Why You Should Read

Ray Bradbury once said, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” Reading is a way of communication. Ever since the world began, men wrote and read. There are millions of books, magazines, and newspapers all across the world. So, the question is: why should I read? To many teens and even adults, reading is not cherished as well as it should be. There are many simple reasons that you should read, but all of these reasons can be sorted into three categories. If you are reading this paper and you don’t like to read, keep reading.

I now come to my first reason that men should read, and that is this: reading educates you more than almost anything else in this world. Listening is a great way of being educated, but most of the brilliant minds in this world are deceased or not here to talk to you. Fortunately, many of them wrote down what they learned for you to read. The purpose of life is to learn, and the best way to learn is to read. Therefore, simply stated, reading is important. If you do not believe that reading will make you a genius, think about it. All of the geniuses who have ever lived learned intellect from reading. Take Thomas Jefferson for example. He was one of the smartest men ever to live, and he couldn’t get enough of books. He collected and read thousands for his personal library, and at one point, he boasted the largest personal collection of books in the United States. Now, there is a problem if you do not value education. Let me just say this: if you are not educated, you will have a lot harder time surviving in this world than someone who is. You should read because it will educate you better than any other method of education.

Reading is the key to intelligence.

You should also read because reading is fun. Honestly, once you get into reading and into books, you will find that reading is more enjoyable than your normal life. You can travel to places that you had never imagined. Your imagination will flourish when you read. There was once a man named George Dawson. George was 98 years old, and he didn’t know how to read. By the time he was 102; he had published his autobiography and was even studying for his GED! Why would you learn how to read when your life is pretty much over? It is entertaining to read. If it wasn’t, George Dawson wouldn’t have learned how. If reading wasn’t somewhat entertaining, then magazines and newspapers would not sell. The only way that this principle can be fully proved is if you try it. Try reading, and you will find it entertaining.

The final and most important reason that you should read is that reading can bring inspiration and bring you closer to God. In order for this to happen, though, you must be careful of what you read, because the devil can deceive you if you are reading the wrong books. The best thing to read if you want to become closer to God is scripture. William Tyndale said, “I perceived how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth except the Scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue.” If anybody should know this, it is William Tyndale. He, as well as many others, gave his life so that we can read the scriptures. It also helps to talk to God before reading, so that God can bring you closer to him as you are reading. C.S. Lewis said it best: “A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.”

            There is a growing illiteracy in the world today. Reading will help you to communicate to others better, and you should read more. Reading can educate you, entertain you, and bring you closer to God. It will also be a lot easier to live on Earth if you can read and write. You will have a better job, a better paycheck, and a better life. Your right brain and your left brain will both be satisfied by reading, and you will find a significant change in your life by reading more. Frederick Douglass, who was a slave and an author, stated this: “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”