Comments on: Books in the United States http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/ Part of the problem since 1976 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:48:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Illiterate America at JONTILLMAN.COM http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-1361 Illiterate America at JONTILLMAN.COM Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:44:13 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-1361 [...] feed. If you don't you might miss out on the Diversions! Thanks for visiting! Previously I posted some statistics about reading in America and how little of it actually went on. Another post referencing those [...] [...] feed. If you don’t you might miss out on the Diversions! Thanks for visiting! Previously I posted some statistics about reading in America and how little of it actually went on. Another post referencing those [...]

]]> By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-533 Jon Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:51:12 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-533 I really have no idea what would change the sorry state of literacy in the States, or anywhere else in the English speaking world (it seems Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK all have the same dismal stats). You could probably make a case that the slow death of liberal education in the West is responsible. I bet literacy and book-use rates declined right along with Latin instruction and rote poetry memorization. The sad fact is that education in the US is slanted (to a ridiculous degree) towards only those facts, subjects, and processes that will have direct and immediate use in earning money, and face, reading, especially reading deeply, is not a saleable skill. I really have no idea what would change the sorry state of literacy in the States, or anywhere else in the English speaking world (it seems Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK all have the same dismal stats).

You could probably make a case that the slow death of liberal education in the West is responsible. I bet literacy and book-use rates declined right along with Latin instruction and rote poetry memorization.

The sad fact is that education in the US is slanted (to a ridiculous degree) towards only those facts, subjects, and processes that will have direct and immediate use in earning money, and face, reading, especially reading deeply, is not a saleable skill.

]]> By: Kim S. Robinson http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-529 Kim S. Robinson Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:46:31 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-529 These statistics make me want to cry-- books have transformed the world I live in, metaphorised the person I was. As a nation, we need to change this--before it's too late! How can I help? These statistics make me want to cry– books have transformed the world I live in, metaphorised the person I was. As a nation, we need to change this–before it’s too late! How can I help?

]]> By: Thirteen Lessons In A Year at JONTILLMAN.COM http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-444 Thirteen Lessons In A Year at JONTILLMAN.COM Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:40:27 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/10/books-in-the-united-states/#comment-444 [...] Americans Don’t Read Much:And the majority of what they do read is paperback trash. [...] [...] Americans Don’t Read Much:And the majority of what they do read is paperback trash. [...]

]]>