books aimed at men,  a supposedly difficult to reach group. By early 2005 180,000 copies of his book on men's health had already been sold. His secret was to present them in the same format as the car manuals that Haynes are famous for producing.

In Mexico, health educators and social marketers worked with local sex workers. They discovered the women read a lot of romantic fiction. As a result they worked with a writer to produce a fictional story about the women's lives. This not only gave information about safer sex but also tips on how to negotiate with clients. The story line was based on an important motivator for the women. This was to stay healthy so as to be able to look after their children.

Mills & Boon make heavy use of social market research. By knowing what their readers want, they sell 200 million romantic fictions a year. They have also agreed a deal with the Rugby Football Union to promote the sport in their story lines. This is mainly to change attitudes and make rugby sexier. However, books will also pass on knowledge of the rules and give readers new skills e.g. what to wear at a match.

Books can either be fiction or non-fiction. A new approach has been tried in Cardiff and other parts of the UK. This is to make books on health available on prescription.

The book Hand in Hand by Judy Hunter, Sheila Phillips and Noreen Wetton shows teachers both how to teach children to read and become more emotionally literate.