What are the advantages of reading

10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day

Catherine is a wordsmith covering lifestyle tips on Lifehack. Read full profile

Before the electronic era, everyday reading was a ritual that almost everyone who wanted to gain knowledge adapted. The benefits of reading needed not to be reminded all the time.

Amongst other things, we have been so preoccupied with social media and the internet that hardly anyone contemplates reading books. While some maybe too busy to read, others merely don’t care to read.

There are many benefits to reading, from making you smarter to improve your reading and writing skills. If you want to understand what benefits one could reap from developing the habit of reading, then we have enlisted the top 10 benefits here.

10 Benefits of Reading

1. Mental Stimulation For Your Brain

When you read every day, you stimulate your mental activity. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand the benefits of reading.

As per a study, one of the prime benefits of reading books is slowing down mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia [1] It happens since reading stimulates the brain and keeps it active, which allows it to retain its power and capacity.

Every part of our body needs exercise to stay healthy, and the same goes for our brain. Reading gives it regular exercise and keeps it healthy and sound.

Even playing games like chess or solving puzzles results in cognitive stimulation [2]

2. Good Habit For Stress Reduction

Everyday concerns will keep bothering you unless you do something to divert your mind. Reading gives you that mental space to occupy yourself with something more interesting.

When you read a great story, all your stress seems to slip away and relax you since you tend to travel mentally in a different realm. Sometimes while reading, you come across valuable advice or solutions to your problems.

3. Knowledge-Enhancement

Since the onset of civilization, we have grown and developed mentally. Many learned scholars give credit to the erudite tomes written by our predecessors for our knowledge. The importance of reading books is now more than ever since. Not everything is available in digitalized form.

There are numerous ways to learn more about life, from self-help books to reading fiction. Even when you feel demotivated, you can read an inspirational biography to lift your mood. One of the great benefits of reading books is that the knowledge you gain from them can never be taken away from you. Unlike worldly possessions, your knowledge will stay with you till the end of time.

4. Vocabulary Expansion

If you are not yet convinced on why reading books is important, this might interest you. When you develop the habit of reading, you enhance your vocabulary. Reading any type of book can improve your vocabulary to an impressive extent.

Having great command over the language is known to help many in their professional and academic life. Moreover, with better vocabulary knowledge, you get to fill yourself with self-confidence when sitting in a group with a knowledgeable audience.

You can also expect to learn new languages when you develop the habit of reading various books every day.

5. Improves Your Memory

Regular reading is a great exercise for your brain. If you read a fictional book, your brain is forced to remember the names and nature of various characters. Going back to their history and remembering events or plots is fun and improves your memory.

If you are intrigued by this information, how about learning to boost your memory and become 10x smarter by checking out this technique!

6. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills

If you are still wondering what other benefits of reading regularly are, consider this! One of the most amazing benefits of reading every day is that it can improve your analytical skills. Reading mystery novels helps you develop skills that can assist you in problem-solving.

While reading a novel, the disclosure is pretty slow, and your mind is forced to predict or make guesses. Upon disclosure, you get to connect the dots. It’s fun to make your brain smarter and enhance your analytical skills.

Subconsciously the brain is trained to think more smartly and develop strong analytical skills. You can expect to gain from this in your personal and professional life.

7. Improves Focus and Concentration

One of the worst things that technology has done is make us lazy. Almost everything is available with ease. We hardly make an effort to focus on solving issues or concentrate on bringing about any improvement.

Want food? Just open your phone and order via the app!

Want Clothes? Again use an app and try on attires virtually!

You can see where we are going with this. You can agree that we even tend to get lazy and don’t even put an effort to remember things. Simply put a reminder on the phone, and that’s it!

While reading can bring back the lost power of focus and concentration. If you feel that using modern technology lowers our productivity, then develop the healthy habit of reading every day.

Keeping yourself occupied with reading for about 20 to 30 minutes can be great for your brain. It can help you with better focus and concentration. You may have been doing it wrong for those who still find it difficult to develop focus or concentrate properly

8. Better Writing Skills

If you read more, you will naturally become good at writing skills. Since your vocabulary and pronunciation improve by reading regularly, it eventually makes you a better writer.

We are not just talking about writing fiction, books, novels, etc. Even when writing something in everyday personal and professional life, your writing skills would have improved with regular reading.

The more you read, the better your writing skills will become. You would tend to focus on various aspects of writing that would allow you to write more effectively than others.

9. Tranquility

Don’t you sometimes feel like just getting away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday nonsense? But it’s not always cost-effective to plan a trip to get some time in solitude.

Reading a book allows you to gain similar tranquility. What’s more interesting is that people suffering from high blood pressure or anxiety can find peace in reading.

Reading self-help or spiritual texts uplifts your soul and makes you feel better. Whereas people suffering from mood disorders can also feel better with reading habits. [5]

10. Free Source Of Entertainment

We do spend on movies and music, but why? It is for entertainment, isn’t it? Then why not simply read books with the same purpose? You would be surprised to know that some of your favorite movies or TV series were made after getting inspiration from some of the greatest novels.

What’s more interesting is that reading books would cost a lot less and keep you entertained for longer. Just At to the local library can introduce you to numerous entertaining novels. You can find books on any topic that you find interesting and keep yourself entertained.

If you cannot go to the library or do not have access to any library nearby, you can even scout for them on online sources. Numerous online stores have free e-books to read.

Final Thoughts

From health benefits to getting smarter, there are numerous benefits that regular reading can offer. You can expect to enhance your knowledge about so many things if you just develop this habit of reading books regularly. It might appear boring unless you start, but once it is assured, once you get a grip of reading, you will be thanking yourself for this habit.

