A Room Without Books is Like A Body Without A Soul

1. Don’t neglect reading books that were written before you were born or earlier. All books, regardless of their age, are new when read for the first time.

2. “A good book, in the language of the book-sellers, is a salable one; in that of the curious, a scarce one; in that of men of sense, a useful and instructive one.” (Oswald Chambers, 1874~1917)

3. “Books, like friends, should be few and well-chosen. Like friends, too, we should return to them again and again for, like true friends, they will never fail us — never cease to instruct — never cloy.” (Charles Caleb Colton, 1780~1832) As Charles Caleb Colton suggests, we should reread good books several times during our lifetime, An important reason for doing so is we are no longer the same person when we reread it, so each new reading will provide fresh insights.

4. Build a personal library of your favorite books so you will be able to follow the advice of (William) Robertson Davies(1913~1995) “A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.”

5. With the vast number of books available, choose what you read carefully. Why spend time poring over useless information when you could use the same time to grow in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom?

6. Potentially, books are treasures, but one that is shut is nothing but a doorstop.

7. If we fail to read good books, how are we any better than an illiterate person?

8. Sometimes one reads a book on procrastination in order to procrastinate! Don’t use reading as an excuse to avoid responsibilities.

9.  “It is better to read a little and ponder a lot than to read a lot and ponder a little.” Denis Parsons Burkitt (1911~1993)

10. Read one book at a time. To learn efficiently, it is better to focus on one subject at a time. If we try to read several books at once, we divide our attention, absorbing less material from each book.

11. “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” (P. J. O’Rourke) I couldn’t resist including this humorous quote, which applies to Elvis Presley. You see, despite his ignoble death (a drug overdose in his bathroom), it became noble because of what he was reading at the time of his death, which was the spiritual classic, The Impersonal Life, DeVorss Publications, 1969.

Just as we can judge people by the company they keep, we can learn more about them by the books they read. And whenever you meet bright people and wish to become more like them, find out what books they read.

You probably agree with Marcus Tullius Cicero (106~43 BC) that “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” To enjoy the benefits of reading at little cost, get a library card. And if you already have one, use it more often.

Also, may we all enjoy TV as much as Groucho Marx (1890~1977) who said, “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

CREDIT: Personal Development