Does anybody read books anymore?
The results of the surveys are more and more
astonishing. People don't want to read anymore. We read on screen (computer or eBook
reader). Reading on paper is no longer fashionable?
Twenty five percent
of us haven't read any single book last year, seventy five percent of us read no more than five books (probably one) per
year. Are we completely quitting reading
and writing? Can it be completely replaced by voice
systems?
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You can find out
more at:
https://www.barna.org/barna-update/culture/735-the-state-of-books-and-reading-in-a-digital-world#.VkHNbb8l9FF
There are book series that you
probably heard about, like: 'Harry
Potter’, 'The Lord of the Rings', 'A Song of Ice and Fire' (Game of Thrones), 'Star
Wars', 'Dune', most of Dan Brown's books and a lot more. What connects these books?
Probably the fact they have been adapted
into movies.
We
do not go to the library and a bookshop because we've got a bad opinion about
them. And again: "WHY?"
Pick your excuse:
"I read only what I had to"
"I don't have
time" ….
http://www.mordantorange.com/images/comics/misc/noonereads.gif
Best-selling books because of... movie adaptation?
It's 2013 r. Have you heard
about 'The Maze Runner' or 'Fifty Shades of Grey'? No?
It's 2015 again. How about now?
Fifty percent of High School
girls have read 'Fifty Shades of Grey'.They probably read the whole trilogy. What
about 'The Maze Runner'? You still haven't heard about the book? It doesn't
matter because...
http://www.tekstowo.pl/upload/soundtracks/7649_big.jpg
(old cover)
http://ecsmedia.pl/c/wiezien-labiryntu-tom-1-b-iext26441836.jpg
(new cover)
...it became a best seller anyway.
Through this
presentation, I want to motivate you to reading books. There are many excellent
books which we probably haven't heard about yet. Don't wait to see a movie. These
are a few examples:
Occupation: Witch - Olga Gromyko
Hyperion Cantos (4
books) - Dann Simmons
Gone (6 books) -
Michael Grant
Blindsight,
Echopraxia - Peter Watts
Leviathan Wakes -
James S. A. Corey
And many, many others!
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e7/0a/30/e70a30e1935e3b31e33fd1975b347582.jpg
Are you in those twenty five percent
of people who read more than five books per year?
Maybe you have your own favorite books. Is there
something worth recommending?
in my opinion, very interesting topic. Personally, I love books, I read everything that falls into my hand. I prefer printed books but sometimes finances do not allow for the purchase of such number of books which would make me satisfied, the solution to this problem are ebooks, found them on the Internet should not cause anyone a problem. Books they are the perfect way to kill time, for example in public transport.
ReplyDeleteI do not have one particularly beloved books but if someone did not read the series "The Witcher" by Andrzej Sapkowski it honestly recommend it.
PS. Do you think, like me, that the books in our country are too expensive?
Congrats... you're probably in those twenty five percent of people who read a lot.
DeleteI don't like eBooks but there are books that I can't find to buy :(
Public transport? That's the best place to read for me!
Lately books are more and more expensive (to expensive) but I'm a person who like to support artists, so I buy it anyway.
@Cezary, despite I'm not a bookworm, I agree with you. Definitely too expensive.
ReplyDeleteAs for Star Wars, none of these films was a book adaptation. Although, there are many brilliant books based in SW universe Disney could adapt and I hope they finally will.
I think I rank to the group with [1, 5] book read per year but I'm eager to change it. I already am a huge fan of Star Wars books and I'd love to finally read Tolkien's pieces, Sapkowski's The Witcher series, GoT books and Dan Brown's Langdon adventures. Like @Cezary I use eBooks mostly, due to lack of funds. Still, I look forward to extending my book collection.
@Antoni, , you're right about Star Wars, but I think that most of people who read it... read it only because they have seen a movie :)
DeleteP.S. If you a kind of person who like to buy books then antique shop is the best way to get Star Wars! Believe me. Don't waste 40zł on book. Waste 10zł and buy very rare books.
Interesting stuff you know, I mean the corelation between books and then films based on book and after this book becoming a bestseller after the movie. Maybe it's not all about not reading books but maybe about the adaptation of the book. You know for example GoT serial adaptation. The serial is very, very good. Good creation of characters, fine environment. Maybe because it's so good people would like to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI am abit of a bookworm. I have a ~40 books of Pratchett's Disc World which I recommend to everyone, it's super funny ;) and reading the book is more fun. I just like it and on the other hand I also enjoy reading from the screen, so it's not the problem. The most important thing after all is to read anyway, to expand your mind.
