I now have a report* on the average TIME-reading woman (some of whom are displayed on this page via the snapshots they sent us) to pose against the average TIME-reading man I discussed here a few issues ago (TIME, Aug. 9).

It seems that the average TIME-reading woman is 5 ft. 5 in. in height, weighs 134 Ibs. (and wishes she weighed less -- which 40% do), has an average $14.37 cash her pocketbook. At the time she received our mail questionnaire she was, by & large, either reading, resting, telephoning, primping, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, returning home or calling for her mail.

Inasmuch as this average TIME-reading woman is married (76% are), her daytime hours are spent largely at home. She does her own housework (although 33% have part-or full-time help), takes an active part in church and civic affairs, bought four new dresses or suits last year (almost all of them tailored to the "new look") without much help from her husband -- although 13% said he was there when the purchases were made. She has nine pairs of shoes, five hats, and four pieces of jewelry which she values at $938.

The average TIME-reading woman has charge accounts at two department stores (one also has a charge account at a lumber yard, another at a farm equipment dealer's). Her food bill last year was $27 a week (although 11% say it was over $40). She owns 4.6 cookbooks and tried out at least one new recipe last month, which "everybody" liked. Her principal hobbies are her home and husband, sewing-dressmaking-knitting, gardening, sports, music, reading. She received a gift of flowers or candy on three or more occasions last year--and, in case anyone is interested, the one gift she would like most to have this year is either an automobile, a fur coat, some household appliance, a radio or radio-phonograph, some clothes, a trip, or a home (one asked for a man and an engagement ring and another, bless her, would like a five-year subscription to TIME). Furthermore, the average TIME-reading woman thinks the chances are pretty good that she will get the gift she wants.

Asked to choose the people she would most like to meet from a list of newsworthy names, she made the following selections, in order: Mme. Chiang Kaishek, Eleanor Roosevelt, Secretary Marshall, Arturo Toscanini, Bob Hope, Kate Smith, Douglas Mac-Arthur, Joseph Stalin.

From our standpoint, one of the most interesting things about the average TIME-reading woman is the fact that she has been reading TIME from six to ten years or more.

Cordially yours,

* Based on an extensive cross-section survey of TIME'S 1,500,000 women readers.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.