04-08-2012, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

even a 'bad' book is usually more entertaining and illuminating than anything you'll see at the movies, on the boob tube or in your xbox.

You mean, blowing up Alien #3,451,982 in Halo or Gears of War isn't illuminating?

Catlady · 04-08-2012, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barty

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...-chart/255572/

The % of people who say they are currently reading a book/novel has gone UP through the years. Maybe we're reading more crap, there are more authors so it's harder to make money, there are fewer books that get wide attention, and "literary" books don't have the same cultural influence and cachet they used to. But it's still pretty remarkable considering all the options we now have distraction/entertainment/enlightenment.

We also have a lot more leisure time.

Additionally, responding that one is currently reading a book is pretty meaningless. Does it mean the person has been plodding through a book for months? I think number of books read during some specific period of time would be a more interesting stat to compare over the decades.

ProfCrash · 04-08-2012, 12:36 PM

Not to mention it is less expensive to buy books today and there are many ways of getting a hold of books (bookstores, internet, library, used book stores, garage sales, sharing clubs)

DrNefario · 04-08-2012, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

even a 'bad' book is usually more entertaining and illuminating than anything you'll see at the movies, on the boob tube or in your xbox.

I don't think I agree with that, but there's no reason the many different forms can't work together. It's always quite easy to tell what's on at the cinema and what's on TV by the Kindle charts (see The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, etc).

ProfCrash · 04-08-2012, 12:53 PM

I love my Legend of Zelda. I suck at it but I love it. I have given up reading time to quest on more then one occassion.

Barty · 04-08-2012, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

even a 'bad' book is usually more entertaining and illuminating than anything you'll see at the movies, on the boob tube or in your xbox.

Hmm, I don't know about that. I think there are more good TV than ever. breaking Bad, Mad Men, In Treatment. These are a lot better written, more memorable and satisfying than many books I've read lately.

laughingdragons · 04-08-2012, 06:07 PM

For me it was how easy it got to get books with my reader that got me to reading a lot more.

Before my reader I probably read a few books a year. Now I at least read a few books a month.

JeremyR · 04-08-2012, 08:25 PM

That's kind of a strawman argument, because the golden days were really in the 1920s. Radio hurt reading, then comic books, then finally TV.

By starting at 1949, they are skewing (rather deliberately) the article

SteveEisenberg · 04-08-2012, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

even a 'bad' book is usually more entertaining and illuminating than anything you'll see at the movies, on the boob tube or in your xbox.

If we can exclude books trying to convince you that everyone with different political beliefs is a lying idiot, I'll buy that.

I don't think the internet has displaced reading books. I do think it has displaced reading newspapers.

SeaKing · 04-09-2012, 12:10 AM

Wait a minute. I like a good movie. Please note that what I call "good" may not be what you like.
Many times the movie is better than the book.

SeaKing · 04-09-2012, 12:16 AM

Further, I don't do games usually. I had a lot of real time, real life stuff that I lived through and no game I have ever seen has seemed to match that. There is always some real life, real time SAR adventure if you get bored.

That is not to say that I wouldn't look at a definitive Zombie Air War Game. Maybe that will convert me. I guess that is "turn me."

SeaKing · 04-09-2012, 12:18 AM

-- double posted ---

04-07-2012, 06:20 PM	#1
Barty doofus Posts: 2,524 Karma: 13088847 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	Surveys say more people are reading books and novels than in the good old days http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...-chart/255572/ The % of people who say they are currently reading a book/novel has gone UP through the years. Maybe we're reading more crap, there are more authors so it's harder to make money, there are fewer books that get wide attention, and "literary" books don't have the same cultural influence and cachet they used to. But it's still pretty remarkable considering all the options we now have distraction/entertainment/enlightenment.

04-09-2012, 12:18 AM	#14
SeaKing Frequent Flier Posts: 1,282 Karma: 2058993297 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab	-- double posted --- Last edited by SeaKing; 04-09-2012 at 12:22 AM.

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04-07-2012, 09:49 PM	#2
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	even a 'bad' book is usually more entertaining and illuminating than anything you'll see at the movies, on the boob tube or in your xbox.

04-08-2012, 12:36 PM	#5
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Not to mention it is less expensive to buy books today and there are many ways of getting a hold of books (bookstores, internet, library, used book stores, garage sales, sharing clubs)

04-08-2012, 12:53 PM	#7
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I love my Legend of Zelda. I suck at it but I love it. I have given up reading time to quest on more then one occassion.

04-08-2012, 06:07 PM	#9
laughingdragons Groupie Posts: 189 Karma: 1125536 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-350 1 Pink 1 Silver Paperwhite Kindle	For me it was how easy it got to get books with my reader that got me to reading a lot more. Before my reader I probably read a few books a year. Now I at least read a few books a month.

04-08-2012, 08:25 PM	#10
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	That's kind of a strawman argument, because the golden days were really in the 1920s. Radio hurt reading, then comic books, then finally TV. By starting at 1949, they are skewing (rather deliberately) the article

04-09-2012, 12:10 AM	#12
SeaKing Frequent Flier Posts: 1,282 Karma: 2058993297 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab	Wait a minute. I like a good movie. Please note that what I call "good" may not be what you like. Many times the movie is better than the book.

04-09-2012, 12:16 AM	#13
SeaKing Frequent Flier Posts: 1,282 Karma: 2058993297 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab	Further, I don't do games usually. I had a lot of real time, real life stuff that I lived through and no game I have ever seen has seemed to match that. There is always some real life, real time SAR adventure if you get bored. That is not to say that I wouldn't look at a definitive Zombie Air War Game. Maybe that will convert me. I guess that is "turn me."

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