But yeah, books are not cheap but having a collection is also a nice thing :)
@Karol, I think that bad movie adaptation it's also advertisement for book. There are people who want to check: 'Maybe book is better than adaptation'.
DeleteBut yes! If the movie is awesome then: 'everything is awesome'. If I have to quote some lego block.
Pratchett's books? I wanted to read it, but I haven't started yet :(
@Cezary, like a hell!!
ReplyDeleteI read many books,more than 50 per year. Im reading not only in time traffic to and from home but also when i have free time. If book is excited i cant stop :). Mostly e-book is format of book i read, but sometimes books in paper format accurate to my hand too. Rather i prefer traditional paper books, they have own soul. You handle it in your hands and understand that this book has own history, especially old books.
More than 50!? We have a record-breaker over here.
DeleteYes. Paper books have its own charm/soul/you name it!
Reading books is always an interesting topic to dispute about its value.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand just reading some books, like fantasy books or crime books is just another type of entertainment and people are slowly figuring it out. What is funny, "reading adicts" often deny this fact. Reading is like playing computer games or watching tv, it's important to balance it and not overuse it. More than 50 books a year is an overuse in my opinion and should be considered some kind of addiction.
There is one argument, that book reader often repeat when telling others about why reading is so cool. It improves the quality of your language and you can train your imgination, that it's fun connected with putting your brain to work. But there are often sources of entertainment that can do it as well. It's most important to push yourself to train these language skills. Even staying for long hours in the internet while reading scientific articles and any kind of profesional literature will make your language better, even more than a casual book. And things like difficult, complex games (not the 'Flappy Bird' or 'Timberman' stuff) can also work with your imagination, make your brain work, often really hard and they often make players train even more skills. Strategic planning, making difficult decisions, training your agility - these are only some of things you can train playing complex games. There are many types of games, focused on usage of different skills, some of these games make players more tired than entertained after many hours of exposure. Sometimes you're a participant of a difficult story, like crime scenes, trying to find the murderer, being a part of story and changing it. Another time you're a commander at the battlefield, deciding where to strengthen your defences, which types of units will be most important, how to spend your resources efficiently and finally how to put your several thousands units in the proper places, for each type to attack the most vulnerable place of enemy's defences and the proper moment.
Paper books are getting old beucase new mediums of entertainment are becoming popular. These new types are training multiple skills at once and are more engaging for the users and it's a normal thing people are slowly moving to them.
@Michał, interesting point of view.
DeleteI have to add that it's much harder to train your brain in game. It depends who's playing it.
Meaning: In crime/detective game when you have to think, there are people who search the answer in the internet. People don't play play for story - just to kill some zombies. The book is all about story!
You can say that it also common in books: 'They read further and further, without understanding.'
P.S. I've got friend who's reading Agatha Christie's books (and other crime stories), and guess what! He always stopped at the very end of the book, and he didn't continue it until he figured out who the murderer is on his own.
Nowadays, reading isn't cool. Or maybe it is? Depends on your enviroment. Dumb people (yes, dumb) consider reading boring, unpopular, etc. They prefer going to have some beer or watching football match. More educated people don't care about books too much either, but they are mostly trying to pretend that they read.
ReplyDeleteWe should also consider if every book is worth reading? There are lots of literary creations, which are dull. For instance, after release of "Twilight" by S. Meyer, lots of books about teenage vampires, zombies, werewolves etc. were created. I guess they are not worth reading.
Sad thing is, our educational system successfully prevent youth from reading. They give them books like "Granica", "Dżuma" etc., and young people hate it (rightly!). Instead of giving them some interesting literature, teachers throw at them books, which are meant to represent some kind of epoque of literature. I wonder what they will give as an example of our era... Maybe Paulo Coelho or "50 Shades of Grey"? I'm too frightened to imgaine this one.
Uuu... I think that at this moment you should avoid football fans and overeducated people :)
DeleteBut '10 points for Gryffindor'! Why? Because our educational system sucks.
Did I mentioned, I haven't read any single book that was given to me from school?
School is the reason why, I haven't read books for most of my life. 'Every book is boring' - that's was my motto.
I'm surely in this 25% of readers of more than 5 books per year. Actually, I read too much, because always when I find some interesting one, there's a huge mess in my house, I don't eat, I don't sleep, I go with book everywhere. I don't consider it as something harmful, but still I'm a fan of golden mean when it comes to everything. My favourite one is always and forever 'The picture of Dorian Gray' of Oscar Wilde. I only can't understand people claiming that e-books are worse than usual ones. Come on, it's the same but much more comfortable for example when you're going on holidays and just like me you are able to read about 5 books during 2 weeks of vacation (seriously it's not easy to pack enough of books, that was my main summer problem before I got tablet with e-books).
