Joe_Cavalry All Day Every Day

I agree with you when you say Money is not related to reading and would further justify and support your point that from a certain perspective, if you read more and apply what you read effectively...you may end up making more money!

I strongly disagree with you when you say that "A book is only important as far as the information it carries is concerned." Books are not just about information they are a trigger for thinking; let men give you an example.

Have you ever talked to people who have just seen a movie made from a book and they have read the book before seeing the movie? In 9 cases out of ten, they will tell you, "The book was better." Have you ever wondered why they think so?

I have been an avid reader all my life and I can tell you why this happens. It is because of the fact that a book allows you to think for yourself, it allows you to use your imagination to draw your own mental images and sounds and interpret the text "as you want to". when you see a movie this freedom is taken from you, all you do then is take in the sights and sounds.

That is why i think that reading is important, it gives the brain room for CRITICAL and CREATIVE thinking.

good point made. in todays competitive world children and adults alike are so stressed that they forget to take into account that happiness is priceless. when you see interesting and upright characters in books going through hardships and trials and persisting on their chosen path you feel a rush of life in you and that gives you happiness. that is important because you get to distress and learn at the same time.

Shijia, bravo! you have said something that is very close to my heart. i started my extensive reading with Enid Blytons. She is just an amazing author who writes fluent, accessible and interesting English which appeals to the senses in more ways than one. famous five, secret seven, five find outers, Malory towers, saint Claire's, the list could go on and on. and you will also learn about different kinds of people and various facts of life in an interesting and entertaining manner. Good Point!

Fantastic point made! The uniqueness of every individual and their own refreshing way of expressing themselves is made more accessible in books than on the Internet. mind you, i am not saying that reading on the Internet is not beneficial. it is, but reading on a screen, with a mouse in your hand to click it all away the moment you switch off (FOR BEGINNING READERS) is not a good discipline. as a teacher i see students' attention span problem every day and i would recommend to you reading from books because it helps develop you attention span and gives you an insight into various life experiences of people across time and space.

excellent opinion! in todays fast paced, competetive, consumeristic, globalised economy people only concentarte on their IQ and hugely neglect their EQ. and a lot of local, national and international policies are made keeping in mind Intellectual development only. this can cause complications because TRUE GENIUS is KNOWLEDGE + RESPONSIBILITY. Stirring in knowledge into society without taking into account the garnish of responsibility is the perfect recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs.

I agree with you when you say that teenagers know more about the internet than a lot of adults do but the question i would like to raise is "how credible is the information that you get on the internet?" sites like wikipedia can be edited and information can be tampered with from any computer in any part of the world. Books on the other had are written after nerve wracking research and several proof readings. Therefore be careful with the internet literature!

I think it is important because reading is not just about communication or learning. It is an all in one package where you learn interesting and capturing facts and ideas from people all across time and space. Along with that you developer your concentration and attention giving skills. Most of todays "multitasking teenager" is talented but he/she has a very short attention span. This can be a problem in later life. Reading gives them much needed practice - practicing to concentrate and think in one direction keeping the mind open and responsive at the same time. Hence I think that reading is important.

way to go! i agree with you completely! and when i see people around me who couldn't care less it pisses me off to avaricious degrees i do not want to talk about.

It doesn't matter how strong or weak or intelligent or smart or dumb a person is. we all have an equal right to live but foolish self centered short term focusing people forget that. they arrogantly think that only they have the right to live under the sun which was custom made for their intellectual tanning facilities. i am an English literature teacher and i have seen my share of intelligent and not so intelligent people. what really matters is that you love the people and respect them for their uniqueness and remember that "variety is the spice of life" and protecting our way of life is more important than anything else.