What to Read Next?

If you need some ideas about what to read next, here they are:

10 Benefits of Reading Books: Why You Should Read Every Day

There are so many benefits to reading books.

But let’s face it: It can be challenging to motivate ourselves to read a 382-page book when we can watch the movie, listen to the audiobook, or watch a YouTube video summary instead.

However, if most of your daily reading consists of social media posts, text messages, and news headlines, you’re missing out.

So, what are the benefits of reading books?

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What Are the Benefits of Reading Books?

Here are 10 benefits of reading that illustrate the importance of reading books. When you read every day you:

Now, let’s dive a little deeper to better understand the advantages of reading.

1. Gain Valuable Knowledge

One of the most obvious benefits of reading every day is learning.

Going beyond the surface of a subject is essential to success, too. This is probably why the author Roald Dahl once said, «If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books.»

So, what do you want to learn?

Whatever it is, reading can help.

2. Exercise Your Brain

So, what does reading do to your brain?

Research has confirmed that reading stimulates a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. Plus, as you improve your reading ability, these networks become stronger and more sophisticated.

Want to know the best part?

The scans showed that brain connectivity increased while reading and for days afterward, demonstrating the enormous benefits of reading books every day.

3. Improve Your Focus

Being able to concentrate and focus for long periods is essential to our success and wellbeing. Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work, writes :

«To remain valuable in our economy … you must master the art of quickly learning complicated things. This task requires deep work.»

«Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship.»

Newport also argues that this skill is becoming increasingly rare due to constant multitasking, notifications, and social media apps. A study by Microsoft would agree, finding that people generally lose attention after just eight seconds.

Thankfully, one of the key benefits of reading is that it helps you practice concentrating on just one thing at a time.

For example, a novel requires all of your attention for it to whisk you away to another world. And if you want to learn from a non-fiction book, it requires you to be fully present and engaged.

4. Improve Your Memory

When you read a non-fiction book, you also consume an enormous amount of information on the subject you’re reading about.

Similarly, whenever you read a novel, you have to remember tons of information about the story’s plot and subplots, the characters and their relationships, and the environment in which the story takes place.

That’s a lot of information!

All of this new information creates new memories. And every new memory creates synapses or strengthens old ones.

The upshot? Reading every day can improve your memory – it can help you learn how to store new information and recall memories more effectively.

5. Enjoy Entertainment

Books provide some of the most engaging entertainment on the planet. As the author Stephen King said, «Books are a uniquely portable magic.»

Have you ever read a book that you couldn’t put down?

Do you remember feeling so invested in the story or what you were learning that you would keep reading even when you needed to use the bathroom or were hungry?

To replicate that feeling, or to experience it for the first time, all you need to do is find the right books to read.

There are millions of incredible books out there, and there’s a perfect reading genre for everyone – from fantasy novels and classical literature to self-help guides and business books.

Reading is something you can enjoy safely at home. And books don’t cost that much – especially with services like your local library and Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited ($9.99 per month for unlimited ebooks).

So, step away from your smartphone each day, open the pages of a book, and dive in.

6. Improve Your Ability to Empathize

Research has shown that long-term fiction readers tend to develop a better «theory of mind» – the term used to describe our capacity for empathy and ability to understand others.

Another study found that when we read stories that explore characters’ inner lives and emotions, our ability to understand others’ feelings and views improves.

For example, experiencing the world through the eyes of Harry Potter or Jane Eyre can help us learn to see the world from the perspectives of our families, friends, and coworkers.

The author John Green said it best: «Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.»

7. Improve Your Communication Skills

The ability to communicate effectively is a vital life skill.

In fact, one study discovered that 69% of employers are looking to hire people with «soft» skills, such as effective communication.

The good news? One of the key benefits of reading is that it helps us to communicate better.

How? Reading every day can improve our communication skills in a few ways. For example, reading can influence your writing and increase your vocabulary.

When we read well-written work, we naturally observe its writing style, cadence, and composition. These characteristics inevitably seep into our writing, in the same way that musicians are influenced by each other.

What’s more, studies show that those who read regularly tend to develop large vocabularies.

Finally, don’t forget that reading also helps improve our communication skills by increasing our ability to empathize and understand others.

Long story short? Read more, communicate better, and improve your life!

8. Reduce Stress

Research has proven that just 30 minutes of reading can lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress.

Another study discovered that reading is the best way to reduce stress – compared to taking a walk, having a cup of tea or coffee, and playing video games. The study found that even six minutes of reading can be enough to reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds.

«Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation,» said Dr. David Lewis, the cognitive neuropsychologist who conducted the study.

So, the next time you’re feeling stressed, remember the benefits of reading for pleasure and let the tension melt away.

9. Improve Your Mental Health

The pros of reading also extend to mental health.

Researchers studied the effects of self-help books and found that many have a measurable impact on depression or other mood disorders.

The act of using books as therapy is called «bibliotherapy.»

10. Live Longer

This last effect of reading is perhaps one of the most exciting and interesting: It turns out that the health benefits of reading can help us live longer.

A 12-year study on health and retirement found that those who read books survived around two years longer than those who didn’t read books or read magazines and other forms of media. Additionally, those who read for 30 minutes a day (3.5 hours per week) were 23% more likely to outlive those who didn’t read often.

Pretty cool, right?

As noted above, reading is a great way to exercise our brains to make us smarter and sharper. However, the knock-on effect of this is that reading also helps prevent age-related cognitive decline.

One study found that older adults who regularly read or play mentally challenging games like chess are two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

On the other hand, people who don’t exercise their grey matter stand a chance of losing brain power, says the study’s primary author, Dr. Robert Freidland.

