Top six reasons to read

In a world with so many things to do, why sit down and enjoy a book? Well, I'm glad you asked! I've come up with six great reasons to keep on reading in this multimedia age.

6) GROW YOUR IMAGINATION

TV and computers are visual media, showing you everything you need to know, but when it comes to a book, the reader has to engage their imagination and envisage what they are reading inside their head. A person's imagination is limitless in it's power and a good book can conjure up images far more vivid than can be seen on screen. Having a strong imagination can be a great asset at work, and can make a person far more interesting to talk to. Reading is both entertaining and helps you grow intellectually.



5) IMPROVE YOUR CONCENTRATION

Another facet of the intellectual growth that can come with reading, the effort of reading requires more concentration than watching television or listening to music. But the more you train your concentration, the better and longer-lasting it will become. You do not need me to tell you that having a good attention span and being able to focus on something is a valuable life skill, whatever the scenario.


4) INCREASE YOUR VOCABULARY


The English language is full of words that are rarely used, and the more you read, the more likely you will be to know them. Having an extensive vocbulary may not be of a huge practical use in your day-to-day life, depending on what you do, but it is always nice to see a strange word and know what it means. Impress you friends with obscure word definitions!

3) LIMITLESS

A book does not use a visual medium to convey its information, but rather the power of your own imagination. As such, the situations and places it can convey are literally limitless in their scope. An author does not have to worry about special-effects budgets, actors, building a set, or any of the pitfalls that can compromise artistic integrity and realising one's vision. If the author can imagine it, it is possible to convey in the written word. If your own imagination is up to the task, you will experience things in a book that are impossible anywhere else.

2) RELAXING

A book does not bombard you with an avalanche of bright pictures and loud noises, like so many other forms of entertainment in this electronic age. Reading can offer some peace and quiet, a brief respite from the stress and trials of everyday life. A common time to read is in bed, before turning in for the night. A good book can help you chill out, wind down, and switch off. No matter how busy you are, there is always time to relax!


1) FUN!

Above all, reading a great book is an entertaining, fun experience. There are few things better than finding a book you really enjoy, one you read at every opportunity and think about when you cannot. I love video games, I love good TV shows, and I love loud music, but reading offers something different to all these newer media, something irreplacable and something that, hopefully, won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Reading has been around for centuries, so it must be doing something right. Discovering new worlds, falling in love with characters, laughing at fantastic witty writing, sharing your favourites with others - there are so many reasons to read, and so few reasons not to. So go pick up a book and get to it!