The Importance of Reading

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Over the past few centuries, the act of reading has divided opinion. The 18th century view towards reading novels in particular was that it was a waste of leisure time, whereas the 19th century view saw reading as a means for education. Additionally, and as people’s access to books grew, there were concerns about the effects of reading on women. Cultural opinion leaders argued that women were more easily excited which could cause them to over-identify with characters in novels, resulting in them growing dissatisfied with their own lives.

In its worst form, reading was thought to corrupt the working classes as it could cause them to potentially emulate fictional criminals or even begin nationwide revolutions.

Cut to the present day, and the act of reading is not only seen as a sign of intelligence, but also as a sign of maturity. In fact, we all share such a vast access to books that even Aristotle couldn’t keep up. Yet we rarely pause to provide further answers to the question; "why read" beyond the simple response; "because it helps you learn things". And surely reading provides more than just that?

Reflecting on my school years, I don’t recall any teacher selling me the importance of reading. In fact, I didn’t realise the importance of reading until I started reading more myself.

Therefore, it is my aim within this article to not only outline why I think reading is incredibly important, but to also provide tips on how you can read in order to get the most out of each book.

So whether you read 10 books a year, 1 book a year or 432 books a year (and post it on social media to show everyone how many books you’ve read), let's take a closer look at the utility of reading.

Why is reading important?

Scratching the surface of the issue, we could say that reading allows you to “learn things”. But to delve deeper I believe reading allows you to enter the mind of another person, perhaps deceased and who lived centuries ago, and to inhabit their mode of thought. It allows you to see the world from a completely different point of view, thus challenging what you once thought to be true whilst inviting you into a realm of new opportunities.

A great book will destroy your worldview only to rebuild it, better, revamped and anew. However, not all books have such a dramatic impact. In fact some books barely manage to keep your eyelids open. In the middle of those two extremes are the books which merely plant a seed in your mind. Despite appearing insignificant at first, such seeds can blossom into a fully crafted idea or perspective years later.

Ultimately, what makes a book truly magnificent instead of mediocre is its ability, in the words of Franz Kafka, to be “an axe to the frozen sea within us”.

To illustrate this point, and due to the fallible nature we humans possess, it is essential that we challenge what we already know and actively seek to expand our realm of knowledge. Thanks to Socrates, the art of knowing that you know nothing has been a sound indicator for wisdom over the ages. And it is this pursuit of gaining freedom from what we already know that allows us to constantly peel back the next layer of the infinite onion of life. And then to peel back the next layer. And the next. And the next. And the, hmm... this onion never ends does it?

No it doesn’t because, in the words of John Wheeler, “as our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance”. That is to say there will always be an infinite amount of things which you don’t and will never know. Thus an individual’s effort to contend with the unknown allows them to develop humility, guard against arrogance and healthily challenge their cherished beliefs. And one can most definitely do so through reading.

But why challenge what you already know if doing so can be painful?

Because the alternative is rooting yourself in a hole, where you bask in your languidly acquired knowledge in order to provide your pride respite from avoiding the more challenging and humble task of putting what you know to the test. In this sense, you adopt the mind of the fool. Or worse, the facebook dwelling conspiracy theorist who attempts to convince everyone of her theory and grows hostile if someone plays devil’s advocate.

With this mindset, every challenge posed to your view-points seems like a personal attack, as opposed to a healthy and transformative discussion. You render yourself unable to learn and too prideful to adopt a beginner’s mind.

Absorbing the examples

Reading a book can often be like a conversation. If you are engaged with the material you can pause and summarise what you have read and ask; “what do I think about this?”. Although, what you get from a book differs in regards to a conversation because the author has painstakingly spent months or years articulating his work so you can read it. The content is deeper and more articulated which allows you to fully absorb the author’s word. Additionally, the back and forth aspect of a conversation can be applied to reading if the reader brings their own thoughts to the mix as mentioned, and it can even provide the foundation for a virtual mentorship to grow.

