Capital In the Twenty-First Century tops Amazon charts

Professor Thomas Piketty'sCapital In the Twenty-First Century has stormed Amazon, and is currently sitting at the top of the book giant's bestseller list.

We thought we caught a sense of something unique when sniffing the ether for the French academic's new work; now it seems that our initial thoughts were fairly sensible.

The 696 page title, released last month, deals with the central issue of economic inequality. And it is, Ryan Cooper of The Week believes:

...a brilliant, surprisingly readable work that synthesizes a staggering amount of careful research to make the case that income inequality is no accident.

Obviously some interest in economics will be needed to consider purchasing the title, but Capital has so far managed to impress critical reviewers and many readers with its unique and striking approach to capitalism and the inequality around us.

Admittedly, we're not particularly economically minded - indeed we're looking forward to reading the book ourselves! -  so here's Prof. Piketty explaining the title far better than we ever could.

The Young Atheist's Handbook sent to schools

Free copies of The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God have been sent to every school in England and Wales by The British Humanist Association (BHA). The news, which first emerged in the TES, comes at a time when the former Archbishop of Canterbury has called Britain 'Post-Christian', as the debate about British religious sensibilities drives on.

The Young Atheist's Handbook was written by Alom Shaha, a science teacher, who relays his story as a child growing up in a strict Muslim community in SE London.  It's description tells:

Shaha recounts how his education and formative experiences led him to question how to live without being tied to what his parents, priests, or teachers told him to believe...

The report suggest the idea is inspired by Michael Gove's 2011 decision  to send copies of the King Jame Bible to schools - marking the book's 400th anniversary. Yet the idea clearly carries a significant additional point.

BHA's Sara Passmore has said the organisation wants to provide a "bit of balance", and that, "Alom's book will help schools to be places where pupils can encounter the broad rangeof religious and non-religious worldviews in modern Britain.”

We can't help but think that healthy representation of British religious and non-religious beliefs within schools is fair regardless of belief. Yet Trevor Cooling, professor of Christian Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, told the TES he thought the sending of the book was unnecessary:

The evidence suggests that most children’s understanding of science is already largely atheistic. The BHA itself says that most children have non-religious beliefs, so why do they feel it is so important to send out this book?

The BHA's chief executive, Andrew Copson, explained his thoughts about the decision by saying title could help young people "think critically about the world around them", while making it clear it is "possible to live a compassionate, fulfilling, and meaningful life without God or religion.

Save Kew Bookshop petition launched

We're not the first to break this news, but we'd urge all readers to consider signing the Kew Bookshop petition. The petition was started, with a deadline of June 1st, after landlords submitted planning permission to demolish the "beautiful century-old wooden" property, and replace it with a two-level brick structure.

A report by The Bookseller tells that Isla Dawes, the shop owner, strongly rejects the terms of the planning permission:

 “The applicant has made a case that the present building is not fit for purpose, but this is not true, and all this building needs is to be re-clad in wood and it would be fit for purpose for a further 100 years without destroying its character and with it the character of Kew Village.”

We're not ones to stand in the way of genuine, well-considered progress. But the shop, which currently does business to the tune of £300,000 per year through retail, is fighting fit in terms of its business.

Further, unsympathetic demolishing of a century-old building could be argued to show a lack of interest in heritage while setting a dangerous precedent.

And what if the plans were to go ahead? Dawes tells that she wouldn't be able to afford the rent of the new property and would be forced to close the shop. With independent stores across the country closing due to ailing enterprise, what sense to close one that is going strong?

The petition reads, "Before long, only the big chains and estate agents who can afford the high rents will move into Kew, destroying its village character for ever."

We firmly believe bookshops are more than buildings. And when the buildings are as well-regarded and long-standing as Kew Bookshop, we stand fully supportive. In fact, we've already signed the petition.

Win a signed copy of Heather Reyes 'An Everywhere'

Because it's Tuesday, and because we have a wonderful prize from the fine folks at Oxygen Books, here's our first competition. We're giving away a signed copy of Heather Reyes wonderful ' An Everywhere: a little book about reading'.

It's an inspiring book which delights in highlighting the joy to be found in books - even during the toughest of times.

Helen Dunmore, winner of the Orange Prize says of it:

I have so much enjoyed An Everywhere. It is a brilliant travel guide to the city of books: the city we hold within us, and the one we share with all its other citizens.

Reading it ourselves we couldn't agree more.

To be in with a chance of winning, write a paragraph on the most memorable journey a book has taken you on (real or otherwise), and send it over to us at wordsandmatter [at] gmail [dot] com.

We'll pick the winner from all entries by the end of Thursday, and hope to have the prize delivered by the weekend!

Ebury acquires Steve Davis autobiography

The autobiography of snooker player Steve Davis will be available in 2015, and published by Ebury, The Bookseller has reported. The sportsman is no stranger to seeing his name in print, and actually quite the deadpan character - in spite of the accepted view of his being one of British sport's less exciting personalities.

The London-born veteran of the snooker circuit has been known as "Interesting"  and the "Romford Robot" in his 36 years on the felt. But Ebury's deputy publisher, Andrew Goodfellow, is looking forward to producing a book rich on insight, and knows the man himself his well worthy of the deal.

“Steve, the man behind the ‘boring’ tag, has actually always been the sport’s smartest, sharpest and wittiest man – I’m thrilled to have him on board. He’s a bona fide sporting legend and I think his autobiography could become the defining book on snooker.”

In what is set to be both a key title about the world of snooker - and the definitive story of Davis himself - snooker and sports fans are likely to find an engaging and telling read.

Davis himself has said he is "excited" to be working with Ebury, although we're assuming his promise to reveal "what sort of chalk I was using in the '80s", as well as delivering, "a rollercoaster of unemotional analysis" won't be part of the marketing drive.

The book is expected in the Spring of 2015, to coincide with the Snooker World Championship.

Chris Hadfield: an author with global vision

Stephen King has written that books are a "uniquely portable magic". Yet some books force us to redefine the type and level of the magic which lay within their pages. Broadening horizons, educating and entertaining, the very best books bring us something unique. A magic to be taken with us, and a glow to last long after.

Ordinarily, perhaps historically, the news that the former Commander of the International Space Station was to publish a second book might excite a decent amount of people. It might not necessarily grab the attention some would feel such news deserves.

Yet the announcement that the former Commander Chris Hadfield is to publish his second book is most certainly attracting attention.

Hatfield, now retired, achieved his dreams and probably more than he ever dreamed about. As a boy he watched the moon landing and wanted nothing more than to following in the footsteps of his heroes. He joined the Canadian astronaut program in 1992 and flew into space aboard the STS-75 shuttle three years later.

In April 2001 he first visited the International Space Station, embarking on a space-walk to help install the 'Canadarm2' - a crucial bit of equipment for logistical and maintenance operations, otherwise known as the Mobile Servicing System.

As if to better enhance and brighten his later glorious views of Earth and space from orbit, he suffered a problem. While working to attach the Canadarm2 Hadfield went temporarily blind. In both eyes. Due to an anti-fogging agent Hadfield temporarily lost his sight while on a space-walk. It sounds absolutely terrifying, although he has recently said such issues are prepared for in training.

Twelve years later Hadfield would see beauty and capture imaginations on a global scale, sharing pictures of his views from space with us on Earth. Having joined the ISS on expedition 34 in December 2012, he became Commander of the Station in March 2013.

Clearly things are just a bit more eye-catching from space, and Hadfield made full artistic use of his time:

Naturally, space provides a simply astounding view on things; something the former Commander has conveyed wonderfully since his return to Earth:

"It's an entirely different perspective, you're not looking up at the universe...you and the Earth are going through the universe together.

And you're holding on with one hand, looking at the world turn beside you.

It's...roaring silently with colour and texture as it pours by just mesmersingly next to you."

It's that colour and texture, shown through the many beautiful images posted to his Twitter profile, which have captured the attention of millions. Pictures of deserts, lakes, cities and fault lines shown as only an astronaut sees them. Yes, space is different. "You see a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes", Hadfield told the audience at a TedX talk.