ReplyDelete@Tomasz, good point (about eBooks)
DeleteI agree that sometimes eBooks are the simplest or even the only answer. But still, I prefer paper :)
eBooks are not worse than usual ones, they're just different. It depends on your taste and situation.
I must admit that I can not remember the last time I read a book. I mean a book with a story (I read a biography of a Polish politics three years ago). Why? Because I do not have time for this and probably never came across a book that would make me totally interested. Lying down with a book in hand and reading about the life of an imaginary character seems to me a waste of time. I'm the type of person who does not like to do something that does not bring tangible results. Another issue is a book about useful for me topics, such as programming guides. These types of publications actually affect my knowledge and ability. So why I do not belong to people who have read more than five books a year? Because the more spectacular form of learning (in my case) is watching online courses. When I see someone do something, it is more memorable than when I read about how to do it. I must admit that it is also much faster and cheaper. As far as the book is worth a command, it is a "javascript and jquery - an interactive website for everyone" Emotikon smile
ReplyDelete@Rafał, I think, I should work on you. What books did you read? I'm talking about sci-fi, fantasy, adventure or crime books?
ReplyDeleteProbably nothing good ever came into your hands. I'll find you amazing book or maybe someone else wants to recommend something for Rafał?
As a child I read every, literally every book, which fell into my hands. Some of them I can't even properly understand, but now, thanks to this, I know a lot of good books and I can back to them as many times I want. I know what books are interesting to me and can find a lot of great literature.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion we shouldn't limit ourselves to one kind of book. Someone who like sc-fi should try thriller and vice-versa. I don;t say tht every book is worth to read, but I think that every kind has something to offer to reader. Reading books expand your horizons. You can learn a lot from them.
Ofcourse now I read a lot of books too and I prefer classic paper book. Like @Oleksandr wrote - every book has its own soul.
I think, I have to agree with you. Even if the best books for me are sci-fi. I've read fantasy, crime, biographies (I couldn't read it to the end) and romance stories.
ReplyDeleteI've never returned to any book. I haven't read two thirds of my collection, so I don't waste my time on repetition.
Classic paper books - rules!
Personally, I love books. But not all genres o them. I like to read some modern literature.
ReplyDeleteI prefere ebooks, because pritned books are more expencive and heavier. Also we haven’t got a lot of time to reading a books. School, work and the other duties dealing our free time. When I was a child I was a bookwarm, but now I haen’t time for that! Of course I love books, but I’m not read a lot of them.
Yes... the lack of time! It's frustrating for me also.
DeleteI see you have chosen whats cheaper and not too heavy. I have to agree - ebooks have also a lots of advantages.
I used to read a lot, now I'm too overwhelmed by work but still it is more than 5 books per year. I cannot imagine reading even less, this 5 books is enough just like for one holidays. The benefits coming from reading are so huge, that I can't understang how anyone could reject such pleasurable way of gaining knowledge. When it comes to the children, how can they learn proper spelling without reading books? Even when it comes to the adults, it's a great way for vacabulary expansion. Still, how can they develop their cultural understanding without the knowledge of basic literature's concepts? It is essential for proper personal growth. My favourite quote concerning two main fields of my life at the same time is "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body". Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy.
ReplyDelete@Jakub, great comment! Thanks!
DeleteReading expands your horizons, allow us to better understand the world. Our vocabulary is better and we can learn about foreign countries, without leaving house!
My favorite quote: "So many books, so little time." by Frank Zappa
If so many people don't read book, why there are so many of new releases? Almost every moment new book is coming out. Every possible genre. Isn't that a paradox: less readers and more books.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK: "Sales of printed books increased during the first eight months of 2015 by 4.6 percent. (to almost 740 million pounds) compared to the same period of 2014."
In the US: "... the number of paperback books sold in the US during the first five months of 2015 rose by 8.6 percent comparing with the same period last year."
Both quotes from page: http://wyborcza.pl/1,75475,18988484,jeszcze-druk-nie-umarl-rosnie-sprzedaz-ksiazek-spada.html?disableRedirects=true
Or maybe it's just another marketing trick. "People don't read books". So go and buy them.
On the other hand when I'm reading that more than half a million polish children don't eat enough food, cause their parents don't have money to feed them properly. That 1 400 000 young people live in poorness and misery. I'm not surprised then, that so many people don't read or just can't afford reading book.
New editions of books usually appear with the film (in movie cover).
DeleteHowever, it's great article and I hope is true :)
But if it comes to my favorite publishing house: "Fabryka Słów". They doing worse and worse. There was a time when they release two books per week. Now, it's not worth talking. They stopped to publish the series that I read. I think I'll order English versions because I don't want to wait until they resume publishing.
