A relative of mine recently went on a job interview. She was surprised when the first question she was asked was, “How many books do you read a month?”

The fact that she was able to answer with a fairly impressive answer may have played a role in the fact that she got the job, particularly in light of a newly released Pew Research study. The study shows that almost 30% of Americans didn’t even read a single book – electronic or print – in the last year. That’s an increase of 7% in just four years! If such a trend was to continue, roughly 50% of Americans will not pick up a book in 2027… the year today’s 1st graders will graduate from high school.

Will the increasing refusal of Americans to pick up a book come back to bite our nation in the not-too-distant future?

Image Credit: MiaHayden