Investigation into the book buying, reading and borrowing habits is in many countries still in its infancy. Furthermore it is not yet possible to link up scientifically the socio-economic factors and market behavior. However it is justifiable to take the following principles: (1) the standard of economic development of a country determines the relative number of literates existing in the economically active adult population (18-65 years); (2) the socio-economic variables which especially influence book reading, borrowing and buying behaviour are: (a) the purchasing power of the house (a household being defined here as a (family) unit without regard for the number of individuals involved), (b) degree of urbanization, i.e. town dwellers as against the rural population, (c) standard of education (of head of family); (3) the rise in book consumption is related to the degree of development of a country but it is quite possible that the book consumption does not keep pace with the growth of the free income, that is, that part of the expendable income which is not spent on the primary necessities of life; (4) the influence on the book reading, borrowing and buying habits of mass media such as radio and television as well as that of the other forms of communication such as newspapers and periodicals, etc. has not yet been sufficiently ascertained. (Author/NH)