Food is necessary
for our body. Similarly, we also need
food for
our mind. The best food for the
mind is the reading
of books. It
has a joy of its own, which perhaps nothing else
can give the
pleasure one derives from reading is procreative
as well as
ennobling. Reading gives us peculiar joy and we
Reading is of
different kinds. First, there is light reading,
which means the reading
of newspapers, periodicals, journals
etc. newspapers
and journals are storehouses of information
about current
events;. Through them we come to kn9w about
all that is
happening in every part of the world. The modern
age is
such that we can ill afford to miss at least this type
of light
reading. We will be like a frog in a well without
newspapers.
Therefore, such reading as is both delightful
and informative,
cannot be ignored.
Now we come to the books on
travel and adventure.
Man wants to
escape from the dull realities of everyday
life.
The spirit
of adventure is in
the very blood of man. Books
of travel
and adventure infuse into us the
same spirit of
adventure and
fearlessness as. was displayed by the travelers
themselves. The
reading of novels is a pleasant
pastime and
nothing is more
entertaining than to spend
some time reading
a novel
in the afternoon or in a train. The
reader forgets his
own personality and
existence for some time and totally
identifies with
the characters o( the book. This identification,
through
unconscious, is a source of endless pleasure to him.
Then there
are books for serious reading. They include .
works of literature, history,
culture, philosophy and many be
called books for
all times and ages. Such books are indented
for the sober
and thoughtful minds. A student of
literature
comes in
contact with the master minds of all ages and finds
a good
deal of food for his thought. They give him
an insight
into the spiritual
values of life. He can thus make his life
noble and sublime.
His outlook is widened and the field of
human sympathy
broadened.
Now we come to the
most important question, viz. how
to read books?
Beacon has said, "some books are to be
tasted, others
are to be swallowed and some few to be
chewed and digested."
To treat a book as a text book has
the sense
of compulsion. This compulsion many
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 the time.
We should
be very careful in the choice of
books. If bad
books come
into the hands of the young, their minds are
infected with their
evil influence. Many promising youths have
been ruined
because of the taste for bad
books. Good books.
on the other
hand, are purifying. They enlarge and enrich our
minds and
mold our character. Therefore, it
is necessary
that the youth
should seek advice from those who are
competent to
give it.
The habit of reading
is a sign of culture. It is a great
source
of enjoyment and the best means of utilizing leisure.
Books are
a treasure richer than the treasure
of any king.
They are the gold
mines of art, literature. science and
information. They are our constant companions.
