The Benefits of Reading Books

Reading books is a pleasure. It has a joy of its own. We forget our cares and anxieties for the time being and live in a world created for us by the author. ​ Reading is as necessary for our mind as food is for our body. It is the reading of books which refreshes us when clouds of sorrow darken our lives. It is reading which gives us food for thought when we have no special work to do. It is thus the most wholesome hobby and should be acquired as early in life as possible.

Reading is of different kinds. First, there is a light reading. There are newspapers, periodicals, journals, etc. decorating the table of every educated man. This type of reading has practically become an essential feature of the life of every modern man. No one can afford to miss what is happening in other parts of the world. There are political events which are taking place in this fast changing dynamic world, which every knowledgeable person must know. The newspapers will provide with the day-to-day events happening in the world.. Then there are journals dealing with practically all the subjects in the world and they provide fascinating reading. Next we come to the books on travel and adventures. These create the spirit of adventure and enterprise. The reader is unconsciously shifted to those distant regions and feels the same thrill as was experienced by the author.

Novel reading is also a pleasant pastime. Nothing seems more entertaining than to spend a few hours in the afternoon or in a train reading a novel of our choice. We forget ourselves for some time. We feel happy or sorrowful according to the turns of fortune of our favourite characters. According to Bacon, some books are to be tasted means we may turn over their pages and see what they contain, others are to be swallowed, that is, to read thoroughly from cover to cover, and some have to be chewed and digested, that is to read and re-read. To read a book as a text book may be useful but it kills all interest. Nobody can appreciate such a temporary love of books. A real lover of books enjoys their company at all times of his life.

We should be careful in the choice of books. There are good books and bad books. Bad books corrupt the mind while good books fill the mind with noble thoughts. They enlarge and enrich the mind. They purify our souls. We should read such books and derive the divine pleasure the books can give us. Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body. This amazing quote describes the importance of reading in just one line. The joy of reading cannot be expressed in words. It’s something which can be understood only by experience.

Reading a book, gives a wonderful encounter with the new world created by the writer. A reader can extract the best benefits only when he/she falls in love with reading. Reading has at all times and in all ages been a great source of knowledge and wisdom. Today the ability to read is highly valued and very important for social and economic advancement. In today’s world there is so much to know and learn that the importance of reading has increased. In the olden days if reading was not cultivated or encouraged, there was a substitute for it in the religious sermon and in the oral traditions. In the nineteenth century, Victorian households used to get together for an hour or so in the evenings and listen to books being read aloud. At present we not only read, we also want to read more and more and catch up with the events taking place around us.

Reading skills are essential to succeed in life. Those who are good readers tend to exhibit progressive social skills. A person who is a good reader and a learner is able to mix with others in society. He is a better conversationalist than those who do not read. Reading broadens the vision. It is in a way a substitute for travel also. Confidence in reading comes only from the daily practice of reading. A good reader can interact with others in a far better way because reading widens his vision and point of views. Thus a widely-read man is a better conversationalist and is able to see the other points of view. Educational researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success. A student who is a good reader is more likely to do well in academics and pass exams than a student who is a weak reader.

Good readers can understand the individual sentences and organisational structure of a piece of writing. They can comprehend ideas, follow arguments and detect implications. Educational researchers have also found a strong correlation between reading and vocabulary knowledge. Students who have a good vocabulary of words are usually good readers. This is very surprising, since the best way to acquire large vocabulary is to read extensively and if you read extensively you’re likely to be or become a good reader. Books are no doubt very faithful friend of a reader. They never betray but accompany the reader, either sitting alone or travelling. Those who are habitual of reading feel comfort with books. It soothes and relieves tension and loneliness. Medically it also plays a vital role to eradicate depression and unrest. Books are great assassins of boredom. It just eliminate the boring time.

We are the dwellers of this speedy advancing world. Everything is moving so fast just like a rocket. To keep the pace, we must also need to do things that benefit us. Reading is no doubt a stupendous habit. It pours rich thoughts in mind. It brings out the best of someone. Reading also helps one to see the present in relation to the past and the future and thus develops a historical perspective. But, care is needed to ensure that reading doesn’t become a substitute for the real life.

The moment one ceases to enjoy the ordinary pleasures and happiness of life and is content to enjoy them vicariously through fictional and historical representation, one loses all the benefits of reading and loses contact with life. As a result of reading books over a period of time, a learning process is formed. There are a great many benefits to be gained from reading books. It is proven that in this technological society the demands for higher levels of literacy are creating unfavourable consequences for those who fall short. This is even more of reason to get into the habit of reading books, but with the cinema and television taking up a great deal of attention of children, teenagers and even adults, the habit of serious reading is dying out. We must never let it die out.