The Value of Books

The Value of Books

1. Books are patient teachers, willingly sharing the wisdom of our contemporaries and forefathers. “Books are masters who instruct us without rods or ferules (sticks, canes or paddles used to punish children) without words (criticism) or anger, without bread or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep; if you seek them, they do not hide; if you blunder, they do not scold; if you are ignorant, they do not laugh at you.” (Richard De Bury, 1287~1345, British chancellor).
2. Our future depends on what we read after graduating from school. Real learning starts after graduation and is found in the books we read.
3. Imagine meeting Albert Einstein, Marcus Aurelius, or Buddha. We can meet them all and countless others. Philosophers, spiritual teachers, scientists, poets, and every type of historical figure invite us to join them in the world of books. “Books are the true levelers. They give to all, who faithfully use them, the society, the spiritual presence, and the best and greatest of our race.” (William Ellery Channing, 1780~1842)
4. A good book teaches us about every aspect of life, the strengths and foibles, the rise and fall of humanity. It introduces us to beauty, truth, and wisdom. Good books are manuals that guide us to the path of success and happiness.
5. Books teach us by example how to powerfully express ourselves through language.
6. Reading destroys loneliness, for when we are surrounded by books, we will always have friends to delight, comfort, guide, instruct, and inspire us.
7. Books are the gateway to the greatest adventure of all: self- discovery.  “Every reader finds himself. The writer’s work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.” (Marcel Proust, 1871~1922)
8. Because of the knowledge books grant their readers, and because of the small number of book lovers, today’s readers will become tomorrow’s leaders.
9. When circumstances prevent you from traveling, books will whisk you off to a far-off land, yet undreamt of paradise, or a Shangri-La of unimaginable beauty.
10. The world of books will provide you with a sanctuary where you can escape from the chaos, confusion, and clamor of everyday life.
11. Books broaden your perspective by providing a sweeping vista of the entirety of human experience.  “To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.” (Professor Anthony Clifford Grayling,  Birkbeck, University of London)
12. “Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.”  (Charles Scribner, Jr., 1921~1995)
13. Would that we all would appreciate books to the extent that Desiderius Erasmus (c.1466~1536) did, for he wrote, “When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.”
14. According to a 2009 Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, reading could decrease the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
15. Bibliotherapy is a modern form of treatment utilized to treat non-emergency mental illness. In the United Kingdom, bibliotherapy is a suggested treatment practiced by many therapists to treat patients with depression and other mood disorders. This unique therapy works by getting the patient to read prescribed self-help books that address their illness.

SOURCE: Personal Development