Mentorship is all around these days largely in the form of the dreaded “life coaches” that saturate the internet with their easily won advice. But sometimes just the mentor you are looking for can be found in a book. Although the type of mentorship you would get from real life and a book differs greatly, books offer you an opportunity to gain mentorship from people who were around way before you and who live/lived either similar or completely different lives to your own.

In his book Mastery, Robert Greene explains the importance of finding a mentor for whatever career path or skill you are looking to develop. A mentor is a person with a vast amount of experience and a honed skill set who you can model yourself off. Much like a loving parent or a dedicated coach, a mentor can provide critical feedback, guidance and support in order to help nurture you in the right direction.

But if your circumstances are limited and you are unable to find a mentor in real life, Robert Greene suggests that books can temporarily fill the gap.

Through seeking mentorship via books, one can find numerous mentors depending on the type of guidance you seek. If we do so, Greene urges us to “analyse what they (the authors') write and try to make it come alive - the spirit and not just the letter of their work”. Then we can apply these insights to our own lives, for example, when faced with certain setbacks we can ask; “what would this (author/person) do in such a situation?”.

The virtual mentor becomes alive in your imagination as a consequence of you absorbing their thought, philosophy and approach to life.

I should mention that there is always the risk of idolising someone to the extent of blindness. Regardless, it is the individual’s responsibility to absorb the work of another without drowning their own reason and thought. After all, the means of mentorship is to eventually find your way to independence. Hence the Spanish saying; “Maestro cuchillada” (To the master goes the knife).

I myself have sought guidance from many books in the past. Reading has provided me with many role models in my life such as; Jordan Peterson, Alan Watts, Ralph Waldo Emerson and many more.

Perhaps most importantly, reading has allowed me to avoid numerous unnecessary troubles through learning from the mistakes of others. As Oliver Wendell Holmes once said: “Learn from the mistakes of others … You can't live long enough to make them all yourself!”.

Reading is also the birthplace of knowledge and most importantly, it is the catalyst for knowledge to become wisdom.

Knowledge vs wisdom

It is often said that knowledge is power. But I think wisdom is better.

Knowledge and wisdom differ in regards to their use. Knowledge can be the storing of facts or ideas whereas wisdom is the actualisation of this knowledge into experience. The prime example of these two differences can be experienced in school. The common argument that rebellious teenagers have against mathematics, and any subject they don’t like for that matter, is “when will I actually need to remember Pythagoras' theorem in real life?”.

In my experience, I don’t think I ever heard a maths teacher respond to this question. My guess is that they already knew the futility of learning such things unless you actually wanted to be a mathematician. Nevertheless, I think this is an apt example for the point we are exploring here.

Knowledge can be stale unless it is used. And when it is used, when “words become works” so to speak, it becomes wisdom. Think of the know-it-all kid who can tell you all the states of America but can't tie his own shoe laces. He knows all of the states but what use does it do him to merely know?

Hence you can read all you want and still be a clumsy idiotic mess unable to tie your shoe laces or wipe your nose. You can know all there is to know about everything but what is the utility in that if you don’t know how to apply it to real life?

Wisdom is practical, knowledge is theoretical. Knowledge is storage, wisdom is opening the storage box and picking up the otherwise latent tools and using them. Knowledge holds the potential to become wisdom, but until then the good material lies idle. (Unless you are entering a competition in which you have to recount all the states of America).

To illustrate; knowledge is knowing how certain foods affect your health. Wisdom is using this knowledge to adapt your diet. Knowledge is understanding what a rip-tide is. Wisdom is using this knowledge to judge whether today is a good day for open water swimming.

As a caveat, I don’t think wisdom always has to involve ‘doing something’ per say as there are of course times in life where doing nothing is the wisest option. I would also consider it wise to practice shifting one’s viewpoint or intentionally challenging one’s perspective.