Some of what he's seen - in many photos the world has yet to - will make it into his second book, You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes. The title will be the follow up to 2013's An Astronaut's Guide To Life.

Pan Macmillan's Jon Butler imprint has acquired UK and commonwealth rights and, just as King wrote, we can expect some "uniquely portable magic". Perhaps magic like no other. The book will feature stunning images, as well as engaging and - hopefully - captivating commentary.

Now unfortunately Chris Hadfield was unavailable for comment for this feature. Because we didn't even try to get hold of him.

We know he's busy in any case. After all, he has a lot of exquisite and awe-inspiring images to work through.

Pelican Flies Again

Penguin Random House has seen fit to let the iconic Pelican imprint fly once more, as the above short video neatly tells.

Founded in 1937, Pelican was (and still is) renowned for delivering intelligent non-fiction works at smart prices. Its founder, Allen Lane, put this perfectly writing:

 ‘We…believed in the existence in this country of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low price, and staked everything on it.’

We believe in it too, and it's great to see Pelican returning on May 1st after an absence of 30 years.

Initially there will be five titles on offer, and topics include Economics, Revolutionary Russia, Human Evolution and The Domesticated Brain.

£7.99 is the - quite reasonable - price for each. Yet for those wanting a better bargain, Waterstones has a pre-order code here which cuts the price by £2. Not bad at all!

Unpublished Garcia Marquez manuscript revealed

The late Gabriel Garcia Marquez left an unpublished novel featuring themes not dissimilar to his most-loved works, it has been revealed. The Colombian writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature died on the 17th of April. He stopped writing in 2004, and the unpublished manuscript, En Agosto Nos Vemos ("We'll See Each Other in August"), was completed around that time.

Garcia Marquez biographer, Gerald Martin, says the new work isn't wholly unexpected, but has changed quite a bit since he was made aware of it:

"The last time I talked to Gabo about this story it was a stand-alone which he was going to include in a book with three similar but independent stories. Now they're talking about a series of episodes in which the woman turns up and has a different adventure each year."

It really does seems the writer was busier in his final writing years than most had thought, shaping We'll See Each Other in August into a fuller body of work - and one which ponders the themes of secret lives, love and eroticism which Garcia Marquez' so masterfully handled.

It would of course be wonderful to have another of the writer's works available, but whether we'll get to see the novel in print is currently undecided.

The decision to not publish it was made by Garcia Marquez himself, and any decision to make it available would now be one for the writer's family. Speaking to the Huffington Post, Cristobal Pera of Penguin Random House Mexico's said such a decision was yet to be made.

For now then, we only have an excerpt from the manuscript - printed in Spain's La Vanguardia newspaper.

It introduces us to a woman in her 50s. The lady makes annual visits to her mother's grave on a tropical island where, each year she has adventures. In the excerpt, which may be the first chapter, the lady has an affair with a man of similar age at the hotel in which she is staying.

Unfortunately, the chapter is only published in Spanish (found here). Non-Spanish speakers might get a functional sense of the story with in-browser translation. But who wants functional? We'd rather (hopefully) wait for an full English language version.

Orchard Books team with National Literacy Trust for school challenge

Orchard Books has joined forces with the National Literacy Trust to deliver 30,000 books to children in the UK through a reading challenge.

The admirable challenge will see around 5,000 children receiving Orchard's highly popular Rainbow Magic or Beast Quest series, and achieve points for progress in reading through their given series.

In a clever 'gamification' approach to reading, points are awarded to children who carry out ten minute challenges - at home and at school - in an effort to complete their books and clock up 11.5 hours  of reading.

To help encourage progress, teachers are to be supplied with wall reading maps, reading logs and challenge certificates - all of which, we're sure are highly useful tools.

To reward those achieving series completion, a chance to win prizes and a visit from a series character is on offer, along with - one of our favourite things - book vouchers.

Susie Musgrove of the NLT believes: "the challenges provide teachers with a platform for encouraging children to read for pleasure – something we know is hugely important for future achievement.”

We loved reading at school, and we couldn't agree more.