No wonder the US’s National Institute on Aging recommends champions the health benefits of reading daily.

All in all, when you read every day, you’re more likely to retain your mental abilities and live longer!

What Should I Read? 4 Top Book Lists

Now that you understand the importance of reading books and why you should read every day, what should you read? To help you find the perfect book, here are four lists of curated books to check out:

Summary: Why is Reading Important?

Why is reading good for you? Reading is good for you because it improves your focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills. It can reduce stress, improve your mental health, and help you live longer. Reading also allows you to learn new things to help you succeed in your work and relationships.

The best part? You can get all these benefits of reading books while enjoying some fantastic entertainment.

Do you read every day? What are you reading right now? Let us know in the comments below!

The Importance of Reading Books

Reading is important, and its value can’t be overestimated when it comes to both adults and children. It might easily help you develop your own way of thinking and point of view; it gives you endless knowledge on various topics (depending on what you like and choose) and broadens your horizons – all while keeping your mind active and you entertained. Reading helps you learn faster, sharpen your perception skills, understand the world and its people better – in short, reading can simply make you smarter. Not to mention that it significantly expands your vocabulary and hones your thinking skills, improving focus and concentration, as well as critical thinking.

But before you start preparing your reading list, let’s explore the details of why reading is important.

Table of Contents

Why Is Reading Important?

The written word has a unique ability to hold and keep knowledge, stories, experience, thoughts, and even feelings – unlike anything else in this world. As such, it’s difficult to wonder why so many readers recommend practicing your reading skills.

Can it all truly be so beneficial and healthy? Definitely yes – and all while providing a great source of entertainment.

“Reading a book, and taking the time to ruminate and make inferences and engage the imaginational processing, is more cognitively enriching, without a doubt, than the short little bits that you might get if you’re into the 30-second digital mode.” – Ken Pugh (President of Haskins Laboratories)

In fact, for years before the movies were invented and the theater wasn’t always available to all, reading had been the only form of personal entertainment, and perhaps this is why it has been in the spotlight for such a long time. The written word, later developed into literature, had survived the years from the moment when people first started to learn to read and write. Luckily, the benefits of reading books are just as true as the survival of literature.

Below you will find all the benefits of reading:

Moreover, if you don’t have much time to read all the books you want from cover to cover, you can try book reviews and summaries using the Blinkist App – read our Blinkist review here, and for audiobooks, check out our Audible review and Kindle Unlimited review.

11 Benefits Of Reading

1. Cognitive Mental Stimulation and Brain Exercising

Reading is not only highly entertaining if you know what you’re looking for – it also supports your mental health, keeping your perception and analytical thinking skills sharp, preventing your mind from sinking into apathy. By concentrating on the words, the flow, or the storyline (in the case of fiction), you stimulate your brain and improve cognitive functions; this is also why it’s so beneficial to encourage children and high school students to read more. These brain activities tighten your focus and help you focus on something important, which can particularly benefit elementary school children. That’s why it’s encouraged for parents to start reading with their children as soon as possible.

Regular reading doesn’t just help with your critical thinking, but it also improves your brain function. Consider what happens when you work a muscle every day. That muscle grows and becomes much stronger than before, improving your motion range, endurance, and other abilities. Reading books might work much the same way for your mind. Think about how many people today have Alzheimer’s disease. While there’s no cure for it, reading and other mind exercises have been proven to prevent or delay dementia.

2. Vocabulary and Knowledge Expansion

When you read books, especially in a foreign language but also in your native one, you will sooner or later come across a few words you don’t quite understand in a certain context – or even recognize at all. You will probably end up looking them up in a dictionary, discovering new meanings, and expanding your vocabulary. The act of searching for definitions and examples helps your brain retain this new information, i.e., vocabulary expansion.

Consider how far your vocabulary has come since you first learned to read. While you don’t see as many strange words right now as when you were six, you are still learning, becoming more sophisticated, learning to express yourself.

How does it benefit you? Well, after some time of regular reading, looking up new words, and seeing them in different contexts, your vocabulary will grow; thus, your language skills will improve. You will be able to express your thoughts and feelings better. As the study conducted and published by the University Of Oregon, apart from the obvious linguistic benefits, it can also influence, for example, your career path and salary.

3. Lower Stress Levels

While most readers know that reading is simply a great form of entertainment, they might not realize that reading can help you lower stress levels. Yes, it’s true – when you try to focus on what you read, and you immerse yourself in a story, you relieve your mind of anxiety, calm down and even reduce your blood pressure. By pulling your mind away from the stress at hand, you can relax and forget about that stressful day at school or work.

As you probably already know, stress can significantly affect your daily life and decrease its quality; what’s more, prolonged stress can even be harmful to your overall health. Both fiction and non-fiction literature can help you solve this issue, or at least offer some additional help. Allow your mind and body to relax by focusing on something you enjoy and are interested in. Once you establish a reading routine, you will soon see the difference in how you feel on a daily basis.

4. Help with Depression and Dysthymia

Reading can be of great help in the case of depressive episodes and mood disorders, especially if you decide to read some self-help, motivational guides, or stories. Since we’ve already established how it can help you lower your stress levels, it won’t come as a surprise that it also stimulates the part of your brain responsible for fighting depression. Self-development books or stories full of the author’s experience with mental health issues can help you ease your symptoms or at least get some perspective.

The worst state for someone with depression or another mood disorder is apathy. And reading can provide enough stimulation to prevent that. Not to mention that many books and other texts can truly lift your spirit, improve your mood, or even make you laugh. It won’t replace an effective therapy or medications but can certainly be of great help – much like a painkiller won’t help with the source of your joint pain but will increase your daily life quality.

