Importance of reading books is due to its advantages and benefits. Reading helps you learn new things and to develop your vocabulary and oral expression. Reading can boost your personal development also, because reading will have an amazing impact on your mind.
It is one of the best investments you can make. A book costs little, but the lessons you can learn from it can be worth a lot. So if you’re new to reading, here’s some insight into the importance of reading. 🙂
12 Amazing benefits of Book Reading
Immersing yourself in a good novel helps you to travel without moving from your couch. But in concrete terms, does reading have real benefits for our brains and intellect?
Yes, a thousand times yes. And we explain the power and importance of reading.
1. Reading stimulates your brain
All lovers of reading will tell you:
Reading makes you happy… and sometimes a little addicted.
And it’s not only good for your morale, it’s also good for your brain. Just as knitting stimulates neuronal connections and allows them to function more efficiently, reading makes the memory work and helps keep the mind clearer. So it’s a real brain gymnastics that takes place when we immerse ourselves in a book. Start reading books to keep your brain healthy.😎
2. Reading reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Reading may not be the miracle cure for brain diseases. Nevertheless, a study published in 2001 in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that people who engage in certain intellectual activities – such as puzzles, chess or reading – are 2.5% less likely than others to develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Dr. Robert P. Friedland, one of the researchers in charge of the study, believes that the brain functions like any other organ in the body. It simply needs to be stimulated so that it doesn’t burn out too quickly.
3. Reading makes you more empathetic
Do you sometimes find it difficult to decipher other people’s emotions and, above all, to identify with them? May be you’re a bit of a sociopath… or maybe you just need to read a little more often. An article published in Science Magazine in 2013 indicates that reading fiction specifically helps you develop your altruistic side.
How, why? Simply because this type of story generally immerses the reader in the emotions and thoughts of the characters. Thus, we put ourselves more easily in the place of others, we learn to better understand them, and thus develop our emotional response.
4. Reading helps to better understand things
The researchers found that touching the paper helps you better understand the text and avoid missing crucial elements. On the other hand, reading on a reader or tablet avoids physical contact with the paper. The reader is more likely to get lost and therefore be less able to understand certain things. To fully enjoy the benefits of reading, it is better to put a book in your bag than a reading device.
5. Reading reduces stress
To chase away anxiety, there are those who open a good bottle of wine, those who practice yoga and those who open a good book. Yes, because first of all, reading is good for our brains, and reading is a great way to reduce stress considerably.
Neuro psychologist David Lewis estimates that reading reduces stress by 68%, which is better than music (61%) or a cup of tea (54%). He concludes:
Getting lost in a book is the ultimate relaxation. Whichever book you choose, by letting yourself be absorbed by it, you escape your worries and the real world that can be a source of stress.
6. Reading helps you sleep better
If you have trouble sleeping, it is best to read a little before turning off the light. A study conducted by the famous Mayo Clinic explains that opening a book every night is a ritual. A signal is then sent to our body to make it understand that it is time to rest. But beware, this does not apply to reading on a computer, tablet or smartphone. These electronic devices send back a blue light (LED) that alters the quality of sleep and can even disrupt the biological clock.
7. Reading contributes to vocabulary development
After all, it makes sense. The more you read, the richer your vocabulary becomes. A study conducted by the University of California at Berkeley even estimates that children’s literature exposes them to 50% more words than a television program. And the more regular this exposure is for the little reader, the better they improve at school and develop their intelligence. A study published in the Science Daily even reports that early readers are sure to become very intelligent as they grow up.
8. Reading develops memory and cognitive skills.
Understanding a book requires retaining a large amount of information. Thus, each time you read, you create new synapses (links between neurons). This increases the capacity to retain information.
Also, depending on the type of book you are reading, you may have to decide on faces, places, and the arrangement of the elements. This way you imagine the elements of the book and stimulate your mind and imagination. Your brain is stimulated and this prevents it from losing its abilities. The brain is a muscle that needs training to function optimally. There is a better understanding of why reading can help fight diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Developing memory and cognitive skills is one of the benefits of reading that is very much appreciated.
9. Reading improves concentration and attention.
Reading forces you to focus only on the content you are reading. When you are immersed in your book, the World around you disappears. On a daily basis this helps you to concentrate on one task at a time, it increases your productivity.
10. Reading improves your oral and written Skills.
Reading is the best way to obtain a large vocabulary that you can use in everyday life. This has an amazing advantage in your personal and professional relationships. You gain self-confidence and it allows you to assert yourself in your everyday life. Among the benefits of reading, many will impact your personal interior. Ease of expression takes shape inside and is felt outside. You will be more convincing and charismatic with an easy expression.
11. Reading develops analytical and critical thinking skills.
As you read, you analyze the information you receive and understand different types of speech and arguments. Reading challenges your critical and analytical mind. Each page turned reinforces the fabric of knowledge in your mind and ultimately helps you to better understand the world around you… It helps you in your everyday life to have more self-confidence and to express yourself clearly on your opinion and to apprehend more serenely the problems you encounter.
12. Reading accompanies you in your personal development.
In the journey of personal development, reading is one of the best ways to store knowledge and motivate yourself. Reading will bring you a lot of theory, which is excellent for broadening your mind and considering new opportunities and experiences. But if reading accompanies you, it’s up to you to take action. You need to put into practice what the books you read teach you. A book is a great investment considering what it costs you and what it brings you!
How can you start reading when you don’t like to read?
The best sites to download free or paid e-books
If you have read about the importance of reading then you probably are looking to get books. Here is a list of websites where you can find free or paid e-books.
Have you ever thought of creating a library with thousands of free books? You’d never have to spend a penny. It sounds impossible, but it’s not. Free books on almost every subject you can think of are available on the Internet, ready to be downloaded, read and shared. These are the best sites offering free or paid books covering a wide variety of topics, from romance novels to computer technology manuals.
- ManyBooks
- Free computer books
- Librivox
- International Children’s Digital Library
- Archive.org’s electronic ebooks and texts
- Wikisource
- Wikibooks
- Open Library
- Sacred Texts
- SlideShare
- Free-eBooks.net
- Scribd
The best places to download free or paid Audiobooks
Having a free Audiobook in auto, on your mobile phone when you are on your trip or on your laptop to enjoy will help keep you sane and add a lot of fun and interest to your day.
Most of the time, you will download these books in MP3 or other format, which can be played on your computer, tablet, phone, iPod or MP3 player. Here are the best places to download audio books for free:
- LibriVox
- Audible
- Rakuten OverDrive
- Internet Archive
- Loyal Books
- Storynory
- Open culture
- Digitalbook
- ThoughtAudio
- Learning aloud
- hoopla
- AudioBook Syn
- New Fiction
- Scribl
- YouTube
The cheapest places to buy books online
Here are some of the best online bookstores where you can find great deals on new books, used books, textbooks and more.
Conclusion
Creating free time to take care of yourself is very important. If it is important to take care of your body through sports and food for example, it is the same with your mind and reading.
No matter what kind of literature you choose, you can always find a book that will captivate you. So now that you know the importance of reading skills, there are no more excuses, it’s time to close the browser and turn off your computer or make phone in silent mode to start reading.