Below are some fun and surprising stats that answer the below questions:
- How many books per year do people read (kids, teens, adults, & Bill Gates)?
- How fast can a person read with good comprehension?
- What are the scientific benefits to reading?
- So, what does this mean to you?
How many books do people read?
- Kids aged 6-8 read on average 19 books during the summer holidays
- Children aged 15-17 only read 2 books during their summer holidays
- 1 in 3 adults have stopped reading; they read zero (0) books (digital or physical)
- Our surveys of successful business leaders show they read on average 1 book per month
- Bill Gates reads 50 books a year
- 88 percent of high net worth people “devote thirty minutes or more each day to self-education or self-improvement reading”
How fast can a person read?
- The average person reads 200 – 250 words per minute
- The average college student reads around 300 words per minute
- The average person has about a 70% comprehension/retention rate
- A speed reading course helps people take reading speeds to 300-700 words per minute (typically a 50%-150% increase)
- The Guinness World Record holder can read 80,000 words per minute with 100% comprehension, her name is Maria Calderon from the Philippines (the previous world record was 25,000 words per minute)
What are scientific benefits to reading?
- Reading can reduce stress levels by a whopping 68%
- Reading is clinically shown to help you relax
- Reading could help reduce mental decline in old age by up to 32%
- Reading fiction makes you a better decision-maker
- Reading drastically increases emotional intelligence, imagination, and creativity
- Reading is one of the most effective ways to gain and apply new knowledge
- Reading is the most effective way to build your vocabulary (children – and adults – who read at least 20 minutes a day are exposed to almost 2 million words per year)
So what does this mean to you?
- Read books!
- See if you can read at least one book per month, on average, this year
- Read nonfiction and fiction (keep it fun, engaging, and creative!)
- Perhaps take a speed reading course to up your reading rate and comprehension
- Read books that will make you a better person and inspire you
- Join a book club
- Start a book club!
- Check with your mentors and inspirational people you follow to see if they have a “recommended book list” – most do!
- And of course, read Do What Matters Most, Start with The Vision, and Becoming Your Best!
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates loot on treasure island.” -Walt Disney
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