by Julius Albert Custodio

Created on: June 05, 2009

You should always remember that the cruelest sin you can commit to a book is not to read it.

The information that you can get from the books you read are permanently stored in your memory. It is amazing how the joy or terror or sorrow you may derive from finishing a chapter can permeate every fiber of your being. A book is not a mere object made of paper, it is a really powerful tool and it's one of the few things that can take you far beyond what you can imagine.

Reading a book is a good form of escapism but nowadays, some people just take books for granted. You can almost see the dust beginning to settle in the bookshelves, the wonderful tomes within remaining untouched. For every person out there who reads books as a hobby, there are dozens who are busy doing something else (or in some of their minds, something "better")

We're reaching an era where the written word is being trumped by its celluloid and digital counterparts. It is a sad realization that more and more people are failing to appreciate the contents of a good book when they can easily access movies in the cinemas and YouTube videos in the world wide web.

Reading can be quite an addiction (albeit the good kind). It is therefore depressing that the number of voracious readers - those who can stay up all night trying to finish a really absorbing novel - is dwindling. There was a time when people would flock around bookstores when a new copy of an author's book arrives at the stalls. It still exists today, but for sure, it's not as strong as compared to the early years of the paperback novels.

Now, let's take a look at the attitude towards reading of the younger generation.

Kids only read excerpts of such classics as Crime and Punishment and Animal Farm because they are required to do so in school. Instead they spend too much time in social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace. If a teacher can inculcate the love of reading to his/her students then this shouldn't happen. But what makes a book that much special anyway? What does it have that the internet wouldn't be able to provide?

Well, to start with, a book doesn't open itself up and spoon-feed you its contents. It warrants your undivided attention and it only gives you everything it has when you have the tenacity to do so. There's a wonderful sense of fulfillment after you read a good ol' book.

A child who learns to appreciate a good book as young as he is may turn out to be smarter than his peers. Of course, it's not always this way. You must have an intense passion for reading to turn it into a hobby. Much like gardening, it may take a long time but when it finally hits you, you won't be able to control yourself. You just have to read one more book before you go to sleep.

There are a lot of things you can get from a book that you wouldn't normally get from other forms of mass media. I could not imagine a world where "reading as a hobby" becomes lost in obsolescence. So, as much as possible, keep the love for reading alive! Read a book today.

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