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Theunicornhunter

Fewer Noses Stuck In Books In America, Survey Find

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...Among its findings are that fewer than half of Americans over 18 now read novels, short stories, plays or poetry; that the consumer pool for books of all kinds has diminished; and that the pace at which the nation is losing readers, especially young readers, is quickening. In addition it finds that the downward trend holds in virtually all demographic areas.

 

This is from the NY times - full article NY Times

 

One problem I have with the article is that it emphasizes fiction - I read mostly non-fiction. And when I read fiction it is usually to dig into a classic I may have missed. IMO (and just my opinion) a lot of contemporary fiction is shallow - maybe watery is the word as skim milk is watery compared to whole milk.

 

I know there are still good writers but they are hard to find among all the pretenders at times. Even contemporary scifi seems to rely more on shock and circumstance as opposed to well crafted plot (maybe I've just picked up the wrong books :picard-sith: )

 

Anyway, why do you think reading is in decline (naw....the internet doesn't have anything to do with it)

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Because they're marketed to sell as many copies as possible and publishers have no concern for quality as long as it sells. It's the same reason music, TV, movies and culture in general are in decline. These media have become the Soma of the 21st century, keeping the masses either passively entertained or locked in their rooms in fear and happy with what they've got, but still wanting so much more.

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It is kinda' sad, isn't it?

 

Reading could be on the decline because people just don't have time. I read frequently, and I always have a book I'm working on, but a lot of the time I find that I don't have any time to read. Either that or I'm too tired to read. Reading takes work. And it's so much easier for people just to sit in front of the TV after a long day and watch whatever drivel is on and not have to think about it. Plus it doesn't take up a lot of time. You can sit and read for half an hour and only read a few chapters, or you can sit and watch TV for half an hour and finish an entire show. I think it's a combination of these two.

 

But in Star Trek times, it seems that books have made a return. A lot of the characters certainly seem well-read. ^-^

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I'm sorry UH but I think the internet does have alot to do with it. I read far less now than I ever did. If you discount that as a reason, I think that is just your opinion and not a fact. Of course I do write alot more now than I did before. I have been working on a book for four years, non-fiction, writing it, not reading it :picard-sith: I find I'm spending more time on the internet than I ever did and am writing less than I ever did also, on the book I mean. I do write alot on here. And I correspond more now than I did before by handwritten letters. You can't make a blanket statement like that and think it's 100% correct. Maybe in your case it is but you can't possibly speak for everyone.

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Obviously these people haven't encountered a good fiction novel. Actually, i wouldn't be too surprised if this was the same for reading books in general, for the reasons previously stated. But it would help if book lists had TRUELY good ones shown, not the half-hearted attempts i notice sometimes.

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I'm sorry UH but I think the internet does have alot to do with it.

I'm sorry Jeanway - I was making a sarcastic statement - I thought the use of the word "naw" would make that clear.

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I Have A Different Book For Every Day Of The Week, Though I Don't Always Get Around To Reading Them, But I Try.

 

Sunday Is For Books Based On Movies & Vice Versa.

 

Monday Is For Books Based On Comic Books

 

Tuesday Is For Star Wars

 

Wednesday Is For Aliens & Predator

 

Thursday Is For Star Trek

 

Friday Is For Autobiographies

 

Saturday Is For Just Whatever

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I still read a lot, but I don't purches as many books as I did before. I agree with Red Shirt Volunteer that the quality has gone way down. It is very difficult to find a good book that is written in the last 10 years or more.

Edited by Odie

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I agree with Jeanway and TUH that the internet is a big cause of the decline in reading books. However, that is NOT necessarily a bad thing.

 

Do you realize how many great works of literature can be found on the internet? For example, you could read the entire works of Mark Twain without ever cracking open a book.

 

In addition, have you ever read any of the other fictional literature available on the internet? I am not talking about famous authors, just stories from regular people who write. While there is plenty of "trash", there are also some surprisingly good stories. And the stories are available in ANY genre you might want to read.

 

For those of you not into fiction, there is plenty of excellent non-fiction. There are news sites, editorial sites, and plenty of informational sites on every topic under the sun (and some beyond the sun :rofl: ).

 

IMO, the internet is the best thing to happen to our culture since the invention of the printing press. If the internet makes books obsolete, I will not shed a tear.

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IMO, the internet is the best thing to happen to our culture since the invention of the printing press. If the internet makes books obsolete, I will not shed a tear.

So will the bathrooms of the future have internet console's installed otherwise there always be a need for magazines and newspapers. :rofl:

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IMO, the internet is the best thing to happen to our culture since the invention of the printing press. If the internet makes books obsolete, I will not shed a tear.

So will the bathrooms of the future have internet console's installed otherwise there always be a need for magazines and newspapers. :rofl:

LOL :rofl:

 

Ha Ha :bow:

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I love books espically fantasy. I think the main reason people dont read anymore is because of to much empasisim on sports at a young age. Heck I was the nerd of the class in god school because I did not go to sports camps but yet I was able to finsh a book in a matter of hours. In high school most people are concerned about sports and stuff like it that they arent concerend about reading.

 

I also blame or fast pace society, see I live in wisconsin so most of the time everything is s...l...o...w, while everybody is runing around trying to make money we just sit around read and do other stuff.

 

But w/e I could be wrong as always.

 

*this post was not made to be bashed*

 

*this post was not spelled checked. Grammer police be afraid*

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I also blame or fast pace society, see I live in wisconsin so most of the time everything is s...l...o...w, while everybody is runing around trying to make money we just sit around read and do other stuff.

there might be something to that, I've read that as a culture we're becoming programmed to expect immediate results. We have very limited patience.

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I also blame or fast pace society, see I live in wisconsin so most of the time everything is s...l...o...w, while everybody is runing around trying to make money we just sit around read and do other stuff.

there might be something to that, I've read that as a culture we're becoming programmed to expect immediate results. We have very limited patience.

o my god some one understands what im saying.

 

Well I haft to agree with the culture thingy god when I used to play on my computer I would wait like and hour before I got enougth resources or units, but now I cheat all the time. Its all because of our society, heck I freek out when I cant find a source for a paper the first time on the internet I snap.

 

But anyways I want to read all the time but I need a new fantasy book.

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But anyways I want to read all the time but I need a new fantasy book.

Have you tried the Xanth series by Piers Anthony? I've read the first three books and it's pretty good. It's set in the magical land of Xanth and is fraught with dragons, mythical creatures, magical talents, magicians, and puns. It's amazing how many puns there are in these books, and it gives them a very humorous side. The stories are good, and if you like fantasy, you'll like this series. The first book is A Spell For Chameleon.

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