Even More on Reading in America

NPR chimes in on the Reading in America debate with this piece on why women read more than men.

I take it for granted that women do read more than men, but every time I see one of these studies, the numbers still astound me.

When it comes to fiction, the gender gap is at its widest. Men account for only 20 percent of the fiction market, according to surveys conducted in the U.S., Canada and Britain.

Which is a pretty big gap. And why is there such a gap?

Theories attempting to explain the “fiction gap” abound. Cognitive psychologists have found that women are more empathetic than men, and possess a greater emotional range—traits that make fiction more appealing to them.

Some experts see the genesis of the “fiction gap” in early childhood. At a young age, girls can sit still for much longer periods of time than boys, says Louann Brizendine, author of The Female Brain.

NPR with the hard-hitting facts . . . or vague opinioned beliefs. Or something. Damn it NPR, why do you always let me down? I think the real problem is we’re all too busy reading these articles—or listening to NPR—to actually read a novel . . .