We live in a strange cultural moment: books have never been more accessible, yet reading has never been more neglected. National surveys show a steep, decades-long decline in reading for pleasure, with some reports estimating a nearly 40 percent drop in daily leisure reading over the past twenty years. Another study from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences found that the percentage of adults who read at least one book outside of work each year has fallen steadily as well. These numbers confirm what many already feel in their own lives: people who once devoured novels now struggle to finish a chapter, and countless purchased books remain untouched. The question isn’t whether reading has declined—but why.
