The Joy of Reading Leaves Men on the Shelf.

When it comes to reading habits, women are chapters ahead of men, a survey reveals today. The study of what Britons read - and when - found that 35 per cent of men had not read a book for pleasure for five years or more, compared to only one in five women.

The Book Marketing Ltd survey also reveals that while 47 per cent of women claimed to have finished a book in the previous fortnight, only 30 per cent of men could say the same. Reading habits differ markedly with age, according to the survey, reported in the latest issue of Cultural Trends, from the Policy Studies Institute. While only 18 per cent of those aged 15 to 24 had read a book in the week before they were questioned, the figure for people aged between 25 and 34 was 21 per cent, and 41 per cent for those over 55.

Cookery books, with many titles linked to television series to the fore, are the most popular type of book bought, although romantic fiction and puzzle books have the biggest volume of sales.

For example, culinary titles were bought by 21 per cent of those who purchased a book compared to 18 per cent who bought a crime story or thriller, 12 per cent who bought a romantic novel and 7 per cent who bought a work of 20th-century fiction. A quick look around London book stores yesterday bore out some of the findings, with a range of cooking books, romantic works and thrillers among the most popular. Also selling well are "trophy" books such as Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene; titles which look good on the bookcase but which tend to be more purchased than read.

The finding that women are greater readers than men was supported by a quick survey of book buyers by The Independent. "I think it's because women are continually trying to change and improve themselves, and are more flexible and open to new experiences," Liz Kay, a curator at the Tate Gallery, said. Tamsin Summerson, 22, said she was aware of the difference among her friends. "If you ask a man what book they've just read they're likely to have forgotten or they will change the subject. With a woman you're more likely to get into a lengthy discussion about it."

But whichever sex you are, it is getting harder to be well-read. The number of books published has risen steadily in recent years, from just under 55,000 in 1987 to just over 95,000 today. Book prices have risen from an average of pounds 7.93 for a novel in 1991 compared with 8.99 today. Consumer spending on books has jumped, from pounds 755 million in 1985 to pounds 1,673 million.

Source: ( Independent: Marianne Macdonald and Michael Streeter , Wednesday 1 January 1997)