5. Memory Improvement and Better Focus

Though we have already discussed some aspects of how reading can influence your mental health and abilities, there are other things worth mentioning here. According to the NCU blog, our minds can think a million different things a minute. Reading every day (even a little) can help readers improve their ability to focus. Reading is a great exercise for patience and concentration, which is especially beneficial to children, who are still in the middle of their development.

Reading simply forces you to focus – but in an enjoyable way. Otherwise, you won’t understand what you’re reading – and you want to follow the story, right? The more you read, the better your memory and attention will get.

6. Better Writing Abilities

Apart from health benefits, books can help a reader to improve in other aspects as well. Reading is vital if you are a writer yourself – and it doesn’t matter if you write books, articles, ads, whether you do it for fun or work. Thanks to this, you will improve your own skills and become a well-rounded individual in general.

There are several ways in which books can help a reader to become a better writer. First of all, you can simply read writing guides and tips. However, when you’re reading, you are also improving your writing skills without even realizing it at the moment. For example, you’re building your vocabulary while getting to know more and more stories, which allows you to determine what works for the storyline and what should be avoided.

To improve and make writing online easier, check out our Grammarly review.

7. Imagination and Empathy Enhancement

Reading and hearing stories force you to use your imagination – you need to picture the places and characters in your head. Moreover, if a story is captivating, you will develop your own theories about where it’s going. Logically, the more you read, the more immersed you are in these fictional worlds and events, which is vital particularly for the developing minds of children.

While some people (even readers) tend to dismiss the importance of reading and imagination in daily life, it can actually be a beneficial tool in problem-solving or dealing with difficult situations.

Furthermore, it’s imagination that helps us become more empathetic toward others, which can actually make us better human beings. Through reading, you get to see different worlds and meet various people, which will significantly contribute to the way you perceive the whole range of events and situations.

8. Better Sleep

Did you know that reading can also help you sleep better? We don’t mean that a boring book can help you fall asleep – though you might benefit from such a read as well. However, what we mean is that if you start reading books you enjoy, it will contribute to improving your overall sleep quality, sleeping patterns, and how you deal with restfulness.

Since it relieves stress and helps you relax, it can pull you into a deep and peaceful sleep. Moreover, you can spend time reading just before bed to calm your mind and take it off stressful things to fall asleep quickly and peacefully. It is easier for readers to establish a healthy routine, just like a bedtime story does for children.

9. Peace and Entertainment

The entertainment value is probably the most obvious benefit of reading books – and also one of the most common reasons children and adults decide to read. There aren’t many more enjoyable activities for readers than opening a book with crips, white pages, and immersing in it, forgetting all about the outside world.

What’s more, reading is a hobby that doesn’t require a lot from you. No matter how tired you are, as long as you don’t fall asleep while sitting, you can enjoy a good book in peace. Words can bring you tranquility and comfort whenever you need them.

10. Happiness

Long story short, readers can be happier, as books bring some joy even when you’ve had a challenging day. Whether you read to calm yourself down before you go to bed, or you like to start your day with a book while commuting, you can be sure to find numerous reasons to be happy about.

Books offer a moment of peace in an otherwise busy world. Among all the other activities you fill your day with, reading can certainly make a difference and help you feel a little better. It’s something you usually do on your own, so it’s an excellent choice for someone who feels overwhelmed and triggered by their daily life and other people.

11. Broader Mind

Books allow you to see life from a completely different perspective. Reading about a certain culture, for example, can help you to understand how these people differ from you. You might not agree with everything they stand for, but at least you’ll look at things from a new angle.

For instance, if you are a western woman who was to read a book or article on feminism written by a Muslim woman, you could start seeing things from her perspective. It’s a big world out there, and reading is one way to expand your mind to all the possibilities.

That’s why a variety of books should be included in all teaching programs around the world. Children and our common future would benefit greatly from teaching our kids about other people, cultures, and their points of view.

Conclusion

So, why is reading good for you?

Books are truly wonderful, providing both entertainment and various health benefits. They can help you with building vocabulary, honing your writing and language skills, improve your memory and make sure your brain stays in good condition. The books you choose should depend on your preferences and goals, but whether it’s a mystery novel or a self-development guide, you are sure to get what you’re looking for. Whatever you choose, you can count on the multiple benefits of reading to help both your mind and body.

You are bound to enjoy books when you’re reading purely for pleasure and you know what you like, no matter the circumstances. There’s a reason why heavy readers will always have a book in their hands; like no other thing, it can help you take your mind off things, release you of your worries, even if just for a little bit.

As a reader, you might not think about how you develop every time you take a book into your hands, but from stress relief to dementia prevention, books are here to serve and help you improve.

So, take a challenge and improve your reading habits today!

If you find this post helpful, don’t hesitate to share.

10 Great Advantages Of Reading Books

Benefits of reading books:

1. Gives new way to life, Gives Different perspective to life
2. Reading makes you smarter
3. Reading Increase creativity and Imagination
4. Improves memory
5. To learn from masters

If you are a person who is not fond of reading books then you might be missing out. People often don’t understand the Benefits of Reading Books, Some says it’s a waste of time, Some Find it boring, and for many such reasons people believe or can say have a mindset that reading books is not so useful and it’s of no use, just a time waste, energy waste, However Fact is opposite to such mindset, There are various reasons why Reading is very important and beneficial. A love of Reading can protect you from Alzheimer’s disease, People who don’t know what Alzheimer Disease is, For them, Alzheimer’s is a Type of Dementia that causes Problems with Memory, thinking, and Behavior.

