Why You Should Read Great Books

I can’t say that I was always a reader of great books. I read more for the fun of it. I read the comic books of the early 50s. Then I went on to read paperback books particularly those dealing with air battles of World War II both fiction and non-fiction. I do have to confess though that I read these books because my older brother bought them. I wouldn’t put these books in the category of great books but they did inspire my imagination. The books always had a hero. Someone who saved the day or won the battle. Perhaps they were a stepping stone on to the books that would really matter and shape my life.

Since our thoughts determine our life we need to give close attention to what it is that is fuelling our thinking. Books become a very powerful influence to our thinking patterns. What do books do for us?

1. Great Books Broaden Your World. Read biographies and autobiographies of great men and women past and present. These books will help us to lift our eyes to see that other people have faced challenges in life and have succeeded. You’ll see that people have found a need and were willing to do everything they could to fulfill that need. Cameron Townsend was challenged by the fact that people did not have the Bible in their own language. So he founded Wycliffe Bible Translators. These true stories will encourage you to look around and see what would help people and then do it.

2. Great Books Sharpen Your Mind. We need to read books that will challenge our thinking. I have read books where I could only read one or two pages a day. I was trying to understand the concept and the philosophical position of the author. I did finally finish the book. My wife asked me why I bothered and I told her it makes me think outside my usual realm of thought. It sharpened my thought processes.

3. Great Books Ignite Your Heart. When you read books of people who have accomplished great things it inspires me to think that I can do it also. When I read books about people who have done great things in the areas that I am involved in and love my heart is ignited to see if I can do those things and even greater things. My heart begins to beat faster as I consider the possibility of seeing great accomplishments.

4. Great Books Develop Your Skills. Read the books of others who have been successful. Read the books of the people who have tried, worked and perfect it. Learn from them and their life. Let their experiences jump-start your successful life. It doesn’t matter what you are doing there are books by people who have tried things, failed trying and then succeeded. Learn from them! Don’t ignore them. Don’t think you have to make all the same mistakes. There are books that will help you shorten your learning curve but the thing is that you actually have to read them.

TV sitcoms and “reality” shows do not sharpen or expand your thinking. They only cause your mind to shut-down. Be careful on the shows you choose to watch. Even then TV will never replace the written book or today’s Ebook if you want to improve your Great Thinking processes.

About the Author: I worked in the corporate world for 15 years - oil & gas taxation, payroll account. The next 27 years have been spent in church ministry. Internet Marketing is allowing retirement. http://www.dreamweaverplus.com