Pussy Riot member joins campaign to reverse prison book ban

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian punk rock band  Pussy Riot has given heartfelt support to the campaign looking to overturn a policy banning books for UK prisoners.

Tolokonnikova is among several new international artists supporting the English PEN and Howard League for Penal Reform backed campaign, and has written strongly of her own experiences of incarceration.

Three members of the band were imprisoned in 2012 over charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". And Tolokonnikova tells how her 21 month period behind bars was enlivened by her access to books:

Books make up your entire world when you are a prisoner. Because you have books you know that every day you spend behind bars is not a day spent in vain.

In a letter posted on the English PEN website, Tolokonnikova also writes, "Prison is probably one of the most text-centric places in this, our contemporary reality."

The campaign has fostered international support from Europe, Africa and South-east Asia, and among those joining the campaign is Belarusian journalist Iryna Khalip.

Khalip was detained and charged for organising protests against the  Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, following his 2010 re-election. She has likened a lack of books to a lack of air.

WhenI was arrested and brought to a prison cell I noticed almost automatically that there were books on one of the shelves...‘It’s possible to live here,’  I thought,  ‘there is something to read.’

Khalip adds in her letter that in prison books "become the air. Your body needs air to breathe. No books — you cannot breathe. And if you cannot breathe there is no life."

To find out more about the campiagn to overturn a ban on books in British prisons, visit English PEN's website, here.

Cloud Atlas author offers interactive clues for new novel

We're not going to say much here except to say we think the below visual offering from Cloud Atlas author, David Mitchell is brilliant. What we have is an interactive teaser 'cover' for the author's September 2nd novel The Bone Clocks.

The book is described as a 'metaphysical thriller' - following themes of time and space Mitchell is clearly fond of exploring. Readers will witness the life of Holly Sykes through her years, backdropped against exhausting European oil supplies.

Intriguingly Holly is an "unwitting player in a murderous feud played out in the shadows and margins of our world."

More about The Bone Clocks can be found here. Otherwise, have a click away below.

Writer dubs World Book Night "World Bollocks Night"

Tomorrow's World Book Night is ruffling  feathers, with For Books' Sake's Beulah Devaney lambasting the event's organisers - the Reading Agency - for a lack of titles by female authors. This years WBN event has cast its focus on engaging male readers, following a study reporting 63% of men hardly read. The way that focus is being applied is by having 14 of this year's 20 WBN titles from male authors.

In a piece definitely worth viewing, the decision has brought Devaney to write:

Basically, they’ve decided the best way to get men reading more is to reinforce the idea that men should only read books by male authors.

The balance of the comment may be questioned, but it again raises the issue of gender stereotypes, reading preferences and 'relevant content'; topics brought to the fore recently as author and illustrator Jonathan Emmett voiced views on feminine influence in the book industry.

For our part, we're fairly sure that men aren't only interested in reading the works of male authors. Yet in a situation where many men in the UK don't read much (if at all) might it be plausible that new readers - rightly or wrongly - are swayed by the gender of the author as one of several factors?

And if that author is of the same gender as the reader surely it doesn't necessarily follow that all future reading will be of same-gender authors.

Ultimately, whether the Reading Agency's approach is justified - or will be effective - is up for debate. It's probably even quite hard to quantify.

Devaney though clearly feels strongly about the situation. In her view, "WBN are reinforcing the gender divide between men and women readers", and "doing more of what’s already been shown not to work".

What do you think?

A Manly Triumph: Poems That Make Grown Men Cry

Poems That Make Grown Men Cry is misting eyes for all the right reasons, having entered The Sunday Times' bestseller list at number two. The anthology - published by Simon and Schuster, and edited by Anthony and Ben Holden - looks at 100 men and the poems which move them to tears.

"Grown men aren't supposed to cry', reads the description, "But in this fascinating anthology, one hundred men - distinguished in literature and film, science and architecture, theatre and human rights - confess to being moved to tears by poems that haunt them."

Those men include Stephen Fry, Daniel Radcliffe, Salman Rushdie and J.J Abrams, with the anthology providing an insight into the impact of emotive writing on famous male readers.

