Public Service Announcement:  You should read more books.

I’m an avid reader.  I read in the morning.  I read in the evening.  If I’m getting in the car – I take books with me in case I arrive early.  If I’m going on vacation – I take a ton of books with me and make time to read.

Why do I read?  Primarily  – because I enjoy it.  Yet, I also believe becoming a disciplined reader adds a great deal of value. Here are a few thoughts:

1.  Books make you a better thinker.  Books force you to think.  You must concentrate.  You must follow thought patterns.  Books can make you a great thinker if you read books outside of your area of expertise or read books that challenge your current way of thinking.

2.  Books make you more informed.  I’m BIG on this point.  Published books have been researched, edited, reviewed, fact checked, and everything in between.

Think about this:  How much research or fact checking goes into a tweet?  None.  How much research or fact checking goes into an online article?  Not much.  If they took the time for research and fact checking it would be old news before it hit the web.  How much research or fact checking goes into a newspaper article?  Not much.  There is a deadline everyday.

You get the idea.  If you want to be informed on a given subject –  read books.

3.  Books improve your vocabulary and writing skills.  There is no way around this one.  Reading improves your vocabulary and writing skills because it exposes you to vocabulary and heavily edited writing.

4.  Books allow you to be a resource to others.  I routinely pass along books that I’ve read.  I often reference an idea that I’ve read and someone says, “I’d be interested in reading that.”  Or I’m having a conversation and I say “You need to read ________ it deals with a lot of these issues.”  I currently have 5 books out on loan.

That’s my public service announcement.  You should read more.

Happy reading.