Here’s how many books you could read in a lifetime
It’s hard to know exactly how many books have been published since printing was first used commercially in 1454.
LONDON — Getting back into reading is often a New Year’s resolution, with many reports showing that we are reading less than we used to. And yet, according to The Economist, we have enough time in our lives to read hundreds of books.
The British weekly based its estimate of the number of books an individual could read in their lifetime on the statements of a panel of 1,500 Americans.
This is, of course, an average, as reading habits vary from person to person. Still, it turns out that 46 per cent of respondents did not read any books in 2023. But the remaining 54 per cent devoured an average of 11 books last year.
The Economist used this figure to determine that an individual who took up reading at the age of seven, and who has a life expectancy within the norm, could read 770 books over the course of their life. Based on this calculation, a person in their 30s would be reading their 270th book, and someone in their 70s would be on their 670th.
While this may seem like a massive number of books, it’s actually not all that many in terms of current literary output. However, it is difficult to know the exact number of books published since the invention of printing around 1440 or the time it was put to commercial use in 1454.
Google engineers tried to estimate this in 2010, and came to the conclusion that there were, at the time, almost 130 million unique books out there. It’s a safe bet that this figure has grown exponentially in recent years, especially with the rise of self-publishing.
Getting back into reading
So how can we get closer to reading the 770 books estimated by The Economist? First and foremost, this figure should not be taken literally — it’s an ideal, not an imperative.
On the other hand, it may serve to encourage us to switch off from screens and rediscover the joys of reading. At the start of the New Year, those who wish to take up this activity can take part in a reading challenge with friends and family, or with the (very) many members of the BookTok literary community.
You could also join a book club — either in-person or remotely — and discover books you might never have picked up in a bookshop or library.
In addition, you might find the How Long to Read website useful to find out how long it would theoretically take you to read the book of your choice. Not that this parameter should discourage you in your efforts to read more, but it might be a good idea to opt for shorter books to get things off to a smooth start.
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