Now lets tackle the adults:

There are a lot of them out there so shallow and superficial, who proudly and openly state that they've only read 1 or 2 books in their entire adult life.

Also there are those who follow blindly "Oprah's Book club" (which is a mixed blessings & curse bag, think they sent 1.000.000.00 little pieces to the besseller list), instead of making a choice on their own. We have become a world where the media and advertising tells us what to read, how to think and what to wear (but at least they are reading!). Shades of Aldous Huxley's Brave new world.

There are those who use the excuse of being to busy to read, not even for half an hour before sleeping.

And then there are those who think reading magazines constitutes reading (Newsflash, unless you are reading something like the new yorker or another literary magazine you are not reading!)...

hmmm lots of reasons...

1- reading is not encouraged in the school system

2- no public libraries ... And the few that exist dont have reading programs for kids, or if they do they are not well publicized

3- parents dont read so there is no role model

4- parents dont encourage the kids to read, TV is a much better babysitter

5- litrature for Youth in Arabic is very poor and weak. You can get good materials for kids but from about 7 or 8 till they are adults there is a gap and so there arent engaging books to read.

6- School libraries are poorly equipped.

Enough said or would you like me to keep going?