Book reading is an art of gaining knowledge for many individuals. It’s a hobby for few and it can be made as a hobby for the others too. As an early saying states: “A book is a man’s good friend”, genuinely it’s true. One comes to know the value of reading a book when one has developed an interest for book reading as a habit or hobby by spending their valuable time to gain precious knowledge.

“The basic economic resource – the means of production – is no longer capital, nor natural resource, nor labour, it is and will be knowledge” – Peter Drucker

A number of questions arise in the mind of the individuals regarding the habit of book reading. Let us look at the following questions followed by the answers which highlight the significance of book reading.
1)  Why is it essential?
One can understand about the necessity of reading books by looking at the following benefits it offers to individuals for an overall development of personality. Book reading benefits in many ways like:

* Helps in gaining knowledge rather than merely giving information

* Helps in developing skills, qualities of creative thinking and innovation

* Builds confidence and positive attitude

* Is a good companion as a friend, guide, coach, mentor and counsellor

* Removes mental stress and relaxes mind

* Makes memory levels to be sharper    

* Allows mind to think freshly always       
 
* Improves concentration levels

* Reading alone inspires individuals for writing

* Re-equips us to handle corporate barriers

* Ones recreation time can be spent on it

* Helps in higher aspects of education (passing, writing, various entrance exams, and more widely useful at interviews)

“A Book is a good company when you are in a Bad Mood”

* Helps in research studies

* Helps in writing articles and presenting them at seminars and conferences

* Develops your vocabulary and also in recognising typical word order patterns keeping words in short term memory

* Helps in identifying key words, ideas and its meaning
Helps in molding ones own behaviour

* Helps in diverting the mind from negative thoughts and also overcoming stress

* Helps in improving communication skills, understanding levels of the individuals and removes fear

* Increases one‘s ability to solve problems, decision making, logical thinking

* Inspires to learn new things

* Helps in replacing ignorance with illumination

2) How to start reading books?
For the beginners it is good that an initiative and enthusiasm rebuilds their interest levels of reading books. Before starting one has to know the difference between studying and reading although, often the terms are interchangeably used.

“Studying without understanding will not give fruitful results reading along with understanding fetches lot of knowledge to the reader”.

The following are the methods of reading:

1) Skimming: Means reading the text very quickly

2) Scanning: Refers to looking for specific information only while reading

3) Conceptual: Means mapping pictures, collecting and obtaining information

One can choose any one of the above method. The conceptual method is advisable for the beginners at initial level of reading.
3) What type of books should be read?

Depending upon once interest, concentration, perception and enthusiastic level to learn and know more one may  have their own choice of selecting among a particular category of books, such as autobiography, fiction and non-fiction, novels, comic, story books personality books etc… and many more.
4) Any recommended books for reading?
Yes, list of a few books recommended for reading along with author name can be given as:

Author Name  -  Name of The Book
         
Arundati Roy  -  God of small things
Chetan Bagat  - The three mistakes in my life
Dale Carnegie  - Set of his books
Edward De Bano - Six thinking hats
Jim Collins    -  Success
Jawaharlal Nehru - Discovery of India     
Luis S.R.Vas - Skills for excellence
Mahatma Gandhi   - My experiments with truth
R.K.Narayan           - Swamy and Friends
Robin Sharma  - The monk who sold his Ferrari
Stephen Covey - The 7 habits of highly effective people

Tolstoy Leo  - War and Peace short stories
Richard Leevs  - The 80 Minute MBA
Richard Koch    - The 80 / 20 principles
S.P Sharma    - Success through positive thinking

5) Where will the books be available? 
The best places where different books are available at reasonable prices are:

# Sultan Bazaar, Koti – book centers, sale on Sundays, Abids, Begumpet

# Book showrooms, online shopping

# Membership at libraries can help you to get books with ease

# Visiting book fairs, exhibitions will give an opportunity to view all the new arrivals and secure discounts for buying too

# College libraries, universities where readers can go and refer various books

6) What are the tips to follow while reading? 

• Peaceful atmosphere, calm environment absolutely essential to understand clearly

• Bed time reading is the best quality of time spent on reading

• Listening is the key to learning because it helps in usage of right spelling, punctuation and grammar

• Always catch hold of a pen or pencil in hand to highlight or underline an important word, sentence, dialogue, year, date… etc.

• Write down the key points on overall summary of the book
Do not watch television nor listen to music while reading it distracts the attention level

• Sit alone in your place while reading

• A book mark should be kept to identify or trace out the last page you referred previously

• A continuous flow has to be maintained to complete reading a book. It is advisable not to give a lengthy gap

• Skill in reading is relatively easier to acquire when one maintains the logical sequence of habit of reading

“The pleasure we derive from reading is eternal among all pleasures we seek in life”

(The author is ASST PROFESSOR–MBA, VBIT)