Joan Reeves: 9 Reasons to Read

9 Reasons to Read

Joseph Addison said, "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

Develop the habit of reading to strengthen your mental muscles.

I've been a reader since before I started school. I can't think of any entertainment that is so reasonably priced—especially in the ebook world of today.

Why Read?

To learn information, read nonfiction.

To be entertained, read a novel and be transported to big cities, small towns, foreign lands, other planets, or other dimensions.

Read a novel and see what it's like to live in an elegant mansion or a humble cabins. Visit tropical jungles or the Arctic tundra.

You can even travel back in time to any date or location written about by an author or skip ahead millenia to dystopian post-apocalyptic worlds.

If you need other reasons to read—other than entertainment or education—here are a few.

9 Reasons to Read

1. Reading reduces stress. A study showed reading only 6 minutes a day reduces stress by 68%.

2. Reading expands your vocabulary. Why is that important? It makes you sound like an educated person when you speak and write. The more you read, the more words you will learn and adopt.

3. When you read, you exercise your comprehension abilities and your analytical abilities.

4. Reading ignites your imagination and stimulates the memory centers of your mind. That helps you recall information, but it also steadies your emotions.

5. Owning your own books is important, especially for children. When kids have a home library of at least 20 books, they advance or achieve 3 more years of schooling than children who have no books. That's why it's so important to donate books.

6. People who read are 2 1/2 times less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s later in life.

7. A study found that reading makes a man seem more intelligent to women.

8. A study conducted by the University of Buffalo concluded reading fiction increased empathy by understanding different cultures.

9. People who read are more likely to get ahead when it comes to their careers, and life in general.

Takeaway Truth

Give books as gifts. Give them as print, ebook, or audio. Donate books to shelters, libraries, organizations that run book drives, schools, and to charity thrift stores. You never know how a book you donate may change someone's life.