We've all progressed this century past the blind claims that women and men are the same. And, fortunately, we've also passed the naive claims that one gender is better than the other. We each bring our own strengths and weaknesses, but none can successfully claim superiority.
Now suppose we shine the light on differences between the sexes with regard to book reading? We pick up some more interesting results from a recent survey that asks various educated people what book had changed their lives. Top-20 lists were produced as well as some very interesting facts presented in
By The Numbers:
- No male authors made the women's top five, and no female authors made the men's top five.
- Only four books made both top 20 lists.
- Six male authors broke the women's top 20, but only one book by a female author made the men's top 20: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
- Older men were more likely to cite female authors as influential.
- Men were most likely to have read their formative books as adolescents.
- Women were more likely to read books to cope with difficult times.
- Men were more likely to cite particular authors as "mentors," particularly, among these British residents, George Orwell.
- Women liked shared, hand-me-down books; men liked new books and hardbacks.
- Women had a more diverse list of favorites — 400 women named 200 books.
- Men answered the question of what book marked a watershed moment more reluctantly than women.
Unfortunately, there's no word yet about which sex likes e-books better... any ideas?
Via
LisNews.