Books As Cuisine

Some books are meant to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested;  That is, some books are to be read only in parts; Others to be read, but not curiously; And some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention~ Francis Bacon

As the technology advances people are busy playing Farmville and Angry birds; the charm of books seems to diminish with the day passing by. It is not for that reason people don't want to read books; they just don't know which book to read .So here I shall try to present some ideas how to build a reading habit.

First of all, people have a weird thought that reading is just about reading the bulky old Englishmen stories belonging to era of our grandfather and grandmothers; Shakespeare and similar shit. That is totally a wrong idea .

The best way to increase the reading habit is by finding out books and reading materials of your interest. Always read things you can relate to and find interesting; instead of reading a book your friend said was an International Best Seller.  I have also seen people getting stuck on silly things like bookmarks and best place to read and all shorts of silly irrelevant thing.If you have urge to read you will read in bathroom in a dim light; if not you never will.

To start reading you do not have to have a Moment of Zen; just start from anything. Just read a newspaper -reading sports page is also "Reading" as reading a classic or International best seller. Choose books which you can finish within a time frame or your free time.Too bulky book which you can never finish just leads you to feeling of vulnerability for your enthusiasm for increasing reading.  Never attempt to eat a whole chicken because it is delicious, you shall regret that in long run.
How to choose book then? For example, if you are a golfer read about golf that will surely interest you; if not read about your Heroic Golfer your Idol related-book or autobiography whatever you can. You just now always read about technique of golfs you can vary your taste from within area of your interest. If you like stories then even you are grown up you can still read them or a Comic book that too is reading. As I said earlier don't confuse reading to just reading bulky books and world famous writers. You can read books on general knowledge too.  You can read about history about geography…Read Philosophies to get to next level of spirituality or just read a funny joke; it doesn't matter as long as you are reading.

Of course, looking at pictures in a book or magazine that is also a form of reading-it helps you recognize more face and if you are you can analyze the dress people are wearing, interior design of a house, new looks of a new launched car or even the photographic aspects to it. Reading should not be narrowed and defined only as reading classical books word by word to join a book club where people discuss only so called World renewed piece of literature. Read a book which gives you joy and not to increase the list of book you read before you died.

To tell about way of reading, there are various styles to do so. Every book demand a special treatment as said in the opening quote.  For instance you would not read everything in a telephone directory but just the number of person you need to call. Same thing applies with all books.

You should also treat skimming as a way  of reading;  skimming does help you to know  provide with general idea of book and writer  and the subject matter  tried to be  conveyed. Reading few lines sometimes just a preface or a particular chapter or particular page is also as equally important as reading a whole book. There are so many books in universe I double dare you to even try read every one of them line by line word by word. I say: JUST TAKE AWAY THE ESSENCE.

Another big issue for us is to find books; even there are millions of bookstores and libraries people are not sure where to find books. They are not habituated in standing in a bookstore staring at books to choose from it (Just the same thing which happens to me in cloth shop: P.) If that is the case try going to book store and libraries with friends who have little idea about books; after few time if shall be same as entering a restaurant to have ice cream.

You can always borrow books from your friends or relatives or whoever has it. And try to keep a neat record of returning books after you read- Collecting others book won't make you are reader rather lead to a one less book lender  (It's all business .)

And yes, have you ever tried to know what books your parents read and all short of stuff – if not that can be a good starting point. After reading books you can discuss it with them. And don't forget the sibling and close friends, too.

Try to buy a book at least once in a year and if you still don't read them some year you will feel how many years went by without reading and you may start reading then. These days there is Google and Facebook and all short of free e books so if you are okay with reading EBooks you can save a lot of money (Only in books that money later goes to Ophthalmologist)

One greatest element of reading is motive for reading. Why do it? It won't give you money to pay bills or neither that will be asked in any exams so you can have a highest mark holder in your class. You have to find your own motive for reading.

For me reading gives me power of analytical minds. It also helps me to see world not even travelling anywhere sitting in a sofa or lying in my bed. Reading synchronizes me with the changes occurring everyday in world of Science, Technology, Politics whatever it can be providing with sense of touch. I also have read somewhere that reading does help to reduce stress level in humans. Reading also helps me to develop the power of terminologies so I can convey my mind to other people exactly to the point. And for me reading gives me a sense of competition to myself –to read books within a time frame; that self competition adds a little in me with every book.

The most important reason for reading books is for acquiring knowledge on various topics that exist. While reading a book we should always have a stand point to the ideas and views of the writer without being biased and test our stand point with the facts presented. You r view about a subject and the writers view not matching is always appreciable. 

Try to read books from various part of world written by various people. Every person has a story to tell and books are the place where such story is told by few who can. So books do help us to gain experience about things we never encountered. Read books from Antarctica to Europe, books from Arab; books from a writer you never heard of; place you never knew-that's hell fun.

So I must also say type of book I would love to read. I love reading anything (except old English things).To be precise I love to read on Science, Music, Philosophy and most of all biographies.

Always treat book like food, try to have new taste now and then. Yes sometimes new food can lead to terrible experience same is with books. But it should not discourage you to acquire more taste. As you would want to have Chinese, Italian, French various cosines try having same idea for books.

With time we should try to vary and expand our area of interest in books; just like in food. You sure are not as keen on candy as you were as kid; now you would want Tequila and so forth. Similarly taste of human changes so they should change their changing topics to read with time. Just like seasonal foods, there are also seasonal books. By it I mean to books like Autobiography of some famous guy (says Michael  Jackson) does surged with his death and everyone was keen on reading and knowing him. And there are some books which are passed down from a generation to generation like a recipe to a cuisine. There are all sorts of books …Enjoy your meal.....