Reading books helps your brain to be more active and it gives your brain a different kind of work out than watching TV listening to the radio. Reading helps you to find out the new real you, gives you a different perspective of life.

Today I will share some of the benefits of reading a book, Hope it will help you to develop curiosity and desire to explore the world of Reading.

Here are the 10 Advantages of Reading Books:

1. Gives new way to life, Gives Different perspective to life

Reading Expose you to new things, new ways, new understanding, new information, new ways to handle situations and new ways to solve them, While reading you understand things in different perspective, it makes you realize and understand World and Yourself in a different way, Reading can help you to find out your hobbies, and can make you explore things which eventually becomes your career and success in future,

Reading helps you to understand yourself differently, It Open ups your mind, and help you to accept the changes in your life, and also makes you understand the different positive aspects of life. And also helps you to understand the world more properly. Reading makes you smarter

2. Reading makes you smarter

Reading helps you to be a better you, Through reading you can have a better understanding on a topic that interests you, This will help you to become better, As you all know books gives a lot of knowledge and information, which can be really very beneficial, As it says Knowledge is the key to success and hence having knowledge about life, about different things will help you to move ahead in life and will make your brain sharper and make you smarter. Knowledge gives you the better understanding, Reading is an effective memory booster, Reading and memory are an interrelated concept when you are reading; you are training your brain, and reading gives wisdom to your mind.

3. Reading Increase creativity and Imagination

Reading your imagination and Creativity increases, It gives you different ideas and understanding, Good reader from the young age can become a good writer, Reading sparks the imagination, When you read, you are taken into the new world, This thing nurtures your brain to develop ideas for new worlds and other possibilities, this sparks imagination. Reading helps you to understand differently.

Reading Exposes you to the world of imagination, Shows you nothing is impossible in this world, shows how Different actions lead to different results. Books help you to CHANGE YOUR FIXED MINDSET TO GROWTH MINDSET.

As it says ONCE YOU LEARN TO READ, YOU WILL BE FOREVER FREE

4. Improves memory

Our mind is an amazing thing, which can remember a lot of things with relative ease, But We Usually don’t use our brain as per its capability, we just fill our brain with negativity and bad thoughts which stops the growth of our brain, And our brain stick to that Fixed mindset, Our mind has a marvelous capabilities and Capacity, it just need a workout just like our body, in order to give its best performance.

5. To learn from masters

Reading self-help Books, You can learn from the masters and people who have already been through that situation and can also learn how to tackle them and get success and happiness in our lives, Through books you can gain experience Of life through famous and experience people, You can understand life from masters and mentors perspective, and can also learn from them in order to move ahead in life. Books can help you to understand life from the perspective of mentors and masters who had gone through that situation, to which you are going through right now at present, So through books, you can learn how to tackle them,

AS IT SAYS THE BEST WAY TO EDUCATE YOURSELF, IS TO SEE HOW MASTERS WORK AND PRACTICE.

You can’t see them but you can learn from them through their books and can learn the art of life.

6. Improves Vocabulary and English

People often face problem-related to English, But Reading can help you to improve, Through books you can learn new words statements and grammar, It will also save your cash, By not joining any course and directly learn through books, and self-education is a great way to learn, but For this Implementation is must, you will learn if you are focused towards it.

7. Increase Desire towards achieving goals

Reading A true story about A person who has faced a lot of obstacles and still had achieved a lot in his life, can motivate you to take a step towards your goal and dream, From long you want to take action in order to fulfill your dream, but you are afraid that you might fail, but books removes that worry and stress from you and helps you to move towards your goals and dreams, and also makes you understand That Failure is not a disappointment or a stress it’s an Experience, And You never fail you learn from them.. And this learning should help you to move ahead in life and this time to try more intelligently.

Reading opens a different positive mindset and shows you the real positive world where nothing is Impossible.

8. Lower Stress level

No matter how much stress you are going through in your personal life or professional life, it all just slips away, Reading can help you to melt down your stress level faster than other methods; Reading is the best way to relax your brain. As per the Research Psychologist believes this is because the human Mind has to concentrate on reading and the distraction of being taken into a literary world eases the tensions in muscles and the heart.

9. Encourage positive thinking

Reading Converts I can’t attitude to I can Attitude, makes you understand in this world nothing is impossible, and you can do anything if you believe in yourself, and how positivity can bring changes to your life and also to this world.

10. Stimulates Your mind

Research says That staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of brain or possibly even prevent Alzheimer’s And Dementia, Just like any other muscles in your body, The brain also requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, hence Reading can be the best exercise to keep your brain healthy, fit and strong.

I hope you like the all 10 points of “Advantages Of Reading Books”.

Reading is the most important thing in our life, hence we should make it our daily habit, just like your body keep your mind also fit and healthy, every aspect of our life is important, so take care of your body as well as your brain. My Youtube channel SeeKen is based on books and reading, If you have the desire to read books or want to become curious about books then do watch my Youtube SeeKen channel videos, it is very beneficial and will help you for sure to understand life more properly and nicely.

19 Incredible Advantages & 11 Lesser-Known Disadvantages Of Reading Books

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Looking for the advantages and disadvantages of reading books?

You are in the right place!

Billionaires and entrepreneurs read a lot of books each year.

Your teachers and parents advise you to read more books.

Even governments dedicate a considerable portion of their budget to the education sector.

The question is:

Should you read more books?

Is reading books even healthy?

I’m an avid reader. And last year alone, I read more than 90 books (still counting).

So far, I have read more than 150 books on diverse topics and summarized more than 100 out of them.

