A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; Proverb 24:5

23rd April is ‘International Day of the Book’. If we realize the greatness of books, we will never cease reading because reading provides a multitude of benefits.

Books are the perennial source of knowledge, entertainment, and information. It is also a means of instruction. Reading has transformed many into great personalities, literary figures, successful entrepreneurs, successful people in life. One among them is William Sidney Porter or O Henry, the famous American writer. He was a cashier in a bank in America. One month there was 3000 Dollar disparity in the accounts and since Sidney was the cashier he was accountable for it. Finally, for the bank fraud, he had been sentenced for five years imprisonment.

In jail, for a case that he was not involved at all, made him desperate. In his gloom, it was difficult for him to cut the time, so he decided to read Bible first and after that, he requested the jailer for books to read and his request was granted. Gradually he turned to be a voracious reader. Inspired by the reading he had done, he thought, “Why cannot I too write stories like this.” He started to write stories and decided to publish them. With the support of the jailer, Henry first sent his stories to newspapers and magazines, but the publishers rejected his works. But later, when they realized the worth of his stories, they started publishing them. Before completing his 5 years sentence in Jail, William Sidney Porter had become famous in America as a writer. He wrote in the pen name of O Henry because he had a little daughter, and he doesn’t want her to realize that her father was a prisoner, so he adopted the jailer’s name who helped him in jail as his pen name ‘O Henry’.

Books help people in multiple ways. The first and the best way books help people are in developing language skills. Other than the four skills, reading helps in building own style in speaking and writing and in building vocabulary and way of thought. If Charles Dickens or Paulo Coelho attracts us, it is because of his style, diction and way of presenting or developing thoughts. It is the outcome of reading.

The second advantage of reading is development of intellect. Intellect is the ability to amass, understand and use knowledge. In intellect there is creativity, logic, knowledge, wisdom, manners etc. It is pride, that shades intellect. It is intellect that prompt a person to think creatively, analyze and understand things correct, act with aim and help to solve problems amicably etc.

The third quality is high self-esteem. If Mr. Shashi Tharror M.P is confident, if Steve Jobs is confident it is because of their knowledge acquired through reading.

The fourth quality is empathy. Knowledge, without understanding the feelings of heart, is baseless and pretense.
If education focuses on I.Q. (intelligent quotient) alone, the society will turn unruly. After being educated, if people find their fellow human beings as enemies because they cannot think beyond religion, caste and political parties that means in them there is no empathy. Empathy is the ability to see you in another person’s place. In education E.Q (Emotional Quotient) is also as important as I.Q. E.Q. is that which helps a person to be self-aware, self-controlled, loving and merciful.

The remaining very important advantages of reading are high concentration, analytical skill i.e. the ability to judge what is right and wrong, high creativity, will to win, positive outlook towards life, aim in life and the ability to release tensions.
Let us make reading a habit. It is reading that makes a person to dream high and colorful with open eyes. As Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam said, “Dream, Dream, Dream. Dream transform into thoughts, and thoughts result in action.”