Many people, including intellectuals, also including common readers with little experience of the internet, lament the incursion of the internet into the world of books, in that the computer and  related technology, as these take up more time in people’s lives today, seem to be detracting from the popular pastime  of reading  books.  Reading  books, not e-books, but actual books made from paper, seems to be declining among the population, certainly among younger people.  Is this true?  What are the facts?  What are the statistics?

This phenomenon prompts a question about the typical role and function of books in communicating ideas, emotions, trends, stories,  etc.  in society at large.  Is the publishing industry going extinct?