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His and her books

Are men from Mars and women from Venus when it comes to their reading habits too?

PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.

TASTES DIFFER It's believed girls read more than boys. Publishers estimate that men account just for 20 per cent of sales of novels.

Call it genetic programming or a case of being wired differently, but men and women are different in many ways. This divide comes into focus when one takes a look at reading habits too. How much men read, what they read and why they read as compared to women — the responses throw up some interesting insights.

Studies, the world over, show that boys read less than girls. Does this hold true for India too?

Swapna Nair, a teacher, says: "Girls read more. But, boys, the minute they get time, play football or cricket or some other sport. My son tells me boys like burning energy first and then, if they have time, will sit down to read. Mind you, my son is a voracious reader."

Says Girija Ramaswamy, businesswoman: "Boys have many options and are constantly outdoors. Girls usually prefer to remain indoors. Perhaps that is because of the restrictions placed on them by parents concerned about their safety. Besides, they tend to be more studious and spend a lot of time reading."

Dissenting view

But this pattern undergoes changes as one advances into adulthood. Ravi Subramaniam, orthopaedic surgeon, says: "Men definitely read more than women. Today, a lot of women spend time watching television. As for professional reading, men read more medical journals, whereas women are up-to-date with general reading."Palani, proprietor of a lending library, observes that women and girls prefer romance and sentimental stuff, while men go in for thrillers. But there are always exceptions.

Which brings us to the kind of reading that men do. Says V. Narayanan, an executive in the entertainment sector: "I remember moving from Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie, Alistair MacLean and Eric Segal to Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, Fredrick Forsyth and John Grisham. But now I am inclined to read non-fiction and am deeply into books on self-improvement by authors such as Deepak Chopra and Stephen Covey. I do read the odd best-selling work of fiction or a title that a friend may recommend."

Also on the preference list of men are comics, newspapers and magazines. Therefore it comes as no surprise that publishing experts estimate that men account just for 20 per cent of sales of novels and generally settle for non-fiction.

Michael Gurian, an educator and author of Boys and Girls Learn Differently! A Guide for Teachers and Parents, has a theory why boys read what they read. According to him, boys' brains engage in less cross-hemisphere activity than girls and they tend to use only half their brain at any given time. Which is why when they read they need an extra stimulant in terms of sound or colour or some form of physical stimulation for their brains to rev up. This explains their fondness for reading about sport, adventure and fantasy.

Says Girija: "Between the kind of books my husband and I read, I go in for just about anything and everything from spirituality to what-have-you, whereas he prefers the tried and tested authors and those relevant to his line of work."

Men usually read for the sake of information, especially books on technology. Roopa, a trainer and consultant, says she is averse to reading product manuals and prefers somebody (a male) to read it and explain it to her.

Hemu Ramaiah, CEO, Landmark bookstore, says: "Men read a lot of non-fiction and informative books on science, technology, management, art, graphic design and the like."

So, men being men read what they read. Which is just as well, for that's what makes them different and perhaps interesting too!

SUDHA UMASHANKER

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