The title might also offer a shot in the arm for the wider male readership. After all, at time when most men aren't reading, the warming reception of Poems That Make Grown Men Cry is as promising as it is potentially triumphant.

Sales of the anthology may not, of course, be solely down to male readers. Yet the title clearly demonstrates that men can feel connected to writing in a way not typically promoted.

And honestly, with emotional health an important facet of modern living, it's encouraging to see such a book providing and inspiring a less-seen view.

George R.R. Martin offers World of Ice and Fire sample

George R.R. Martin, author of the ASong of Ice and Fire series - which American network HBO commissioned as 'Game of Thrones' - has provided a sample of his new book. The World of Ice and Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones, is set to be released in October 2014, with the author posting a generous extract on his website.

The extract isn't easy to find - that's our excuse for not seeing it sooner - but includes a history of the Targaryen king Aegon the Conqueror. Aegon, as Martin fans will know, is a figure often referenced in the author's richly imagined world. Westerosi history recounts 'The Conquest' as Aegon's defining triumph in uniting six of the seven realms under his rule.

In creating the book, being referred to as a companion to his previous works (as well as to the Game of Thrones TV series), Martin has had quite the project on his hands. As the book's pre-release Amazon page offers:

If the past is prologue, then George R. R. Martin’s masterwork—the most inventive and entertaining fantasy saga of our time—warrants one hell of an introduction.

It would be hard to put it better, as Martin looks to offer a comprehensive and detailed history of his world in around 400 pages. Still, the author's UK publisher, Jane Johnson, clearly feels that at least 'comprehensive and detailed' has been achieved. Ms Johnson posted on Twitter last week:

#amreading George RR Martin's World of Ice & Fire, the history of Essos and Westeros. It's fan-bloody-tastic, and coming soon.

The October release should quench some of the thirst for those eagerly awaiting the sixth A Song of Ice and Fire title. There is currently no projected publishing date for the next installment, The Winds of Winter, with Ms Johnson suggesting in January it"almost certainly" wouldn't be published before 2015.

Happily though, we do already have an excerpt from the title to peek at.

And we now also have a Martin book coming this year!

Boys not reading because women are "gatekeepers" to children's books

Author and illustrator Jonathan Emmett has added his thoughts to the conversation about why boys (and later, men) don't read. And, with a view guaranteed to carry the debate further, he believes it's due to female influence.

In comments offered to the The Times, Emmett believes that there isn't enough to hold young boys interest in books, with one of the key reasons being that the the "industry is dominated by female gatekeepers".

To illustrate his point - and referencing the known gap in literacy levels between girls and boys - Emmett looked at 450 reviews of children's books in national papers. He found that while men wrote 47% of picture books, 87% of reviewers were women.

Of course reviewers may be employed in such roles for their balance and appreciation of readers' likes, yet Emmett draws on further examples to add weight to his view.

He tells how just two of the 50 editors he has worked with have been men, and how he feels that has directly affected his own work in, "The number of times I have tried to get technical information into a book and it is deemed inappropriate."

Emmett also offers comment on the content which makes it into published titles. Titles which are then bought by a group which - according to an unnamed publisher - is 95% women.

'Mums and grans buy books - that’s what’s driving the market. They read the book also and then there’s a tendency for the book to reflect their tastes as well. So there may be a pirate but that pirate will not be engaged in a battle.'

In views which touch upon ideas of stereotypical gender interests, and which claim that "boys and girls with 'boy-typical' tastes", prefer the content of computer games, Emmett admits his opinions aren't easy to present.

"It is a really difficult argument to make", he concedes "because 99 times out of 100 it is women that are under-represented."

--

What are your thoughts? Tell us below.

Books Afloat - The Book Barge

We've probably all considered it. To hell with the consequences, let's do something daring. Let's...go travelling or move home. For Sarah Henshaw, the idea was this: let's buy a barge and travel that nation's canals.

Yet Sarah had an even more unique take on things. Bored and uninspired with life as an entertainment journalist, she considered that a barge might be the perfect place for a shop.  A bookshop.

