Several large-scale studies confirm that students nationwide are eschewing reading for other pursuits. Less than one third of 13-year-olds read daily; the percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing for pleasure has ballooned. In a span of 20 years, American students have transformed from being among the most to the least avid readers of literature in the world. In this era of instantaneous gratification, students are turning away from reading, yet reading offers pleasures beyond the momentary.