What I’ve realized is:

This habit of reading has both pros and cons.

And in this article, I’m going to discuss all the advantages and disadvantages of reading books.

In fact, the benefits of reading overpower the cons of reading, so much so that I even published a guide on how to make a reading habit.

But just because I love reading books, I’m not going to hold back and only show you why reading books is the only solution.

I’ll also elaborate on the subtle problems that occur when you read so much.

Alrighty, so without further ado, let’s get started!

Advantages Of Reading Books

If you have ever wondered why reading is important, read all the following advantages carefully.

I’m sure your perspective about reading books will change.

These are the advantages or benefits of reading books:

1. Improve Focus And Concentration

Reading books require attention.

When you read books with consistency, your muscles of concentration grow. That’s how reading books improve your focus and concentration.

Bill Gates reads 50 books per year. And just look at his concentration.

To achieve your goals, you need laser-sharp focus.

The truth is, it’s incredibly hard to focus and concentrate on a goal for months or even years.

So start reading books. Gradually, your focus and concentration power will improve.

2. Improve Vocabulary

To put your ideas into the right words or express yourself exactly the way you want to, you need a large enough vocabulary.

Especially in countries where English isn’t the native language, people face difficulties speaking English.

More often than not, they struggle to find relevant words while framing sentences during a conversation. This happens because they don’t have enough words in their active vocabulary.

Reading books exposes an individual to a bazillion of new words…

Using which one could improve his vocabulary set and thus bring variety to his sentences while expressing himself through speaking or writing.

3. Improve Creativity

Creativity is nothing but a combination of different ideas.

And books are all about ideas.

The best part: books contain ideas that originate from experienced people.

When you develop a habit of reading books, you work on your idea-generation muscle, too.

That means your creative muscle becomes more robust.

There is a reason that all writers are avid readers, and most readers (if not all) start writing eventually.

Also, exposure to different opinions, thoughts, and perspectives allows you to reach multiple conclusions.

4. Provide Inspiration

Are you feeling down in your life?

Do you feel that your life is being wasted at your job?

Are you procrastinating on important things?

Well, look no further; start reading self-improvement books.

Books are one of the most significant sources of inspiration.

How? You could read the biography of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, etc., and get an idea of their mindset and thought processes.

Books provide you with long-term inspiration, unlike motivational videos you watch on YouTube.

5. Provide Perspective

I remember reading:

These books changed my life by changing my perspective on it.

One of the easiest ways to have an epiphany or eye-opener moment is to read a book that has changed the lives of millions of people.

Of course, there are shitty books out there.

But some books are no less than gold.

For example, Napoleon Hill did years of research to write Think and Grow Rich.

Tim Ferris interviewed nearly two hundred world-class performers for his podcast and then combined his learnings into a single book, Tools Of Titans.

Books change your paradigm and allow you to see reality from different angles and thus reach your own conclusion.

6. Help You Make Friends

Humans love to build communities. Reading books might make you new friends who share the same interests as you.

You won’t believe how many people love reading books on the planet earth – interests might differ, though.

You could also read How To Win Friends And Influence People or other such books to master communication skills.

7. Fun To Read

What makes books addictive is that they’re fun to read. How wonderful is it to learn great insights from successful people by turning a few pages?

Sometimes they tell you stories that entertain you. While at other times, they teach you lessons.

Reading is an entirely different experience:

From the outside, it looks like you’re just sitting and reading words and sentences.

But readers know from the inside that they’re having fun, which is no less than the pleasure you get while doing a party.

Reading isn’t boring. It just looks boring.

Okay, I agree. Some books are boring…

But most of the time, they’re fun to read.

Here are some of my best book summaries that you will enjoy reading:

8. Help You Improve Your Professional Life

Tell me any skill, and I can tell you a book that talks about it!

What makes successful people different is that they know things that an average person doesn’t.

So if you’re looking to improve your professional life, find books that teach you to be successful at your work.

Because books contain researched and valuable information that might help you.

It’s important to understand that not all books would be helpful to you. But does it really matter?

You only need one idea to change your life.

The possibilities are endless.

If you are interested in learning about business, check out the following book summaries:

9. Help You Build Discipline

I couldn’t stress enough how important discipline is in life. And most non-fiction books like Chop Wood Carry Water say the same thing.

According to The Power Of Habit, certain habits spill into other areas of our life.

For instance, your habit of reading books every day might help you go to the gym without fail by avoiding procrastination.

That’s because habits are patterns in our brains. In other words, habits are also our muscles which you could train and use in different aspects of life.

10. Elevate Your Writing Skill

Reading helps a lot in writing.

The idea here is simple:

Both reading and writing is simply an act of interacting with words. The more you read, the more words you consume.

Ultimately, that reflects in your writing.

Check this out to make your writing persuasive: Book Summary: The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

11. Make You Rich

(The word ‘rich’ is subjective here.)

Wealthy and successful people read many books and suggest to others the same.

Books give you knowledge. And one can’t become rich if he doesn’t have knowledge about money.

Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Richest Man In Babylon explain how important it is to learn more about wealth-creation and how to make your money work for yourself.

If I hadn’t read those books, I wouldn’t have realized how asset building can help me become affluent over time.

You won’t become rich just by reading finance books. You’ll have to work for it.

People like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates invest in themselves by reading books.

So if you want to become great like them, read quality books and improve your mindset.

Here are some of the best books on personal finance that will help you build wealth and manage it efficiently.

12. Teach You About Personal Growth

There is an entire genre of personal development in books. (If it didn’t, this blog might not even exist.)

You can read various types of books under this genre:

Notice the word “teach” here. This means that books will only teach you. To get results, you’ll have to work for it.

