U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for July 30

WASHINGTON, July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile
America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO )

THURSDAY, JULY 30: PAPERBACK BOOKS

Profile America -- Thursday, July 30th. A revolution in book publishing
started on this date 74 years ago. On that date, the Penguin Publishing House
brought out the first modern paperback book, a biography of the poet Shelley.
The idea behind these editions came from Allen Lane, in reaction to the tough
economic situation of the Depression. Publishing paperbacks allowed him to
lower his costs, sell more books and save his printing business. The lower
cost and convenience of the softcover format caught on and has remained
popular. Today, in spite of competition from television and computers,
Americans buy more than three billion books each year -- about half of them
softcover. To pursue their reading, they spend close to $60 billion annually.
Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau, now preparing
for the 2010 Census.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 382
Statistical Abstract of the United Stated 2009, t. 1097

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S.
Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready
to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look
under the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Rick Reed of the U.S. Census Bureau, +1-301-763-2812, fax: +1-301-763-3762,
Richard.Thomas.Reed-at-census.gov