OpinionsNurse TalesAs for me, give me a book

As for me, give me a book

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I remember vividly how I spent my summers when I was in high school (in Davao City) by reading as many books as I could borrow from the library. I continued this practice when I was a graduate student in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in the 1970’s. My father encouraged us to read, read, and read— our school books and even old newspapers used for wrapping things. He also subscribed to the Readers Digest. I usually do not read a book during school days when I was still working because I do not want to put down a book once I have started reading it. In order not to disrupt my schedule, I read during breaks or vacation time.

For many of us, reading is regarded as one of life’s great pleasures, however, with the advent of smartphones, game consoles, Netflix, amusing oneself with text which do not move has become increasingly unappealing (aka as boring). But books are important in our lives. They fire our imagination and immerse us in new worlds. They make us happier, they make us healthier, and they can even be the key to career success. Here are three ways being a bookworm can ensure career success (Beth Leslie, 2018, in Entrepreneur. Network):

Reading improves your communication skills. One needs to express herself /himself clearly, correctly, coherently as part of one’s business skills. You may be asked to present an idea to your team, sell the company products to a client, or urge your boss for a promotion.

Reading makes us more articulate by increasing our vocabulary: books contain 50 per cent more rare words than either television or conversation. This exposure to new words and sentence structures in books, we learn how to use them in real life. Lastly, an estimated 5 to 15 per cent of all words we know we learned from books.

Reading boosts your brain power. Our brain is likened to our muscles. It can be slowed down by age or lack of sleep. Reading books, is like adding oil to a rusty machine; it confers a number of mental benefits to the person. Moreover, these mental benefits last long even after the book is closed. People who read throughout their life are rewarded with healthy brains in old age. It is said that without books, your cognitive decline is likely to be 48 per cent faster than average.

Reading improves your working relationships. A good book makes us feel every emotion under the sun. A downside to this is that we become more sensitive at discerning the emotions of others. Hence, reading books make us better at reading people —which may be translated to clinching deals with clients to providing managerial support that will turn a mediocre employee into an outstanding one.

On a lighter note, while applying for a job, you might be asked this question? “What books have you read lately?” or my former students had this question during their final exam: “List five books (aside from your text books) which you have read during this semester.” Your answer could spell your doom or survival.

Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 3 and is hosted by the National Education Association in conjunction with Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2). This celebration applies the football pep mentality to books, and aims to make children get excited about cracking open a book as they are about scoring a touchdown.

In closing, here is a quote for you: “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss in I Can read With My Eyes Shut!

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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