Stratford P. Sherman wrote, in a November 18, 1991 article in Fortune magazine, about the need for America to read more. He began by saying that most Americans could not understand the article. He referred to a study by John P. Robinson, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, showing that the average American at that time spent only 24 minutes per day in reading. He mentioned the continuing decline in newspaper sales, and referred to a guess by Leonard Riggio, CEO of Barnes & Noble, that 50% of books sold by his company were never read. He quoted Samuel Robert Lichter, director of the Center for Media and Public Affairs, on his preference for the ease of turning on the TV instead of reading a book. Sherman went on, in his article, to mention the growing need for skillful commmunication in American business but also the decreasing quality of the same activity. He quoted Monsanto CEO Richard Mahoney on the importance of reading in helping a business manager to see connections between events. He described print media as being first among different media with respect to (1) the amount of information conveyed by so few widely understood symbols, (2) portability, (3) suitability for the user's own speed of use, and (4) economical distribution of broad and deep information which can be used immediately.