The science behind reading books !

– Tanmoy Das

FROM THE VERY CHILDHOOD we are preached to read books – books for academic purposes mainly. But many of us have also inculcated the habit of reading books apart from the text books. People like reading fictions, non-fictions, epics, classics and various write-ups and publications depending on their individual choices and outlook.

However, among the readers one can bucket them in groups of voracious readers – who read whatever then can hold onto, habitual readers – who make sure they read whenever they get time to and occasional readers – who read sporadically, once in a while and not unless they are stuck with nothing to do and the only thing they have is a book!

“Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” – Unknown

Whatever the type of reader you are, it is very important to be a reader – to read. Reading habit is a gift that parents or teachers can pass on to their wards. In school or at home, when people are exposed to reading books by the elders, they actually get exposed to wisdom, astuteness and the ocean of knowledge. Someone once said, books are the best way to gather the experiences of many lives in one single life, which otherwise is near to impossible to attain.

“If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Reading books definitely improves one’s focusing and concentrating abilities, speaking and writing capabilities, ability to imagine, dream big and look at a bigger picture. However, reading also improves one’s attitude, aptitude for knowledge and the talent of seeing things from various angles. It has been proved scientifically that reading books increases power to remember more, reduces stress levels and hence, effect in good health. Reading books on various subjects and topics make one smart, intelligent, wise; which enables one to add value to conversations and enjoy the attention in a crowd.

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” – P.J. O’Rourke

The more we read, the more we know and the more we learn. However, it is very important what we read. Often the problem with avid readers is that they tend to read whatever they find access to. While this does have a chance of offering information about new and unknown topics, this also can be a gamble and one might end up spending time on reading about something that might be of low or no importance in his life – worst case, some write-ups might persuade someone to do something what he would not have done otherwise. The quote above is one of my favorite quotes, that says the same thing is the most wonderful way.

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” – Haruki Murakami

Books have this tremendous power to associate people and engage them. People reading the same books can come and get together and achieve feats which they could not have accomplished individually. While books have the power to indoctrinate the mass with favorable, affirmative and constructive thoughts and bring in peace all over, books do have the power to convince the same group of people with thoughts that bring in mutinies, riots and revolutions. It matters what you read!

Let me end up with telling you my secret with reading books. Read slow but regularly. Read different books. Know different things. Be different and be a winner.

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