The topic I'd like to deal with today is books and reading.
And by books I mean first of all fiction books, not textbooks or reference materials.
It is popularly believed that reading is a hobby of an intelligent, well-educated person.
Since our early childhood we consider as an axiom the idea that a reader is certainly a wise and sensible man.
But is it really so?
Let's make it out.
To begin with, let's think about what books can be for the society.
First of all, books are a cultural heritage.
And it is not only Bible and Koran that are our cultural heritage, but in fact every book. Why?
Because it was written in a certain epoch and can characterize it in one way or another.
Secondly, books are a good way to kill the time.
If you are at an airport waiting for your flight or you are on a beach lying in the sun, a book is an available amusement that can help you just to forget that the time exists.
Thirdly, books are a way to show off.
As I've already said, we got used to the idea that a person with a book is a smart one.
And if you are artful enough, you may make use of it, there's nothing super bad in it.
What is more, many people say that books give them an opportunity to get through other lives.
And in addition to this, books are a device of upbringing children.
It is a good story read by parents where a child absorb ideas about behaviour, about right and wrong, good and bad, the permissible and the forbidden.
Then, books help us to develop skills.
Although this function looks a little far-fetched.
I mean, beautiful language and imagination don't seem to me the most important skills.
So I think other hobbies may be more useful for your self-development.
For example, role-playing games help us to develop social skills, and doing puzzles or solving mathematical problems can train your brains better.
On the whole, we cannot deny that reading has some assets.
However, it seems to me, that people exaggerate the positive effect of books.
So, now I'd like to tell you why reading is not an absolutely beneficial activity.
Why it all depends.
Well, here come the bad features of reading.
To begin with, it is a hobby for introverts.
You may say that people talk about books, but let's be honest to ourselves: they read much more than discuss.
Secondly, reading is a perception of somebody other's work, not production of something yours.
Thirdly, books often lead to losing your criticism.
I mean the society opinion pressure.
We are often afraid of voicing our own opinion in public because of the danger to be ostracized.
Then, a book is a subjective point of view of a stranger.
And this stranger is often a religious bigot or a man with some mental diseases.
Next, for lots of people books are a good device to make money on us.
It particularly concerns those businessmen who write motivational books and books-trainings, that in fact contain little advice and a lot of the author's life stories.
Moreover, even if you don't read motivational books, it's very easy for you to read worthless books.
Ok, every book can develop imagination.
But talking about beautiful language, it really depends on a book.
My mother likes to say that it is books that enriched her vocabulary.
It's not wonder: she had been reading Russian classics since her early childhood.
But talking about teenager books, what can they bring into your lexicon?
Translated books are also a bad source of a good language.
Thus, we have far fewer books worthy reading.
In conclusion, I'd like to urge you to choose books more properly. Be critical.
Twice critical.
Don't be afraid to have your own views on books and authors even if everyone around has one and the same opinion on it.
And, please, don't think that the fact, that you like reading and you read automatically, makes you a good, kind, wise, smart, erudite, intelligent person. Thank you.
March 2016
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