I feel that the more you read, the more open you become in your thinking. We tend to view things differently as we gain more knowledge about people, places and other people’s behavior. It may be any kind of book: fiction, non fiction or books on other subjects. They all contribute to increasing our awareness of people and society because all books are an extension of the author’s experience and knowledge coupled with imagination. If we are able to take it as it is meant to be, we can gain a lot by reading. These are my feelings.
One, of course, needs to be careful while selecting books, as a lot of unwanted stuff is available that won’t give any positive benefits - but generally speaking, I tend to feel that books make you broad-minded as well as knowledgeable. We tend to read books on subjects that interest us and unless you are open to new ideas you may not look beyond your own limited interests–but even within that limited field of choice, one can always better oneself.
When we read the right kind of books, especially the well-researched, well-written books by established authors, we tend to gain a lot of knowledge, which is bound to enhance our mental capabilities. Reading is a very powerful means of communication. The author is communicating with his readers. It can definitely be a positive influence on people; the more you read, the more ideas you get. Selective reading further helps in building up your knowledge and becoming much more capable of assessing and judging people and situations in life–which is what being broadminded is all about. At least to me, being broadminded means being capable of making the right judgment about others without being biased..
If you are interested in becoming more knowledgeable about personal financing, for example, the only way to gain more knowledge is through reading–which as you may have hoped, might help you in your future investments.
Reading is such a valuable hobby to cultivate. There were many doubts among people whether computers would take over and bring down the demand for books, but personally I feel that once a person has developed the reading habit, nothing can take it away from them. Another thing I have noticed is that it is hereditary; if the parents or at least one of the parent is fond of books and reading, he/she automatically passes on this habit to the children and others around them as well. Reading definitely sharpens your thought process and makes you grasp ideas better. When a person reads books on different subjects, it makes him/her more knowledgeable and a more interesting person to converse with.
The best thing about reading is that it makes one positive and able to understand and better accept others’ opinions and views. Reading habits should be cultivated from childhood, and should become an integral part of growing up. It may well prove to be the solution to many ills of our society. Each new book teaches us something new about life; it makes you think, rethink and sometimes changes the course of your life.
It is difficult to draw a line between what is a good book and what isn’t. People have different viewpoints and what is good to me may be considered bad by someone else, so it depends on the individual to select what he wants to read instead of any kind of censoring. I personally prefer to be open about one’s choice of books. Reading is definitely the best form of relaxation. A person who develops a reading habit is never bored in life. Reading definitely enhances a person’s thinking; he becomes more aware of his surroundings and understands things better.