Nonetheless, and now that we have explored the utility of reading, let's explore “how” you can read to get the most out of books.

How do I know what books to pick?

Forcing someone to read doesn't work.

Unless you are a student, forcing someone to read something just doesn’t work. And even if you are a student, we could all agree that the most painstaking modules are the ones where we would rather spend our time talking about how boring it is to other students than study.

I recall in my secondary school there was a set period of 30 minutes each day in which all students had to Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). The idea being that more than three-hundred 12-16 year olds would sit quietly and read. It wasn’t long until the acronym “dear” became known as “oh dear”.

The strain of forcing someone to read something isn’t limited to childhood experience. Of course we can experience it in adulthood as well. “Omg read this book it’s superb!” or “oh I read a book about that the other day you should check it out!” or “have you read the book I got you for your birthday yet?”. These comments took no effort for me to type because I have said these numerous times. And the fact echoes again and again; it is not fun to read something you don’t want to read or are being forced to read.

Additionally, I recall another story in which my sister was explaining to my uncle (an avid reader himself) how she doesn’t like reading. To which my uncle replied; “well, then you aren’t reading the right books!”.

So that is the key; not just reading, but knowing what to read. Because forcing yourself to read the top 50 “classics” of world literature just because they are branded as such and apparently “they are good for a reason", only to find out that you detest such forms of literature is a waste of your time. And life is too short to read bad books.

That being said, I believe it is necessary to encounter a worse book every now and then as it allows you to appreciate the truly good books. You know, the ones that challenge and grip you to the extent that you hibernate in a little cabin and read that damn thing. And if you begin reading a book and aren’t enjoying it, you do not have to continue reading it. Let me repeat that. You do not have to finish a book you don’t like.

Do not strain yourself to reach the finish line just to say you have “read the book”. If the first 10% of the book doesn't capture your interest, pick it up, walk outside, throw it into the bin and send it off to where it belongs; the landfill, and ultimately, oblivion.

To play devil’s advocate, I have been thoroughly dissatisfied and confused in the beginning of some books only to push through and be extremely glad that I did. Dostoyevksy’s Crime and Punishment was one of those books for me. The first 100 pages were a struggle, but as a consequence of weathering the storm I came to realise the book for what it was; a true classic and well worth my time. But the choice is yours whether you decide to take the risk and push through.

When choosing what to read; allow your curiosity to guide you.

First of all, if you are just beginning to develop a reading habit and are unsure of where to start, recommendations can get the ball rolling. Speak to other people who read more or just as much as you to find out what they are reading. And if a certain book they mention sparks your interest, dive right in.

Secondly, deciding what topic you want to read more about or why you want to read are both good ideas. In fact, an old friend of mine called Bogdan (originally from Ukraine and a fanatic about Russian literature) told me that you should already know what you want from a book before you read it.

Are you reading to develop yourself in some way? Are you reading to expand your knowledge of history? Are you reading to relax and escape into a world of fantasy? Or perhaps to open your mind to new ideas? Whatever your reason might be, decide and pick what you read accordingly.

Reflecting on my own reading habits, I would say this is true for how I pick what to read next. Do I want to read a psychological book to understand more about the mind? Do I want to read a philosophical book to better equip me to deal with life? Or do I want to read a self-help book which will tell me how beautiful my smile is, how it would be a shame to waste it and how you just need to think positively and everything will be fine? (Absolutely not).That being said, I enjoy the challenge of picking up a book I know nothing about from time to time.

I believe this relates to my sister explaining how she wasn’t enjoying anything she was reading, to which my uncle replied that she wasn’t reading the right books. She was drifting, choosing out of obligation perhaps because she felt like she should read as that’s what “intelligent” people do. But when it came to choosing a book to read, she didn’t know what she wanted to explore or why she was reading, thus every book became an option. And all this breeds is indecision and a lack of satisfaction resulting in you putting the book down and saying “well what was that all about?”.

