As a response to the close of the 1972 International Book Year sponsored by UNESCO, this study was suggested concerning the reading habits of people throughout the world. A concern was expressed that without reading practice reading skills already learned would be quickly lost and life-long education would not take place. The author surveyed studies of reading habits throughout the world, noting differences in the readership of various countries and between adults and children. In almost every country usually twice as many children read as do adults, a difference that is even greater if one considers the difference between the life spans of each group. Topics explored in this study which are related to promoting reading habits are: the effective teaching of reading, the results of research on motivations for reading and reading interests, the factors which influence reading interests, the methods for determining individual reading interests, the promotion of developing reading interests and the reading habit, and some suggested tasks for research. Ideas are drawn from research performed in many countries. A bibliography is included. (MKM)