Did you know that 80% of all families did not buy or read a book within the past year? Such a fact seems staggering given how many books are published each day around the world.
But, many folks choose not to read for a variety of reasons: they’re too busy, books are boring, books are expensive, there are not enough pictures, they’re allergic to paper…you get the picture. But the fact remains that a lot of smart people are putting out a lot of smart books. And, by reading these books, you’ll learn something, and can pass on this knowledge to others.
Books, as you well know, come in a variety of shapes and sizes and cover a wide array of topics. Maybe sports are your thing. Maybe you enjoy military history. Perhaps you’re curious about gardening. Maybe current events pique your interest. Whatever it is you like, there’s a book for that.
So, on your next trip out, grab a book. Actually, you may even have one lying around the house that you bought that one time Oprah told you to, but you never really got around to reading it like you had planned. That’s okay – it’s not out of date. You can still read it.
Set aside some time to just read. If you wait until you do everything else you want to, you’ll never get around to it. So, make reading part of the routine. Start with 15 minutes a day. If you have trouble finding this time, set your alarm clock to wake you up a little earlier tomorrow and pencil in some earlier morning time with a book. Or, turn off the TV for half an hour and read something instead. Opportunities truly abound for you to plan to enjoy the written word.
When you’re done with the book, tell someone about it. Pretend you’re a world-class book critic and offer your two cents on what you just read. Recommend it or pan it. If it’s good enough to pass to a friend, give it away or find a way to swap it for your next read.
Regardless of what you read, just make sure that you do. We, of course, recommend books that raise awareness about things that need caring about. But, we won’t hold you to that just yet.
We just want to make sure you don’t fall into that group of 1/3 of high school graduates who never read another book after graduating.
