Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write. One would expect that as the world enters the 21st century of the Third Millennium, we wouldn't even need to discuss such a topic. But alas, that is not the case. Even in the United States, the only so-called superpower left standing at the moment, the rate of illiteracy is astonishing. Some cynics say that there is no cause for alarm since the rich elite class needs millions of workers for low-paid jobs and the less educated the better. Others say that the lack of literacy is the fault of the schools and that if we double the pay of the teachers, they will somehow suddenly be interested in teaching. Still others say that with television and VCRs everywhere, who needs to read and write anyway. In this book we have collected citations, sorted and indexed them in a way which we hope will be useful for those seeking further information on this topic. At the beginning, we offer excerpts from some of the fundamental reports summarising the dismal situation.