You don't have to buy everything. You can go to the library or download ebook.
Currently I read 1-3 books per year. In middle School I read rarely read something else than obligatory books. Our edu system is here guilty for this situation. Reading books like "Cierpienia młodego Wertera" causes many WTF?! per minute in the reading room xD. What Do you think, how many poeple will be reading books after reading such crappy ones?
ReplyDeleteI have another question for you. Do you think reading e-books isn't reading a books? Why?
This is only an other form where the text is stored. A few thousands years ago it would be papyrus :P E-books are better becouse you can take hundreds of books saved in a device that weight only 300 grams.
And now something about films. It takes only about 2 hours to watch a film and we know after about 20 minutes if it's worth watching on. Reading a book takes sometimes days and you know if the book is good maybe after 3 hours ;)
I personaly have now a big list of books to read. But I am waiting for free time like winter holidays.
PS. this chart is about American people, not Polish ;)
"Do you think reading e-books isn't reading books? Why?"
DeleteThis should be this. I didn't amend this line :(
"Cierpienia młodego Wertera"... :(
DeleteI hate those kind of books. Because of our education system, I wasn't able to force myself to read anything. Fortunately, this has changed. Thanks to one man, who gave me "Harry Potter". That was my first book.
"Do you think reading e-books isn't reading books? Why?"
Did you meant that, no matter what the medium is (papyrus, rock, paper, pdf) it still a book! Yes, the way of storing tekst, shouldn't matter. Because while you're reading, you're in completely different world, and that is amazing!
I don't read many books, but I think I read more then 5 per year.
ReplyDeleteI like fantasy books, especially Tolkien's books.
Yes! Tolkien!
DeleteI want to read Silmarillion, but I've got 3 others books to read till next year.
For years it is known that the majority of Poles don't read books. It is staggering figures. Reading books develops our imagination and broadens knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that most people are too lazy and they choose to watch a movie.
Personally, I like to read books. Most often I read when I have to wait for something or when I use public transport. Also I read for 15-30 minutes before bedtime. I always choose the paper versions of books. It is a pity that books in Poland are so expensive, especially books with specialized areas of science.
Yes! As I said before: "public transport - best wasted time"
DeleteNext person who prefer paper? Strange among the IT specialists.
Expensive books. My answer is Antique Shop! Great solution, believe me!
But if we have to speak about specialized areas of science, then ebooks...
When i was a child i liked reading books , but now i can say , that i don't remember when I read something ,of my own accord with omitting reading about programming in java. I am a person who likes to spend time actively , so reading and lying on the bed isn't for me
ReplyDeleteSpending time actively? That probably missing in lives of bookworms :)
DeleteWe should be able to maintain the balance between it all. But sometimes it's really hard.
Unfortunately not. I liked to read books, but through the lack of time, constant duties, is little time for the reading. Fact, it is not an excuse because always possible to find the time, but I prefer read in the Internet.
ReplyDeleteWhether I can recommend something...? it is a lot of interesting e.g. "Desert flower".
Duties :(
DeleteConclusion: people don't read because of school. Funny, isn't it?
I'll check "Desert flower"
I always liked to read books. I have a lot of time while traveling by bus to PJATK ;). Generaly people don't read books because of lack of time. Another reason is discouraging to reading by teachers, because they are forcing us to read mostly boring and uninterestng books.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have a big plus for mentioning hypernion series by Dann Simmons :)
The journey to school takes me over an hour. Recently, that's the only moment when I can read.
DeleteWho choosing what we have to read (creates a system of education). Probably people who don't read. That's the only explanation.
Dan Simmons - that's genius!!!
I haven't read " The Rise of Endymion" yet. Why? I want to read on paper but it's too heavy to take it to Warsaw. I have to wait on holidays :)
I still read a book when i have free time, on pros is that i have library near my house. I only heard about Dann Simmons, but i will check the other guys. People don't read books beacuse technology in smartpone is more interesting for them than in books.
ReplyDeleteI'm the single guy who doesn't read anything. I don't know, maybe it's because of school and the fact that they force everyone to read so-called "lectures", people are simply discouraged to read anything so badly that I'm not even shocked from the results. I think we'll see only decrease in the amount of readers, not increase, people tend to choose watching movie or browsing internet rather than reading a book.
ReplyDeleteI’m definitely among those who read more than 5 books per year. Recently, I got keen on reading biographies as they are very informative. And programming requires me to look up many items in books ;).
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOk... I see that most of us, read books. Good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for comment!
At the end of discussion, I have to add: I love movies and TV series (not polish), and when I see a movie, I often think "Is there a book?"