Reading books is one of the finest hobbies that a person can have.Furthermore, of all the possessions in
the world, it could well be said that books are the most valuable. Books,in fact, contain priceless treasures which friends cannot match, brothers cannot divide and time cannot destroy. We gain all types of knowledge from books. Knowledge is the base of a successful life and we simply cannot progress in life without gaining more knowledge. Books are among the best sources of gaining knowledge too. But it’s saddening to know that the majority of us aren’t interested in the fabulous world of books. If you are one of the non-book readers who feel you don’t need books, here are some reasons to start the habit…before you are left behind!
Reading is an active mental process:
Unlike sitting in front of the idiot box (TV), reading makes you use your brain. While reading, you would be forced to reason out many things which are unfamiliar to you. In this process, you would use the grey cells of your brain to think and become smarter.
Reading improves your vocabulary:
Remember your early school days when you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? You get the same benefit from book reading. While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words and phrases which you wouldn’t otherwise know.
Gives you a glimpse into other cultures and places of the world:
How would you know about the life of people in America if you didn’t read about it? Reading also
gives you insights into the diversity of civilization of people, their customs, life-styles etc. You become
more aware about different countries and places as well.
Improves concentration and focus:
Reading requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet
posts or Emails that might contain small bits of information, books tell the whole story. Since you
must concentrate in order to read, like a muscle, you will get better at concentration.
Builds self-esteem and confidence:
The more you read, the more knowledgeable and informed you become. With more knowledge comes more confidence. More confidence builds self-esteem. So it’s a chain reaction. Your feelings about
yourself will only get better and your confidence helps you become more successful.
Improves memory:
Many studies show that if you don’t use your memory, you lose it. Crossword puzzles are an example of a word game that keeps off Alzheimer’s disease. Reading, although not a game, helps you stretch your memory muscles in a similar way. Reading requires remembering details, facts and figures and in literature - plot lines, themes and characters.
Improves your discipline:
Making time to read is something we all know we should do, but who schedules book reading time every day? Very few… That’s why adding book reading to your daily schedule and sticking to it, improves discipline.
Improves creativity:
Reading about diversity of life and exposing yourself to new ideas and more information helps to develop the creative side of the brain, as it imbibes innovation into your thinking process.
You always have something to talk about:
Reading widens your horizon of information. You’ll always have something to talk about. You can discuss various plots in the novels you read, You can discuss the stuff you are learning in the business books you are reading as well. The possibilities of sharing become endless.
Reduces boredom:
By developing this habit, one becomes interested in the book’s subject and stops being bored. After all, if you’re bored anyway, you might as well refresh yourselves by reading a good book!
Quotes on Reading
You are what you read.- Anonymous
No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading or else surrender yourself
to ignorance.
- Confucius
The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.
- Dr. Seuss
The greatest gift is a passion for reading.
- Elizabeth Hardwick
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
- Charles W. Eliot
A house without books is like a room without windows.
- Heinrich Mann
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
- Richard Steele
A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
- Chinese Proverb
Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.
- Francis Bacon
Do You Know?
- The best selling novel 'Ben Hur' written by Lewis Wallace in 1880 was the first book to be blessed by a Pope.
- Noah Webster, who published his first dictionary in 1828, had worked for 21 years to compile its 70,000 words. The first Oxford English Dictionary was published on 1 February, 1884, after twenty years of work.
- The 'Adventures of Tom Sawyer' was the first novel ever to be written on a typewriter. It was typed on a Remington in 1875 by Mark Twain himself.
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