“Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.” – Francis Bacon
Why should we read books at all? What sort of books should we read? What are the benefits of reading? How to develop the reading habit? What suggestions can we make to improve the habit of reading? These are some of the questions I shall try to answer.
“Some studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business.” – Francis Bacon
The difference made by reading books
When I was doing my Higher Secondary education at Santhome Higher Secondary School, I used to visit a bookstall at Luz Corner, Mylapore. The book shop was on the roadside near the pavement. I came across a book, Panorama, A Selection of Poems, which I bought for a very low price. I still have that book with me. Reading a book of poems was a new experience for me. I started writing poems later. Reading the poems of W. B. Yeats, G. K. Chesterton, Robert Frost, Lord Tennyson, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, William Shakespeare, John Milton – was like opening of a treasure house. I used to buy useful books for the pleasure of reading and getting into greater ideas. Later, during my Major Seminary days and even after becoming a priest, the thirst for reading has not stopped. Reading has shaped my thinking pattern, it has increased my knowledge, it has made me a different person.
Fr Antony Pancras
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