I have been a book reader for as long as I can remember. Personally, I’d rather spend my time reading a book than watching TV (unless, when I have company, I’m watching TV, just to make fun of what’s happening on the subway). So, what reasons can I share with you why others would like to consider reading a book as a priority activity in their personal lives?
1) Reading books can help you be more productive with your time. If you have nothing to do while waiting for something to happen while following your schedule, read a book instead. While waiting for the time, you can read something good from a book. While waiting for traffic to move, or while going to and from your destination, you might as well read a few pages of a book (it’s an entirely different matter if you’re the one driving; you need to listen to an audiobook, or books in a different format). Or read a book to someone who is driving and those willing and ready to listen, if that works for you.
2) Reading a book is like training and learning all in one, no matter how some have questioned how people can actually learn or train using a book. I remember a question answered by a professor of mine in grad school, who is an expert business trainer, who asked the class if books really can train people. He was, so to speak, probing his doubts about the use of books in training. I said the opposite, and explained myself. Well, he wasn’t sold on my ideas (basically, books give ideas that you apply in everyday life situations), and I thought he should have taken it against me. But still, I stand firm in my position that books are an excellent training and learning tool. You apply what you read from books in life, and check, if you made mistakes. You, therefore, learn in the process: books facilitate training and learning.
3) Books are great companions, especially when you find yourself in situations in life that others describe as the “hard gets hard” phase. When friends are unbearable to meet, for some varied and unclear personal reasons, you might consider reading books. Your search for comfort amidst the pages of a book can help alleviate whatever ails you right now. Read two pages or up to ten pages a day, and this will be enough for your (reading) needs.
4) You will read all about the most important beings, both supernatural and natural, through books. Remember: God even wrote a book, in the form of the Bible (which was made through people like us, of course). You will come face to face, so to speak, with these (of great importance) beings when you read about them in the books.
5) You learn great stories that define and explain the mystery and depth of the human experience. You can read literature, contemporary books, religious books, history books, even technical books (“they give instructions on what to do”), poetry, and you will still “hear” great stories that will always inspire you. You see some kind of illumination of what “truth” is as you read the pages of these books that promise to tell you great stories.
6) The habit of reading books makes you dwell among the great and highly respected peoples who have lived on earth. There are so many of these people who have made reading books part of their habits. Just google about famous people who read books and you will get a list of pages where you will see the names of well-known people who are in the habit of reading books. So, you’ll be in good company if you’ve been reading books.
7) (Ironically!) People who read books seem smart (although they may not necessarily be smart); this can be an interesting trait to show off to others to create a positive image, unless, if you don’t value having a “smart look,” they may think you’re “nerdy” more than anything else. And have you noticed that most people who have wealth have a stack of books displayed or stored somewhere in their homes? This just indicates that reading books can help you get smarter (or even richer, if we stretch it further!).
8) Books make great gifts! Either you give her a book that you think another person needs to read for some particular reason you have in mind, or you give her a book that person wants (or has indirectly told you that she wants to own and read). Go get a book from the bookstore, or just give away something you’ve read for no particular event. People who received books as gifts would be gratified (or perhaps question their motives), but the message is sure to get through.
9) It’s always great to read books on emerging tech platforms, as is joining something innovative or even revolutionary. This has been the case ever since man invented the printing press. Even for the blind, new technologies and platforms must be developed, so that they themselves can access more reading (as well as writing). For the rest of us, we can now read books directly from our cell phones (mainly in text format), from Amazon’s Kindle, on your PC or laptop, or from an audiobook (although this does involve listening), as well as reading newer related technologies soon to be offered to the market.
10) Finally, books are works of art in themselves. Samples of works of art, capable of helping to lift our spirits and keep us in constant search for what is beautiful in the midst of life’s difficulties, can literally be found between the pages of books. Have you seen books published by Taschen? Or those of Phaidon Press? His books can be considered impressive works of art. There is a lot of work that goes into the processing of a book, apart from the act of writing performed by an author. There are the publishers, printers, editors, agents, marketing people, critics, among others. Until the advent of the Internet (where you could publish a book on your own), creating a book was very labor intensive. It takes a lot of mental work just to get a book published and into your hands, so for God’s sake go read a book.
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