A current analysis carried out by GfK Panel Services shows: the enthusiasm for books is still enormous, tending upwards. Letters and books enrich our life from an early age.

According to GfK, in 2009 about 36 million German private persons acquired a total of 400 million books. The number of sold copies as well as the sum of book buyers increased about two percent compared to 2008. They are generous: they spent nearly Euro four billion on books, about three percent more than in 2008. This is good news for the printing and publishing industry.

Computer or TV are not that important: young people enjoy reading
Children who read a lot have more chances at school and in their careers when they grow up and develop better cognitive and social skills. So say leading neurologists and a study conducted by the British charity National Literacy Trust (NLT). Children who spend a lot of time reading believe that health and happiness lead to a ful?lled life. 83 percent of the 7- to 15-year-olds questioned were certain that reading helps in this regard. Reading brings happiness and is fun say 72 percent. Good news, even though many young people these days like reading from a monitor. Anyhow, the appetite for books on the part of German children and teenagers in recent years is undiminished. Successful book titles such as Harry Potter or Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series still generate active interest for books: book purchases by 10- to 19- and 20- to 29-year-olds remained constant in the past five years. The earlier children encounter books, the better it is. According to the NLT study, families and parents are the most important role model for British children and young people as far as reading is concerned. In addition, campaigns with celebrities can have a positive in?uence on their reading activities. The British charity organization Booktrust sends a Bookstart pack and an invitation to visit the local library to every British family before and after childbirth. In Germany the biggest nation-wide reading promotion institution Stiftung Lesen adopted the British model in 2008. Together with large publishing houses, social security organizations and partners from the printing and paper industries including manroland, the project "Lesestart" came about. The ?ndings of diverse projects are encouraging. They prove that parents found the initiatives to be helpful. And 30 percent of the parents who previously read to their children rarely are now doing so regularly.