So when it comes to picking a book to read, firstly decide roughly what you want to read about, then head to a bookstore or browse the web and allow your curiosity to guide your choice. Why do some books stand out more than others? What titles draw you in?

Part 2.

How can you read to get the most out of a book?

Knowing why you want to read is the first step. Picking a book is obviously the second. But most importantly, knowing how to read is the key.

When you pick a book to read, you have done so for a reason. The title seems appealing, perhaps you have heard good things about the book or something else has sparked your curiosity. This is a sacrifice. You have chosen to dedicate your time to this book at the expense of millions of others.

Pick it up. Flick through it before reading (if you have a kindle forget this otherwise flicking through would take you about 10 hours) and read the contents. What are the titles of the chapters and what titles seem more appealing than others? This can be a good guide to uncover what you are looking for.

When you begin reading, treat it as if you are interviewing the author. If you are reading a paperback and not on a kindle, have a pencil with you so you can underline things and make notes in the margin.

“What! You would make markings on a brand new book!?”. Yes I would because it does not discredit the author, in fact it is a compliment. My tussling with the book and note taking on the pages shows I am engaging with the content, allowing me to absorb more, question further and understand deeper.

Use the blunt end of the pencil to speed read. The purpose of this isn’t to steam-roll through the book just to close it and say “finished!” only to forget what the book was about within a week. No. Speed reading (the process in which you move your finger or a pencil underneath each sentence from left to right, thus allowing your eyes to follow the pencil and read in a quicker and more fluid manner) increases both your reading efficiency and focus. Additionally, speed reading allows you to transition from detailed reading (in-depth comprehension) to skim reading (scanning for specific info) and gist reading (understanding the general idea of the text). As not everything needs to be read in the same detail.

The opposite of speed reading is of course reading without following your finger. The reason why speed reading is effective is because when you read without following your finger or pen, your eyes jump from word to word spasmodically. You follow the words jaggedly and this not only slows you down but also inhibits your comprehension of the text. (Think; those moments when you turn the page and realise you have no idea what's going on in the book).

On the other hand, I do not speed read fictional books. For me, reading these is a time to unwind and disengage from more focused reading. However, I have noticed that as a consequence of speed reading non-fiction, when I return to normal reading my eyes don’t jaggedly jump from one word to another, and then back again, and then forward. Instead I can read fluidly even without following with a pen.

Finally, and most importantly of all; if you are truly invested in your reading, take the time to write a short summary after finishing a book. There is nothing more futile than when I mention a book to someone and they say “I’ve read that!”, to which I respond “cool. What is it about?” and the response is “ermmmm, I can’t actually remember”.

You are wasting no one’s time but your own if A; you read bad books and B; you don’t engage with the content enough in order to remember it. If your choice is to read criminals or erotic novels in order to pass the time and not remember them, then crack on. But if you are reading to improve yourself, widen your knowledge or any other means besides passing the time, then do your future self a favour and engage with the content enough so you can remember it, and then practically apply it to your life.

When I finish a book, I add any notes I have made to the software notion and then complete a short 5-10 minute summary of the book in which I describe the book in 3 sentences, how the book has changed me (in any way if at all) and more.

You can find the link to my book review template here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pRaYaA-h5YzDtJCQgMYlRmDyn6FK5ZwHxvgrrX_9-es/edit?usp=sharing).

My aim for this article was to highlight not only the importance of reading, but also to provide certain tips I have learned regarding how to read in order for you to get the most out of each book.

Speaking for myself, reading has without a doubt been the most influential aspect of my life (besides the people in it) as it has allowed me to learn from others in a way I never could before. It has shown me the shore of my ignorance, provided the birthplace for knowledge to become wisdom and overall it has made me a better human being.

So if after reading this you decide to hit the books, for the right reasons, I salute you.

Thank you for reading & see you in the next one.

Lew