Our 24th “Words of Wisdom” category emerges as we focus on a critical subject that few take seriously in today’s chaotic environment. Click on “Words of Wisdom“ - Reading to visit our web site to read what some of the greatest minds in our history had to say about the importance of reading. You might want to share a few of these thoughts with others who may be interested. You’ll all benefit from the investment of just a few moments.

Why reading? In this election year, we have been overwhelmed by the number of major issues revealed to have a major impact on our economy and, in turn, our standard of living in the United States. Global competition has certainly been one of those many issues.

We often feel that many of these critical issues are beyond our control as individuals. As global competition increases, we are required to learn at an accelerated rate … more than ever before. With that in mind, read the following facts in hopes of understanding how we can all contribute to solving a rapidly growing problem in this country.

• 58% of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
• The average American reads only one book of any kind per year.
• Only 14% of our society visits a book store or library per year.
• 42% of college graduates never read another book after college.
• 80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
• 70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
• 57% of new books are not read to completion.
• Nearly half of America’s adults are poor readers, or “functionally illiterate.” They can’t carry out simple tasks like balancing check books, reading drug labels or writing essays for a job.
• One-third of 500,000 = 22? There are almost half a million words in our English Language—the largest language on earth, incidentally—but a third of all our writing is made up of only 22 words, according to Paul Kropp’s The Reading Solution.
• 50% of American adults are unable to read an eighth grade level book, according to Jonathan Kozol’s Illiterate America.
• Out-of-school reading habits of students have shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year, according to Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding.
• The educational careers of 25% to 40% of American children are imperiled because they don’t read well enough, quickly enough, or easily enough, according to the Committee on Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children of the National Research Council.
• 54% of all teachers have limited English proficient (LEP) students in their classrooms, yet only one-fifth of teachers feel very prepared to serve them, according to Richard Riley, former Secretary of Education.
• Since 1983, more than 15 million Americans reached the 12th grade without having learned to read at a basic level. In the same period, more than 6 million Americans dropped out of high school altogether, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
• 27 million Americans can’t read at all, 48 million are marginally illiterate and one-fifth of high school graduates can’t read their diplomas, according to the Department of Justice.
• 52 million adults in the U.S. can’t read well enough to read a simple story to a child, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
• It is estimated that the cost of illiteracy to business and the taxpayer is $20 billion per year, according to the United Way’s “Illiteracy: A National Crisis.”
• More than 25% of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level—far below the level needed to earn a living wage, according to the National Institute for Literacy.
• When the State of Arizona projects how many prison beds it will need, it factors in the number of kids who read well in fourth grade, according to the Arizona Republic.

Even though we don’t realize it, the majority of us waste a great deal of time every day! If you would track your movements every day for a week, you would discover that you’re easily wasting at least an hour a day. If that wasted hour per day were to be invested into reading a book, even the average reader would complete one book per week. That’s 52 books per year. In ten years, you will have read more than 500 books while the average American will have read only 10 books … if that many. These are the people you’re competing with. Who do you think has the better chance of being successful in their chosen field?

Also feel free to check out our in-depth offering of quotes on many subjects should you be in need of a refreshing thought, idea, slogan or profound nugget for an upcoming meeting, presentation, or lunch room bulletin board.

We offer interesting quotes on the subjects of leadership, teamwork, customer service, time management, goals, change, motivation, sales, potential, gender, creativity, repetition, enthusiasm, employees, attitude, networking, fear, sense of urgency, passion, empowerment, women, persistence, chaos, and now reading.

Click on “Words of Wisdom” in order to review our entire offering.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Well, it’s finally here … the end of the year. And what a year it’s been. Most everyone is glad to send this particular year into the history books in the hopes that 2009 will hold much more promise for everyone. The election is over, we have a new President, and everyone is cautiously watching the new administration and Congress in anticipation of hopeful strategies.

In the northern half of the world, winter officially begins on the 21st, and most of December is usually warmer than other winter months. Christmas trees are emerging across the country and the predictions are strong that we’ll see some fantastic holiday “sales” this year in light of the economy. Shopping malls are already becoming “chaotic” and alcohol-fueled holiday parties are filling the calendar.

The journey to Christmas and beyond to the New Year will be swift and frenzied … hopefully leading us to a more prosperous and productive 2009.

Weekly Celebrations and Observances:

• Coats for Kids Week
• Hanukkah Week
• Kwanzaa Week
• National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week
• National Hand Washing Awareness Week
• National Human Rights Week
• Operation Santa Paws Week
• Tolerance Week

Monthly Celebrations and Observances:

• Choose a Summer Camp Month
• Family Holiday Month
• Hi Neighbor Month
• Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month
• Interfaith Month
• Made In America Month
• National Bingo Month
• National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
• National Hand Washing Awareness Month
• National Read a New Book Month
• National Stress Free Month
• National Tie Month
• Safe Toys and Gifts Month
• Stress Free Holidays Month
• Universal Human Rights Month

December Daily Celebrations and Observances: 

• 1 World AIDS Day
• 1 Rosa Parks Day
• 2 Special Education Day
• 2 Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
• 3 First Day of Advent
• 3 International Day of Disabled Persons
• 4 Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day
• 5 AFL/CIO Day
• 5 International Volunteer Day
• 6 Miner’s Day
• 7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
• 7 Teacher’s Appreciation Day
• 7 National Cotton Candy Day
• 7 International Civil Aviation Day
• 9 National Pastry Day
• 10 Human Rights Day
• 10 Sister-friend Day
• 12 Poinsettia Day
• 13 National Ice Cream Day
• 13 National Violin Day
• 14 International Children’s Day
• 15 Bill of Rights Day
• 17 Bake Cookies Day
• 17 Clean Air Day
• 17 National Maple Syrup Day
• 18 International Migrants Day
• 20 Go Caroling Day
• 21 Forefather’s Day
• 21 National Flashlight Day
• 21 World Peace Day
• 21 Winter Solstice Day
• 21 Hanukkah
• 24 National Chocolate Day
• 24 National Egg Nog Day
• 25 National Pumpkin Pie Day
• 24 Christmas Eve
• 25 Christmas
• 26 National Candy Cane Day
• 26 Kwanzaa (African American Heritage)
• 27 National Fruitcake Day
• 30 National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
• 31 World Peace Meditation Day
• 31 New Year’s Eve

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.