Reading

Let me share my thoughts about reading today. In the past I used to hate reading. Many of my attempts to read books were unsuccessful. I never went past the first chapter of each book I read. The only thing that aroused my interest in reading was purposeful reading. In other words, I found that when I had a purpose for reading, I became interested. One purpose for reading, for example, is to read in order to write a paper for publication in a peer reviewed journal. This would be like an assignment for me, which I have to complete and submit on a certain date set out in advance.

I also found that reading an interesting book or a paper one time is not enough, because I tend to forget what I read if I do not go back to it. Hence, I re-read interesting books and take notes on the margins to summarize ideas and highlight important passages. Summarizing ideas in my own words helps me to enhance my understanding of what I read. It gives me food for thought.

The one thing that I want to improve is reading critically. It’s not easy to critique ideas promoted by established authors. However, authors are not infallible. They have their own biases and prejudices. Their ideas should not be taken for granted. Everything they write is subject to skepticism and examination. It is this kind of reading that is most beneficial for the reader. Readers should never seek proven recipes. What works in one situation does not necessarily work in others. This means that there isn't always a one-size-fits-all prescription for everything.