That was five years ago. Sarah's idea has long since been a reality; one which has taken her on a journey of five years, over 1,000 miles and through 707 locks. In that time she's sold 1,395 books.

The shop has graced the canals of London, Bristol, Oxford, Brimingham, Llangollen Leeds, Manchester. It has also doubled as a home for Sarah and mascots, including the current resident: Napoleon Bunnyparte.

It all sounds a bit like the introduction to a book, doesn't it? Well that's exactly what it's become. A story to tug at all the hearts of all those seeking A change, The Bookshop That Floats is available now., published by Constable.

Honestly though, the captivating introduction to Sarah's journey is far better read than described. So here it is:

In early 2009 a strange sort of business plan landed on the desk of a pinstriped bank manager. It had pictures of rats and moles in rowing boats and archaic quotes about Cleopatra's barge. It asked for a £30,000 loan to buy a black-and-cream narrowboat and a small hoard of books.

The manager said no, and so did others, but...well Sarah made it work anyway. And still, through tough times, it works. Sometimes books were used to barter for goods and services. Sometimes a barge-based disaster occurred. But Sarah kept on. And it gladdens the heart, she did.

The Bookshop that Floats  currently sits 6th in Amazon's 'Biography > Business & Finance' section. It also sits among the top ten of 'Travel & Holiday > Travel Writing', and 'Business, Finance & Law > Biographies and Histories' (imagine that!).

Happily, Sarah is still running the shop - apparently moored near Broadway Market, Hackney over Easter. She's still selling others' books as well; although now she has her own to add to her story.

--

If you enjoyed this post, why not share it using the buttons below.

Appreciating... Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Over the Easter holiday, or some time in the near future, you may be in need of a new book to read. Something offering escape, but at once engaging attachment and truth. If that book should also contain masterfully crafted escapism heavy with wisdom, then the late Garcia Marquez' bibliography may provide.

The 87 year-old Columbian author sadly passed away yesterday, but there is little doubt his works will live on for generations. There is little doubt, not because he was awarded the Nobel prize in literature, but because of his skill at guiding wisdom, insight and a personal fascination to his works.

Barack Obama yesterday said the world mourned "one of its greatest visionary writers". Juan Manuel Santos, president of the author's native Columbia gave a hint of the loss his country  feels:

 "A thousand years of solitude and sadness at the death of the greatest Colombian of all time. Solidarity and condolences to his wife and family ... Such giants never die."

Garcia Marquez was, and will remain a Columbian hero, and a global literary icon. But for all those who have yet to experience the author's works, what examples can be offered to convey the quality of his talents?

Well, the height of the acclaim for his works may be enough, yet - though to do so is to pick morsels from what many millions would consider a feast - a look at some of the writer's extracts sheds light. Familiarisation through The Guardian, or even Goodreads, the result will be largely the same.

Among the many perfectly pitched lines, is the often misquoted, perhaps impossible, yet strikingly perfect phrase, "Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.” Alongside may be placed, “A lie is more comfortable than doubt, more useful than love, more lasting than truth.”

Such semantic elegance might be the hallmark of a brilliant writer, but also of a person who knows something of life and so-called 'universal truths'. Garcia Marquez may not have claimed such a lofty perch.

Born in Aracataca, a place which would inspire his own fictional village of Macondo, he was raised from a young age by his grandparents. A young Columbian, inspired by his liberal grandfather, he would later attend law-school but opt for journalism.

He was a brother, a husband, and father to two sons. He was an observer of life and he felt the lives of individual were fascinating: "All human beings have three lives", he once noted, "public, private, and secret".

It was secret lives which helped produce Love in the Time of Cholera. Concerned with the love of elderly people, the title was inspired by a couple in their late 70s who met every year. One tragic year the couple were murdered onboard a boat by their boatman. Garcia Marquez noted:

"Through their death, the story of their secret romance became known. I was fascinated by them. They were each married to other people."

Of Garcia Marquez' own life we know a fair bit. Perhaps not of any of the 'secret', although a fair portion of the 'private' - such information a by-product of fame and renown. Mostly, we have known of his public life. Yet should we wish to have a hint of the others, his works could at best provide clues.

