Why reading books and magazines is important for us?
Virender Kapoor
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”
Richard Steele
Information Age
Today we live in a world of information overload. We have so many gadgets like TV, Radio, Internet, face book, twitter and whats app to name a few that constantly give us information. We are bombarded with so much data in bits and pieces that our mind is unable to meaningfully absorb all that. These sources do give us information but seldom help in augmenting our vocabulary, expression and writing style.
You would agree that sometimes during exams, we know the answer but are unable to put it across appropriately. Many times we cannot get the right word at the right place. We have everything in our head and yet can’t get the perfect expression to explain our point. This is called articulation. Mark Twain rightly said “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. It is the difference between the lightening bug and the lightening”
“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time.” — Carl Sagan
Reading books and articles in magazines provides us an alternative to get a better command over the language and express ourselves better. Every author has a writing style and reading different authors on different subjects can enrich our ability to communicate effectively. It is also important to read books on different topics and varied genres. For example fiction, biography, thrillers, mystery and drama can all add to our knowledge and take us to different levels of intellectual prowess.
How to start?
In the beginning one must start reading simple, short books on topics that attract you. This will help you getting into a habit of reading without putting you off. As you go along, and develop a liking you can try your hand at little more complex topics. It is not a bad idea to start with comics and short stories as they are very interesting and can be finished in a short span of time.
“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” — J.K. Rowling
Great people read a lot
Mahatma Gandhi , Dr Abdul Kalam and Nehru read a lot of books and they got influenced by authors like Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens and many more.
US president Barrack Obama says that books played an indispensable role during his presidency and throughout his life. “At a time when events move so quickly and so much information is transmitted,” he said, reading gave him the ability to occasionally “slow down and get perspective” and “the ability to get in somebody else’s shoes.” President Roosevelt read two books a day and John F Kennedy who had a phenomenal reading speed was a voracious reader too. PM of Great Britain, Winston Churchill had read hundreds of books. Abraham Lincoln who could not get too much formal education made it up by reading books and was self educated. Many CEOs and senior executives in the corporate world read a lot.
I know Prashant who studied in Vernacular medium till school, did his engineering, went to IIM Ahmadabad, worked for an MNC, now speaks and writes perfect English. He says that reading books got him all the success and confidence.
“A word after a word after a word is power.” — Margaret Atwood
Build your Road to success
Make it a habit to visit best book shops and libraries and buy books for yourself . Build a small personal library and be proud of it. Your parents will never say no to this. Read news papers magazines which are available very easily. Excellent second hand books are available at a throwaway price which can cut our budget drastically. Online portals also give good discount and one can look at millions of books sitting at home.
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” — Maya Angelou
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