The case for reading books and good writing. ? Northernthortz

I am a firm believer that he who doesn?t read for whatever reason has no advantage over someone that can?t! That?s why I am a fervent supporter of public libraries and initiatives to help people learn to read, whatever the language. I read voraciously. I have read newspapers books and magazines for years and still do but I control myself.

Reading is how we learn. It is how we manage to get by. It is how we communicate and have done for eons. In ancient times the Egyptians gave us hieroglyphics. But it was Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (1398-1468) who invented moveable type printing and invented the printing press around 1439, which started the printing revolution. At last written communications could be mass-reproduced and affordably distributed. Content was presumed to be accurate and believable but over time as more and more authors became published in books, newspapers and magazines it became apparent that reproductions could be slanted.

I went to a boarding school in England as a teenager. We didn?t have the distraction or luxury of a television then but we did have books galore, newspapers and magazines, one of which I still subscribe to ? The Economist ? which looks boring at first glance but is full, in every issue with an amazing array of good writing and well reasoned, factual information which can be absorbing. I still read and recommend it as the best single source for news information and consistent quality writing produced with consistent integrity. They keep up with the times with their Internet productions. And most public libraries keep copies you can read for free!

When reading, at some point you get to decide which authors are the good ones and can over time one confidently becomes discretionary in your choices. I went through a myriad of good writing to start from Winston Churchill to Shakespeare, Kipling, Dickens, the Bron?s and even Len Deighton. I have read every book that Wilbur Smith a gifted South African storyteller has written. His books literally are better than going to the movies! I have read Hemingway, Dylan Thomas, Samuel Becket and Tom Clancy ? and a host of histories and biographies. I have read no end of self-help books as well including ones on speed-reading and good writing which have always helped. I regret not one minute of my reading time. Sorting the wheat from the chaff is always necessary nevertheless.

The result? Well apart from the basic enjoyment, each in their own way has helped mould my character and enhance any contributions I have made in any workplace or community I have been involved with. But as Bob Dylan wrote and sang, the times they are a changin? and witnessing so much time and events, after a while you start to put things in perspective; to better choose the causes you want to support ? and those you don?t.

In other words by reading various points of view you get a better appreciation of different perspectives and can thus better decide which you favour or don?t, whatever the topic. And the better read you are, chances are you?ll end up making better decisions. But this is only true if you can believe the integrity of the source.

The real challenge these days is whether you can believe what you read, see or hear. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but has the photograph been possibly manipulated in Photoshop? Is the author reporting facts or opinions? Are the words you hear on the radio clipped for a sound-bite or edited maliciously to give a very different result? You can take everything at face value if you wish or you can develop your inquisitive mind.

What gets developed over time ? there are no short cuts ? is confidence as much as knowledge. You learn to think and make good decisions; better decisions are made by knowing the facts! You can take things better in stride when you appreciate that all the world is a negotiation, that people have agendas and biases and that sometimes it is better to not just follow the crowd but to cut your own path.

To do that you need to get prepared first and books are still the best source for you to do that; to learn from the experiences of others. The old adage that fools rush in is so true. The combination of knowledge from reading with personal experience moulds individual perspective and character ? but each has to think through issues with care to get there! It can be dangerous to just believe everything you read or see these days as the truth. Consider that roughly 90% of email traffic these days is spam or infected with malware or viruses to make the point! Or consider the power that a newspaper editor has when deciding what makes the lead issue of a publication and what gets sidelined.

There is no doubt that technology is changing the world and it can be fantastic with the Internet, smart phones, computers, laptops, e-readers and tablets. It?s all great to have, but reading stuff on screen is different. You can?t ? or I can?t ? curl up with a laptop or tablet e-reader the same way as you can a book. You cannot feel the weight or depth of the writing on a screen. I just finished Walter Isaccson?s biography of Steve Jobs at over 500 pages. You can?t feel that on an e-reader! It?s just not the same but at times it serves a convenient purpose.

A friend takes his e-reader on business or camping trips with 20 different titles in the same small package for example. That?s truly amazing. You physically cannot carry that number of books with you. I do the same with podcasts and a host of good courses available from iTunesU. I read newspapers and magazine articles online or on my iPhone too. But nothing quite compares to holding the printed item in my hand or on my desk in front of me!

People tend to scan off a screen more than they read and cannot absorb the same as they can off a printed page. They ?lose something in my view off a screen. It is just harder to concentrate and truly absorb the writing off a screen. But don?t misunderstand the point. Technology is a great improvement for us all but it can also create a great distraction, particularly on the Internet. The key to good reading and learning lies in a personal ability to focus, concentrate and not get distracted. That takes strong self-discipline to not go wandering about on interesting but not ?need to know? tangents that at the end of the day just waste your time.

I sometimes muse about an old English courtroom case where a noted barrister, F. E. Smith, Earl of Birkenhead (1872-1930) had argued for some time when the judge leaned over the bench and said: ?I have read your case, Mr. Smith, and am no wiser than I was when I started.? The barrister replied: ?possibly not, My Lord, but far better informed.? ?Think about that!

The point is that just because you have access to more published words than ever before doesn?t get past the key point that nobody gets wiser just because of that. It is one thing to know where to get the information you need and another altogether to be able to understand and use that information to your benefit. It is a true measure of a good writer that he be able to explain complex issues in words that everyday people can understand.

A case in point. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) published in 1905 his famous Theory of Relativity which changed the scientific world. But it was only understandable to a few knowledgeable mathematicians and scientists. Then in 1988 came a remarkable and very popular book by the brilliant theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking (1942-): ?A Brief History of Time? that explained things in words that most could grasp if not fully understand. He has since authored a number of additional mesmerizing books.

The point is that even the most complex issues can be explained by good writing if the author takes the time to keep things simple for the reader to understand. But the reader must also focus and concentrate on what the writer is saying. What is the point being made? And then thinking about that to determine the validity of the point or and draw your own conclusion.

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Source: http://northernthortz.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/the-case-for-reading-books-and-good-writing/

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