I was with Salman Rushdie when he was stabbed. The ‘reader effect’ saved us

In 2022 , only 38% of US adults read even a single novel or short story each year , a decline of 17% during the past decade .

Henry Reese : Not reading stories is like being deprived of emotional, social and cultural oxygen.

He says non-readers and even readers of non-fiction are more likely to feel lonely and in need of social support.