Books Are Our Guide

And Best Friend

In the era of internet and social media claiming that
you are reading books may give you shocking
glances and remarks from people around you. But
doesn’t worry about that because it has always been
this way, since the concept of reading and writing
have begun. However, unlike the ancient times
where reading and writing was a rich man’s affair,
nowadays anybody can get access to the books
whether it is rich or poor.
The astonishing point is that the majority of people
do not want to read books. And reading is
unpopular in this attitude era because people are
very busy in their lives and they have not the time
for books, and they are ignoring this fact that
whatever they are seeking goes through the path of
books. It is actually a fact that our world leaders,
the richest peoples and all the peoples who are
making difference on earth are pure readers of
books.
Books are my best friends not because I’m socially
awkward and I’m unable to get human friends but
because of, it is books that carry a lot of treasures
that no human being has. You can have a friend
that is caring and loving, but that will not guide you
like the books in every matter. This is why I need
books to compliment wherever my human friends
lack. Books have their own limitations also.
For instance, you cannot just coexist with books
alone; you need people around you so that the
treasures you have acquired from books can be
manifested. Even though most people fail to admit it
but all the advancement we have made as a human
race would not have been possible, if it were not
books for our guidance. Here are reasons why
books are our best friends.
The first reason books are our best friend is that
they bring out the best in us. Books make us better,
if we are not great in whatever professions we have
chosen for ourselves.
Books are necessary in every field like doctors,
engineers, lawyers, judges, politicians, teachers and
architectures have also need of books for passing a
test or to being expert in their chosen field. But
unfortunately most people’s reading habit ends
when they get college or university degrees, then
they forget books and get attached with social
media for daily updates and for news and views.
But they don’t know that social media can never
replace books because books give us spiritualism
and peaceful thoughts and feelings which are
necessary for survival.
Secondly, books stimulate our minds. Our brain
muscles can only be exercised and made stronger
by reading books. The same way an inflated ball
requires air and vehicles require gas to move, our
brains also need books for being activate. Failure to
train our brain continuously may lead to lose of
proper decision making and critical thinking skills
and in some severe cases, may lead to Alzheimer’s
disease and Dementia.
Thirdly, reading is a stress relieving activity.
Reading is a hobby that keeps us entertained.
Although they lack in the visual aspect of movies,
books will give you picture whatever is written on
your mind. This actually improves your
imagination.
Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more
important than Knowledge.” It is true that when we
are knowledgeable, we are only limited on
whatever we know. But, when we have an
imaginative mind, then our mind will have limitless
potential. And we will be more creative and more
careful about solution of problems.
When you read a great story, your mind will be
transported to the fantasy world of books. Your
mind abandons all the things that keep it stressed
for the duration you will spend reading the books.
This will give you better chance of dealing with the
stressful issues in your life.
They also connect us with knowledge. To be useful
in the society, we need to be extremely
knowledgeable in every field in which we are
interested or in that where peoples have need of us.
Books have all the knowledge that we have require
in our daily lives. There is so much knowledge that
we cannot exhaust all of them. It does not matter
which career path you have choose, even if it is in
infancy, there is always something you can learn
from books that were written previously.
The good thing about knowledge is that it can never
be taken away from you. Once you acquire it, it is
yours property forever. Books also increase our
vocabularies and improve our oratory skills. Books
improve our speech and give us confidence to
express ourselves articulately. People with poor
vocabulary range are rarely taken seriously and
when it comes to promotions, workers with
excellent oratory skills, mastery of language and a
good reservoir of vocabularies have a higher
chance of consideration, than their less impressive
colleagues.
Books further help us in self-development. Our
lives are basically divided into four main areas,
social, economic, political and spiritual. There are
books in all these areas. Socially, books help us
relate well with people. How? You may wonder. In
simple, the skills mentioned above have positive
effect on how we relate with people.
For instance, with good decision making skills, we
may look upon as leaders and in the process; we
may be called upon to make pivotal decisions that
may be for the welfare of our societies. Politically,
we are more likely to be familiar with our rights,
freedoms and civil duties, if we made it our culture
to read the constitution and other law books.
Economically, books open a window of
opportunities for us, to inform us about jobs and
also equip us with the courage to pursue the
entrepreneur path. There are also financial books to
help us come out of debt and learn investment
tricks and tips to help us accumulate a bit of
fortune for ourselves. Spiritually, there are many
religious books and self-help books specifically
written to help us reconnect with God and become
better people. Religious books show us how to pray
to God, how to come out of sinful lives and how to
relate with people in accordance with God’s law.
They give us hope, courage, faith and to look
forward to the life after death. Religious books help
us understand the spiritual life and to answer
questions that science has been unable to. Self-help
books cater to our physical needs. They give us
tricks and tips on how to improve our physical
lives. Examples of self-help books include cooking
books, lifestyle magazines, do-it-yourself (DIY)
journals, and workout books.
In addition, books also improve our memories;
think about that, when you read a book you have to
remember all the characters and all the fine details
in the novel or of book. What an amazing is that
when you make it a habit to read each day, memory
synapses are created to accommodate the vast
amount of information streaming into them.
This improves your memory, as your brain is able to
retain a lot of information. Furthermore reading
improves focus and concentration. Reading makes
habit of concentrating on one task at a time until it
is completed. This habit actually improves our
productivity in the long term, as we get used to the
behavior of focusing on one task at a time until it is
finished.
Moreover books improve our writing skills.
Exposure to other writers, literary works can
improve how we weave words together. Writing is
among the endangered art forms especially in this
social media age, where people are embracing
emojis, memes, and short forms to express
themselves. We need more writers now more than
ever to dilute this world that is on a crushing
course to dumbness. Lastly, books can actually
prolong our lives. When we read a book that excites
us and then brain produces dopamine, the chemical
associated with pleasure. In the process the brain is
relieved from stress.
Now, if we will read every day then our brain will
be in a state of pleasure for several hours a day,
which is good for our health in the long term.
Furthermore books take away stupidity from us
which are associated with ignorance. It is quite
unlikely that you will find a well learned fellow
participating in life threatening activities. Books
actually help us think before we leap. An avid
reader talks less, listens more and is not likely to get
into scuffles, unless he has no other option.
The saying is that “if you think education is
expensive, try ignorance” sums up the importance
of books very well. Ignorance has set the human
race back for so many years. For many centuries,
people were subdued by kings and few of their
cronies; as a result they were subjected to a life of
poverty and misery. The kings had one of the
powerful and secret strategy; they kept education
away from the people. Many people have been
redeemed from shackles of slavery thanks to books,
including colonized indigenous people of Africa.
If someone has respect and love for you, you will
refer to him/her as your best friend. It goes without
saying therefore, that books are our best friends.
Books are good to us, they make us better. Apart
from occupational training, they also improve our
lives in the social, economic, political and spiritual
realms of our lives. We should therefore embrace
books fully even if we dislike handwritten copies;
then there are also digital format of books such as
EBooks, Pdfs that we can read online or download
them for offline reading so sharp your mind
through reading books in the era where everyone is
busy and have no time for reading books.

Written By
Doctor Shahbaz Ahmed Bughio
Village Karani Taluka Dokri
District Larkana