May 01, 2008 07:50 PM
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As usual, the title of my review says it all! {Boy, do I love writing this line!}
Books are my whole life! Need I say more?
What?
HEY! WHO THE HECK SAID NO, I NEEDN'T SAY MORE? Come on, speak up! Dont you guys know about the law of MS - 150 words? At least utnaa to likhe do!
Now this is the kind of topic a megalomaniac like me loves - a topic all about I, Me, Myself! Even the Encyclopedia Brittanica willl run out of space if I dont reign myself in! So, without further ado, let me make my confessions:
MY CONFESSIONS
1) I read ANYTHING. The stack next to my pillow contains:
a) The Great Indian Novel - Shashi Tharoor
b) Wheels - Hailey
c) Archies Double Digest
d) The Case of the Mythical Monkeys - Erle Stanley Gardner
e) Business and Economy
f) HMS Ulysses - Alistair Maclean
2) I DONT have a TV in my room. Dont watch it!
3) I read while travelling, before sleeping, after waking up, while eating.... only place I dont is the LOO! {Spoils the look of the books, you see} hehe {No dirty thoughts - mind. I meant the book gets wet when I keep it on the sink} DIRTY MIND! SHAME, SHAME!
4) I usually pick an author I fancy - and read all of his works, before moving on to others.
5) I dont like borrowing books - nor do I like lending them. I love the smell and the feel of new books! Mmmmmmmmmm, boy!
6) And Lastly - I Read Anything. Absolutely Anything!
Phew! Never imagined being a megalomaniac can be so demanding! I'm all in!
But seriously, reading - what can be said? On a more serious note, every activity mankind undertakes has to have an upside as well as downside. Reading is no different!
THE UPSIDE as experienced my myself
1) Reading is a positive activity, and leads to knowledge betterment. Fact is, it is a very bad book that does not add any value. For example, any book will add to your vocabulary. How do you think I cleared the Vocab section in MBA entrance? By mugging words? Nope, mate. I just went in a did it extempore! How? Most words were familiar to me! Secondly, Linguistic development is a direct result. Today, I can speak in English fluently, and can use even complex sentences and words. That came about automatically. How? Through Reading. That is the only acitvity I have undertaken. The brain absorbs words and phrases - and the more you read, the more easily the brain translates the written words into spoken words! This is from personal experience.
2) Reading improves writing ability. For example, idioms, words and phrases flow easily in Englsh for me: same is not there in Hindi or Marathi. The only difference is I read a lot of English - and none in the other 2! No amount of TV watching in Marathi has been able to influence my writing, and to a lesser extent, my vocabulary. In fact. I wonder why this is so? Does any reader have any ideas as to why this happens? Why is it that the written word has a deeper impact on your pesonality and skills than the spoken word? I would love to know the precise reason!
3) It is a great mood enhancer. You can CHOOSE what you want to read at will. The choice is your own! With any other recreation, you are dependent on someone else - in the case of TV, you depend on the channel. In the case of friends- you are dependent on their being free and in the right mood. And so on and so forth!
4) You can put it down in the middle - and continue at an opportune moment. Try it with a TV programme! Even in DVD and CD, if you do that - it lessens enjoyment, as you lose the link.
THE DOWNSIDE as experienced by me
1) It is a solitary activity. Too much of it can lead to a one-sided personality, a limited friend circle and limited social skills
2) It can often lead to missing some of the other good things in life - that good movie, that maving mini series you might have wanted to see, etc etc
THE CONCLUSION
I wouldn't have it any other way. My mom and dad love to read too - and they were never lonely. Even now, when Dad is no longer there, my mom can just vanish into her books to ease the ache in her heart. That is the power of the book! It is your best friend for life - and much better than alcohol! A book is always there for you - always. You just have to reach out and grab it. There is one for every mood, every occasion!
Yes, some moderation would be recommended - BUT not too much. I like it the way it is!
