That people are better educated to use a cell phone in sub-Saharan Africa than they are to read a book speaks volumes (and not in books) about the bleak learning conditions people face in third world countries. It doesn't have to be altogether dismal, though. In fact, it could be good news for the prospect of worldwide literacy.

As mobile markets in under-developed countries continue to rapidly grow, David Risher, a former executive at Amazon and co-founder of non-profit organization Worldreader, suggests: why not offer these users free books on their cell phones?

Worldreader Mobile is looking to tackle literacy crises abroad. About 500,000 people (10 percent of biNu's 5-million user base) have used Worldreader Mobile app in the last year, Risher says, and is looking to bump that number up to one million by the end of next year. 

Most of Worldreader Mobile users are in India (107,000 users), Nigeria (60,800) and Ethiopia (33,100). Most Worldreader users don't have fancy smartphones or tablets, which just goes to show you how much people naturally actually want to read.

The majority of Worldreader Mobile users are using low-end, pre-pay Nokia (News - Alert) phones with physical buttons that retail for around $50.

Try reading your Malcolm Gladwell on that sucker. This is what typical Nokia models in that vein look like. 

No wonder most of the books they’re reading are short, typically taking up 150 screenshots. As in first world countries, women are the “power readers,” Worldreader says. Females average 17 books a month. Romance novels are among the most popular books, however the number one book last month was a children's book about school. The second most popular was a guide to basic algebra.

Most of the books available on Worldreader Mobile are in English, though some local languages like Swahili, French and Spanish are offered. Worldreader Mobile's library presently contains about 1,200 titles that have been donated by local and English-language publishers.