Reading of books is a pleasure. It has a joy of its own. We forget our cares and anxieties for the time being and live in a world created for us by the author.
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Reading is as necessary for our mind as food is for our body. It is the reading of books which refreshes us when clouds of sorrow darken our lives. It is reading which gives us food for thought when we have no special work to do. It is thus the most wholesome hobby and should be acquired as early in life as possible.
Reading is of different kinds. First, there is the light reading. There are newspapers, periodicals, journals, etc. decorating the table of every educated man. This type of reading has practically become an essential feature of the life of every modern man. No one can afford to miss what is happening in other parts of the world. There are, for example, political events which are taking place in this fast changing world, which every gentleman must know. The newspapers will provide him with the day-to-day events. Then there are journals dealing with practically all the subjects in the world and they provide interesting reading.
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Next we come to books on travels and adventures. These are also very interesting. These create in us the spirit of adventure and enterprise. The reader is unconsciously transported to those distant regions and he feels the same thrill as was experienced by the author.
Novel reading is also a pleasant pastime. Nothing seems more entertaining than to spend a few hours in the afternoon or in a train reading a novel of our choice. We forget ourselves for some time. We feel happy or sorrowful according to the turns of fortune of our favorite characters.
According to Bacon, some books are to be tasted, that is, we may turn over their pages and see what they contain, others are to be swallowed ?, that is, to be read thoroughly from cover to cover, and some have to be chewed and digested, that is, to be read and re-read. To read a book as a text book may be useful but it kills all interest. Nobody can appreciate such a temporary love of books. A real lover of books enjoys their company all his life.
We should be careful in the choice of books. There are good books and bad books. Bad books corrupt the mind while good books fill the mind with noble thoughts. They enlarge and enrich the mind. They purify our souls. We should read such books and derive the greatest pleasure the books can give us.