13. Improve Productivity

Time is of value. It is the only thing you won’t be able to get back. Once it’s gone – it’s gone.

Many books will teach you how to use your time efficiently.

For example, The One Thing by Gary Keller taught me why I should focus on only one thing at a time and stop multitasking to avoid context switching.

By reading books and applying the lesson in your daily life, you can become more productive.

14. Develop Your Personality

When you exude strong character with confidence, your personality shines. By reading books based on psychology, you understand what goes on in people’s minds and why they do what they do.

Also, books build your character by conditioning it with high-quality ideas.

And those beliefs, ultimately, turn into your action.

Intelligent people judge you by your actions, not by what you say. When you take the right action, it shows your personality.

15. Make You Calm And Peaceful

When you become wiser than your peers, you start to save your energy and use it to do meaningful things.

Wisdom allows you to see through bullshit.

Ultimately, you become more calm and peaceful.

Often, people get agitated when they fail to handle their problems in life. Books supply you with enough knowledge to become capable of dealing with any circumstance.

There are numerous books that teach you about Stoicism and other such philosophies.

Books like The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari even show you techniques that monks use to stay calm and focused on their goals.

16. Improve Your Imagination

Fiction books are best suited for that. Every story takes you on an adventure.

The authors like JK Rowling can make you feel the character and make it look as if they are alive and right in front of you.

By reading storybooks, you can improve your imagination.

Imagination gives you the power to create.

17. Turn You Into An Idea-Machine

Every time you read a book, your brain muscles get a workout.

And with each workout session (book reading session), those muscles become more potent.

Result? Gradually, you start turning into an idea machine.

What does idea-machine mean? It’s simply your brain becoming able to produce many quality ideas in a day.

There is a difference between random thoughts and ideas.

Most people generate random thoughts which are suitable for nothing. But a few people can generate high-quality ideas throughout their day (e.g., entrepreneurs) that move the world.

18. help you remember and learn better

There is a reason why the world’s most complex topics like religion and spirituality are often discussed in books.

Just think about it:

What’s easier: watching a course or reading a book?

Most people are lazy these days. So, they prefer watching a course over reading a book.

But there is a limitation to consuming videos.

You can’t stay with an idea for long. You will have to match your speed with the video.

Sure, you can turn the playback speed to 2x. But still, you can only spend so much time pondering over an idea.

Books function as a gym for our minds.

When you read, you put in the extra effort. If the idea being read is complex, you can spend as much time as you want until you fully comprehend it.

I have noticed that the ideas read in a book stick longer in my mind.

Or it may be possible that I’m an avid reader, and that’s the reason it happens to me.

Anyway, you are always free to choose whether you want to read a book or watch a video.

Extra Tip: We live in the age of videos… So if you want to watch animated summaries of some of the best non-fiction books, consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel.

19. Books allow you to pass on your legacy

Let’s face the truth:

We will all die someday.

So, when you write and publish a book, it lives on for years.

Genius people who are no longer with us have passed their wisdom through books to future generations.

And we should be grateful to them, shouldn’t we?

Growth would slow down if we didn’t have access to ancient discoveries.

Books are one of the best ways to document ideas.

Sure, these days, we have the Internet.

But think about the time when we didn’t have such a thing.

We didn’t have this technology to freely share information with the world with the click of just a few buttons.

Even today, if you write a great book and publish it, people will read it in the future.

That’s the fantastic side of being an author. You can pass on your learnings from your experience.

You might say, “But what does all this has to do with reading books. How will it benefit me?”

The answer is:

When you read books, especially books packed with wisdom, you realize the privilege you have if you can read books.

And only after that, you’ll understand what I’m trying to say.

It’s hard to put in words…

But overall, reading books will improve your life.

Disadvantages Of Reading Books

Reading books has its downsides too. (In life, most things come at a price.)

Now, I’ll discuss all the disadvantages of reading books. I’ve personally faced most of them. That means I’m not making them out of thin air.

Anyway, let’s get started.

1. Consume Time

Oh man, I wish I could fix this.

I fail to read more than four books a month, no matter how hard I try. Reason? One needs time to read books.

Well, you can also listen to audiobooks, but that’s a different approach. Let’s stick to the context of this article.

Why does it take so much time to read books?

It’s a no-brainer. Most books have more than 150 pages. Being humans, there is a limit to how fast we can read.

Read too fast, and you might miss important details in the book. Read too slow, and it’ll take forever to finish that book. So most people read at a speed that suits them.

To those who say they can finish a book in an hour, I’ll say, “Seriously? Are you certain that you aren’t missing fine details?”

Still, you can’t deny that books consume a lot of time.

But in the end, reading books isn’t about how fast you can read. It’s about how effectively you read and how much you actually apply in your life.

2. Require Will Power

It isn’t really a downside of reading books. It’s a prerequisite.

Book reading isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people can’t read more than one page.

For some people, reading is one of the most boring activities in the world.

Yes, reading books could be painful if you’re not used to reading many books.

3. Burn Money Fast

If you look at Amazon, the paperback version of books is usually expensive for most readers, considering I’m an Indian.

Heck, e-books and audiobooks are even more costly.

I won’t say buying books is an utter wastage of your precious money.

The reality is that some books are over-hyped. They have no substance in them, and they waste money if bought.

If you’re buying books for putting a show in front of your friends, I’d suggest that you better not purchase them.

That way, you’ll only end up wasting your money.

Note: You can read the book summaries and reviews of 100 plus books before buying them.

Just search the book’s name in the search box, and if I’ve written a summary for it, it’ll show up in the results.