At worst, they may delight and enrich and inspire our own lives.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez dies

Some very sad news. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Columbian Nobel prize-winning author  has died in Mexico aged 87, the BBC has reported.

Garcia Marquez, was forced to end his writing career in mid-2012 due to the onset of dementia, following a battle with lymphatic cancer beginning in 1999.

The author produced the very highly regarded One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera among his works.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1982.

63% of men hardly read; we should act

If you're a man the chances are that you don't really read much at all. In fact, a new study suggests you'd prefer to watch...say, Game of Thrones over reading A Song of Ice and Fire.

The study, commissioned by The Reading Agency and carried out by OnePoll, uncovered the rather saddening revelation of male disinterest, reporting that 63% of men were not reading as much as they might do.

Why? Reasons include a lack of time, a feeling of finding it difficult, or simply because they don't enjoy it.

The results form part of the research into the reading habits of 2,000 British men and women and Sue Wilkinson, CEO of the Reading Agency, highlights the key factors affecting male interest:

“It seems that men recognise the value of reading books but admit that they don’t do it as much as they might for several reasons. TV shows and films, and the Internet, are competing for people’s time these days, especially that of young men, and our focus is to remind them of the pleasure that can be derived from reading a book as well.

That's a sentiment we'll certainly support. And, to its credit, the Reading Agency has already thought about addressing the problem. Ms Wilkinson reminds us, "This year’s World Book Night list of 20 books was selected with these young men in mind.’’

Authors, understandably, are disappointed with the findings. Novelist and former SAS sergeant Andy McNab has highlighted his own experiences as further proof of the issue, speaking to The Guardian:

"When I joined the Army straight out of juvenile detention I had the reading age of an 11-year-old, and I meet kids at the schools where I'm doing talks who are just the same."

Saying he himself has "years of books to catch up on", McNab says he is enjoying doing just that. Matt Haig, author of The Humans, makes clear that if the trend continues it would be very bad news:

"...the danger is that the fewer books men buy, the less incentive publishers and booksellers will have to reach out of them. Without books, civilisation falls into the dark ages. It wouldn't just be a shame, but a catastrophe if half the population stopped reading."

Haig has a point, but on a more positive note adds,  "There are as many books being written as ever for men to enjoy. It's just about making them feel relevant"

Knowing about time and attention pressures ourselves, we'd have to agree that revelance is the first step on the road to getting guys reading again.

Hopefully this year's World Book Night can go some way towards doing that, but perhaps we can all do a little more to help the cause.

Kindle for Samsung offers free ebooks

Do you own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or tablet? If you do, Samsung and Amazon's new 'Kindle for Samsung' service offers you free ebooks. The service, announced today, comes in the shape of a custom-built app which you can have installed on any Galaxy device running Android version 4.0 or later (if you need to check your Android version, go into the Settings app, and look for the 'About Tablet/Phone' option).

If your device is up to scratch, the Kindle for Samsung app is available for install via Samsung Apps (not Google Play), and offers users a choice of one free title per month from a selection of four. That's not all it offers; there are around 500,000 ebooks, newspapers and magazines from the Kindle store too.

The service includes amazon's WhisperSync functionality, alongside the extra features 'Worry Free Archive' (a backup of your titles to the cloud), and Time to Read (which estimates how long you will take to finish your chapter).

Both Amazon and Samsung seem rather delighted about the partnership, and if we're honest free books - digital or otherwise - are always an interesting proposition.

--

Here are some quotes to make it all official:

“We’re delighted to be able to deepen our long-standing relationship with Amazon and offer Kindle for Samsung as the perfect app for reading on a smart device. With this service we demonstrate our commitment to creating and broadening key content partnerships that deliver rich and personalised experiences for our customers.”

~ Lee Epting, VP of Samsung Media Solution Centre Europe.

" “With Kindle for Samsung, people around the world will have instant access to the best digital bookstore and reading experience, including more than half a million titles that are only available from the Kindle Store, and innovative features like Whispersync, Time to Read and much more.”

~ Jorrit Van der Meulen, Vice President of EU Kindle.