Betting shops replace book clubs as economic pressures, social media dampen reading culture

In this feature, DIRISU YAKUBU interrogates the factors responsible for the dying reading culture with recommendations on how to redress the situation

It was Mark Twain, the late American writer and public speaker, who said, “The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.” Global leaders including two former American Presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as well as philanthropist, Bill Gates are a few world citizens who continue to share the mileage of reading, encouraging their followers to embrace the virtue suit on their various social media handles.

In Gates Notes, a collection of his current reads, the American billionaire and Microsoft boss shares insight on the latest information on democracy, good governance, climate change, and Sustainable Development Goals among others. In both developed and emerging democracies, writers are churning out printed material to engage the critical minds of…