4. Eat Up Storage

It barely consumes any space when it comes to storing books on your hard drive.

That’s because those books are usually in EPUB, Pdf, or Mobi format. In other words, a PDF version of a book, in my opinion, will only consume less than 20 MB (maximum).

But when it comes to physical books, as the number of books increases, the burden of organizing and storing them on a shelf also increases.

Some people even love to collect books, while others sell them.

But you can’t hide from the truth that storing physical books and organizing them could be a pain in the behind.

Note: This is why people prefer the audiobook or the e-book format these days.

5. People Call You A Nerd

This might sound stupid and isn’t a big deal. But yes, it affects too.

When people see that you read far too much, they start calling you a nerd in their minds.

They think:

“What’s the point of reading that much? What a nerd!”

Depending on the type of friends you have, some might go overboard and make you a thing of gossip. Luckily, this doesn’t happen often.

6. Weaken Your Eyesight

A lot of reading might put glasses on your nose.

When we read books, we fix our eyes on the letters close to us.

Doing it for a long time sometimes causes short-sightedness.

When you become short-sighted, you risk losing the ability to see far objects clearly.

7. Cause Infocrastination

Infocrastination is the sum of Information and Procrastination.

Infocrastination = Information + Procrastination

This happens while reading self-help books. Some people find escape through such types of books.

How many people do you think have become rich after reading “Think And Grow Rich”?

How many people do you think start a startup after reading “Zero To One”?

So what happens with most people? They keep procrastinating.

Because big goals require big actions.

Either way, it’s up to you what you do after buying a book.

8. Make You Unhealthy

Often people read books by sitting on a chair. This sedentary lifestyle creates many problems like Diabetes or Obesity.

One solution might be to take breaks every half an hour while reading and take a walk for 2 minutes along with some stretching.

9. Cause Confusion Sometimes Due To Contradicting Opinions

Sometimes two books might have contradicting ideas, which can f*ck with your mind.

For example, The Magic Of Thinking Big says that you should ‘think big.’ On the flip side, Think Small says that you should ‘think small.’

Now, what should you do? Should you ‘think big’ or ‘think small’?

Here is another example:

If you go according to the philosophy of Steve Jobs, you should follow your passion.

But Cal Newport, in his book So Good They Can’t Ignore You, argues that ‘follow your passion’ is the worst advice.

Now, what should you do?

Should you follow your passion or not?

Here is one more:

All the self-help books like Awaken The Giant Within talk about positive self-help.

But on the other hand, Mark Manson talks about negative self-help in his book The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck.

Books are often full of contradicting ideas.

This isn’t an issue for those who barely read a book every year.

But to those like me, who read at least one book every week, this issue could be baffling.

10. Make You A Dopamine Junkie

Sometimes you might have an “Aha” moment while reading a book.

That “Aha” moment is simply the result of a dopamine rush in your head.

People often get addicted to this high.

It’s a rare case.

But I believe it’s possible.

Often people pick a book to find an escape from their dull life filled with problems.

Reading books and always craving an epiphany might make you a dopamine junkie.

11. Some books are part of propaganda

This is the darkest side of reading books that nobody talks about.

I won’t take the name of any book here.

But some books are made for the sole purpose of brainwashing young minds.

There are marketing books whose only goal is to sell you an expensive course in the end.

Also, some religious books ask you to believe in mythical ideas and submit to authority blindly.

There are good ones too…

You don’t have to believe in this, though. This is my personal opinion.

But since I read a lot of books, I have become wise enough to decide which book to read and which to avoid.

Remember that not all books lead you to the truth.

The books that help you improve your life, bring you to reality, and help you deal with the hardships of life are the most practical ones.

And I recommend that you read more of such books.

Don’t buy all the mythical and fantasy ideas that some books share.

Stick to the LOGIC.

Reject all that is not TRUE.

Always do a “background check” of the author or publication before buying any book.

Be skeptical before you accept any idea.

List of All the books Mentioned In This Article

I’ve prepared a list of all the great books that I have mentioned throughout this article so that you don’t waste time searching for them.

Last update on 2022-02-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon

Conclusion

From the points discussed above, you can conclude that reading books have pros and cons. Its pros outweigh its cons, though.

If you take care of its cons, nobody can stop you from achieving big goals.

Reading is a superpower. (And “with great power, comes great responsibility.”)

What is Blinkist? It’s a non-fiction book summary app with many wonderful insights and author podcasts.

And if you are someone who would like to listen to audiobooks instead of summaries on Blinkist, try Amazon’s Audible.

I highly recommend both of these.

Now You Tell Me

Did you like this article on the advantages and disadvantages of reading books?

Did I miss any point?

Or do you have any point to add to this?

Do you face infocrastination too?

What struggles do you face while reading a book?

Tell me in the comment section below. And most important – keep reading.

Please don’t hesitate to share this article with others. Thanks in advance!

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The Brain Behind This Website

I’m Shami Manohar, the Founder of WizBuskOut. My obsession with non-fiction books fueled me with the energy to create this website. I read at least one book every week on business, critical thinking, mindset, psychology, and more. My mission is to educate and empower every individual through proper knowledge that works in real life.

Consider supporting me in my mission:

I invest a lot of time, energy, and money in things like softwares, books, design, videos, etc., to provide you with this level of quality content. If you love consuming my work and appreciate it, support me. This would help me provide even more value and help humanity attain wisdom.

2 thoughts on “19 Incredible Advantages & 11 Lesser-Known Disadvantages Of Reading Books”

Indeed Pratap.
When we read hard copy, more of our senses are involved, which leads to better interpretation.
And yes, undoubtedly, reading is a superpower.

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