Importance of books in Human life

Introduction

It is hundred percent true that books are our best friends. They are our never failing companions. Books may be our guide, philosopher and teacher. When we are in trouble and do not know to do, we should take guidance from books. Books are, by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples fall into ruin, pictures and statues decay, but books survive. Time does not destroy the great thoughts which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author's mind ages ago. What was then thought and said still speaks to us vividly as ever from the printed pages. The only effect of time has been to throw out of currency the bad products, for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good. They stand by us in every weal and woe. As says Mahatma Gandhi when I as in distress, I got to the lap of mother Gita to get solace. By mother Gita, he means Bhagvad Gita, the great gospel-book of truth said from the mouth of Lord Krishna to his friend Arjun. All the great books of the world like the Ramayana, the Gita, the Quran, and the Bible etc, have been beneficial and useful to us and also show us path in darkness.

Books are immortal

Man is mortal but books are immortal. The great writers like Valmiki, Tulsidas, Surdas, Shakespeare, Aristotle, Plato and many others died centuries ago but the books written by them are living. Among them Rishi Valmiki and Swami Tulsi Das are the products of the books. They were very low in their lives, but later on as authors, they became immortal and divine. This is a lone example from the vast sea of knowledge. And in their books they are also living. When we read their books we feel that we are in their company.

Books are food for the mind

As chapattis, vegetables, fruits and sweets are food for our body, books are food for our mind. Our mind can be healthy only if we take good mental food i.e., read good books. So we should read good books and make our mind healthy.

Friends indeed

Books are our true friends. As a great writer says: They are our never-failing friends. They teach us, they influence us; they change the very course of our life. It is said that true friend is one who helps us in our need. Whenever we need advice we should open the proper book and seek advice. Many people take advice from books when they are depressed. The books tell us not to be depressed because our duty is to do our work and not desire for the reward. Their choice like friend's choice should be wise and judicious. A friend may deceive, but surely not a book.

Uses of books are too many. Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did, we see them as if they were really alive, we sympathize with them, enjoy with them and grieve with them. We become good, noble and civilized. They dispel darkness. They take us from gloominess to enlightenment. Books have played a pivotal role in the lives of all great men. They were not great but these books transformed them to dizzy heights of greatness.
Now books are available in ample number. They are as many as the subjects are. Books can be had on every branch of knowledge, whether it is science, art, psychology, engineering, technology, literature, medicine etc, can be learnt through these books and are varied and plenty. They give us comfort; they soothe the thumping heart and wavering mind. Many books are meant for serious reading. They are read for examination purposes. They are gone through for success in life. Some are red for recreation and entertainment. Some are for casual or light reading. Science and technology have advanced a lot. More and more knowledge is being added everyday. There are books through which your hunger for knowledge can be satisfied. These printed words, bound in the form of books, can best guide you, advice you and philosophize you. It is for you to choose good books. Do not be in a great haste in the matter of books. Meet the master minds of the world in the coziness of your drawing-room. They are there to give you a word of advice, a word of hope and cheer and a word which can change the very course of your life. Books do different things for us. When we are sad they amuse us. Humorous books and books on satire amuse us. Biographies of great persons inspire us to do great deeds. They build our moral character. Abraham Lincoln was very much fond of reading books. He was too poor to buy books. So he borrowed books and read them. He read the biography of George Washington- the first president of America. He was inspired from Washington's life and became the U.S. president himself. So books have done us great good in the form of changing our attitude towards life. They have cheered us. They have helped us. They have been instrumental in our progress. Books are a perennial source of truth, bliss and beautitude. In a way we move in their company and their experiences become ours. Without books no fresh ideas are possible and without fresh ideas no cultured society is possible. No wonder that the world keeps its books with great care. So read as many books as you can, chew a few and digest the fewest. We should consider ourselves fortunate that good books are available to us. But we should be beware of bad books and not read them.

The Importance of Reading Books

The joy of reading books can't be described in words. It's something that you understand only by real experience.

There is much more to life than your work, and the time that you spend aimlessly using the latest technology products. Reading books gives you that much needed break from the chaos in your life. It instills peace inside you, makes you relaxed and also exercises your brain in the process.


When you read a book, it feels great to put yourself into a world the writer has created for you. Ask any avid reader about this, and they too will agree that reading a book is same like watching a movie.

The Importance of Reading Books

When you spend several hours reading a book, you create a world of your own in your mind. You fill this world with different characters and scenes. This increases your imagination powers and helps you to think about your ideas more visually. Depending upon what you read, you will come out with the same experience as you do when you watch a great movie.

I have been a voracious reader ever since I learned to read. That's why I never get bored even being alone for a long time. I have found that reading books is the best medicine to kill boredom.

What starts with reading story books, when you are a kid, turns into reading books for improving yourself as you grow older. From story books to technical & management books, and then from self improvement books to spiritual books and beyond, the journey is fantastic and you learn something with each passing day.

You understand your thoughts and emotions more clearly. It makes you realize who you really are and makes your life more meaningful. Reading books makes you a better thinker and a better man.

And reading books is not the same as reading articles. Thanks to technology you can easily find good articles to read on the internet. A great article can inspire and motivate you as much as a great book. It's not how much you read, but what you read which is more important.

The only reason I recommend reading books over short articles is because when you read a book you spend several hours with it, whereas you only spend a few minutes reading an article.

It's easy to read a quote or an article for few minutes, then discard it and continue with what you were doing. But when you invest your time in reading a good book, you end up spending at least a few hours reflecting on its contents. Thus, what you learn from books is likely to stay with you for a longer time and have some positive influence on you.

A good reader also varies his reading pace based on the content he is reading and what he wants to get from it. The purpose of reading news articles is different from reading stories, which is different from reading important documents. Over a period of time, you will understand how to vary your reading pace and comprehension based on what you read and what you want from it.

Also, just reading good books is not enough. The way you read it is more important. When you come across a new idea or a different opinion, think upon it deeply. Don't accept or reject it blindly. Try to reason with it and understand the writer's point of view.

Reflect upon the thoughts that come to your mind when you read a great book. You will know whether a book is great or not based on the thoughts it awakens inside you.

As you continue this habit of reading and reflecting on what you read, you will start forming your own thoughts and values. It will challenge your mind and the thoughts, customs and traditions that you have grown up with.

However, there is one thing which you should always remember when you make this a daily habit, as you are investing a part of your life doing it. Too much reading, without any thinking and action isn't of much use. When you know you are ready to do something it's time to move to the next step. Act upon what you think is right and what you have decided to do.

It's easy to get so much involved in the reading process, that you forget that the main purpose of reading is to make you a better person which can only happen when you act upon it. Just finishing one book after another without any real action from your side won't help you.

What kind of person you want to be and what you would ultimately become depend greatly upon the type of content that you read and how much you act upon them.

Reading articles that promote negativity, hatred and give wrong information is dangerous. It's better to not read anything at all than read such articles.

Whether you read on some electronic device or prefer reading a real book, that's your personal choice. Personally, I prefer to read real books whenever possible because even after hours of reading my eyes feel fresh and full of energy. That's something I don't feel when I read too much on my computer.

Before ending this article, I would like to summarize few important points and also suggest some Do's and Don'ts of reading: