I need a number of studies that show how many business books
successful business people read. Or studies that show that
businesspeople (executives/accountants/consultants/entrepreneurs) who
read more are more successful and/or earn more money.

<Readership of business books.

This survey of executives found 14.4 percent read seven to ten
business books a year, 21.4 percent read four to six books, and 45.8
percent read one to three books. 74.9 percent of respondents said
they'd like to read more, but are limited because of time.
Source: Bersin & Associates Research Survey Shows Costs of Time
Searching for Information Can Exceed $50,000 Annually for Each
Executive.
http://corporate.books24x7.com/browseabout.asp?item=announcements&view=69

Managers buy four business books a year and read one. Source: American
Management Association.
http://www.cstd.ca/resources/execubooks.html

Respondents to the Sales & Marketing Management survey read an average
of eight business books per year.
Source: Plan to Win: Understanding the link between Leading and Planning.
http://www.transactionworld.com/articles/2001/october/sales_leadership.asp

Serious readers (20 or more books a year) tend to be college grads
with income levels over $100,000. Source: Reading habits change in new
on-line revolution. Houston Business Journal. M. Ray Perryman.  July
25, 1997.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/1997/07/28/editorial4.html

The majority of chief executives, indicated that on the average they
read, examine, or browse through more than 4 books each year.
Source: Utilization of reading material by executives. By Raymond Boyer.
http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/1976/ip760522.html

A survey by the organisers of World Book Day found accountants spend
an average of more than five hours per week reading books.
Source: Accountants are the real bookworms. BBC News.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3531255.stm

A survey of business travellers found that 57% believe that staying
current with business books increases their professional value.
Source: Majority of business travelers seek more efficient means of
managing information overload. Net Library.
http://www.netlibrary.com/Librarian/Home/PressReleases/19991109.htm

SmartPros, a leading provider of professional education products to
Fortune 500 companies surveyed its members about their reading habits.
For pleasure:
24% - 1-2 hours per week
21% - 3-4 hours per week
21% - 5-6 hours per week
26% - 7+ hours per week
7% - Are you kidding? Who has the time to read for pleasure?!
For business:
29% - 1-2 hours per week  
30% - 3-4 hours per week 
19% - 5-6 hours per week 
23% - 7+ hours per week
Source: SmartPros.
http://www.pro2net.com/x38837.xml

This study looks at the reading habits of people by age, occupational
group, education. Professionals read more pages of work-related
materials, but also more leisure, than the other two groups.
Nonprofessionals, however, read more functional and general reading
materials. Students, of course, were reading textbooks and other
school-related materials. Generally then, reading behaviors reflected
the primary activities of the occupational groups. Source: Adults?
reading practices and activities: age, educational and ocuccupational
effects. M Cecil Smith and Norman A. Stahl.
http://coe.cedu.niu.edu/~smith/papers/contextual.htm

This report looks at spending on books in Canada. One-third of the
highest spending households have incomes of $100,000 or more. 76% of
those earning $100,000 or more buy books. They spend an average of
$282 per household.
Source: Who buys books in Canada ? A statistical analysis based on
houshold spending data.
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:RikW70_LUT8J:www.canadacouncil.ca/NR/rdonlyres/64E84F3E-8EB0-48E1-B321-ACC0131ECE05/0/who_buys_booken.pdf+%22high+income%22+read+books+respondents&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=4

Michael Malone, founder of MJM Investigations Inc, read two to three
business books a week.
Source: Entrebizneur of the year: Michael Malone. MJM Investigations,
Inc. Laurie Zuckerman.
http://www.businessleader.com/coverstory0102.html

Entrepreneur David Koretz read up to seven business books a week.
Source: The Billionaire Next Door. Inc. Magazine. May 2001.
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:VNloziqAJPQJ:www.inc.com/articles/details/0,,CID22508_REG6,00.html+%22business+books+a+week%22&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=4>


<Search strategy:

<respondents   "business books">
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&q=respondents+++%22business+books%22&lr=>

<respondents   "executives read" books>
<://www.google.com/search?q=respondents+++%22executives+read%22+books+&hl=nl&lr=&start=20&sa=N>

<"reading habits" survey  business>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=nl&q=%22reading+habits%22+survey++business&lr=>

<"business books a week">
<://www.google.com/search?q=%22business+books+a+week%22&hl=nl&lr=&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-12,GGLG:en&start=10&sa=N>

<"business books per">
<://www.google.com/search?q=%22business+books+per%22&hl=nl&lr=&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-12,GGLG:en&start=20&sa=N>


<Hope this helps.>

---

Request for Answer Clarification by dan1912-ga on 20 Apr 2006 18:52 PDT

Thank you very much for your thorough answer.

The key to the question though is "what is the link between success
and the number of books read"
You told me how much executives in general read but I need a statistic
or study that shows that SUCCESSFUL executives read more that
non-successful executives.  E.g. Businesspeople who read over 10 books
per year make $X or more and businesspeople who read less make less
than $X.  It's like those studies you see that show that each year of
university education will earn the average person and extra $10,000
per year.
This is the statistic or study I need.  Can you find that?
Thanks,
Dan

---

Clarification of Answer by belindalevez-ga on 21 Apr 2006 01:47 PDT

<I have found a study that compares how many business books the
average Fortune 1000 executive reads compared to an average business
person. 6.7 books compared to 1.4 per year. This can then be compared
to average salaries.

The average Fortune 1000 executive reads 6.7 books a year whereas the
average business person reads seven business books every five years ?
1.4 per year.
Source: Tim Sanders.
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:jqnvUo_RH4gJ:www.targetlearn.com/files/course_docs/Leadership,%2520Authenticity%2520%26%2520Likeability%2520Transcript.doc+%22seven+business+books+every%22+&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=1

Leadership coach Tim Sanders surveyed chief executives officers of
companies with more than 500 employees. He found that the average CEO
reads seven business books a year, compared with the average person,
who reads less than one.
Source: You like me, you really like me. Wallace Immen. June 1, 2005.

The too much executive pay scorecard. 
Chief executives earn on average between $5.7 million and $17.9 million per year.
http://www.cipa-apex.org/toomuch/articlenew2006/ExecPayin2005.html

Median CEO pay rose 1.1 percent to $8.4 million in 2005, according to
a preliminary analysis of the 251 FORTUNE 500 companies that had filed
proxies as of March 27. Source: Exposing CEO pay . Matthew Boyle. CNN.
http://globeandmail.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20050601/CALIKE01?section=HomePage

Median pay of CEO?s in the top 100 companies was $17.9 million in
2005. Source USA Today.http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-04-09-ceo-compensation-report_x.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/06/news/newsmakers/pluggedin_f500_fortune/index.htm

Median annual earning of chief executives in May 2004 were $140,350.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos012.htm>


<Hope this helps.>

---

Request for Answer Clarification by dan1912-ga on 24 Apr 2006 20:11 PDT

I consider the question answered and I thank you for all your efforts.

If I paid a tip of say $100 would I have a good chance of getting the
type of definitive study (studies) I want or is this all there is?

Best,
Dan

---

Clarification of Answer by belindalevez-ga on 24 Apr 2006 22:56 PDT

<I did a very extensive search. There is plenty of research into
children and students reading habits. However this was all that I
could find about the reading habits of business people. You could try
posting another question to see if another researcher can find the
type of study you need.>

This is good but not the kind of definitive study (studies) I was
looking for.  If I paid more would I have a better chance of getting
the type of study I want or is this all there is?

Here's an interesting tidbit:

"[Bill Gates] has a photographic memory. He's not a trained
speed-reader but he speed reads. I asked him how many books he read on
his vacation and he said 30. He writes up notes in the margins and
sends them back to the author."

http://boston.internet.com/news/print.php/2041_974251