Books are a gateway, as we here at Airdrie Public Library (APL) fully understand.
No, reading books won’t suddenly turn you into a rocket scientist, or a lumberjack, or dictate your sexual orientation, but they do provide a gateway to practical knowledge and understanding of the world around us and within us.
American author Matthew Rivers, in an article he wrote for LinkedIn, argues that reading “supercharges my learning in a way that would not be otherwise possible.”
We gain knowledge about the world through what we see and hear, and how things feel and smell. But reading takes us beyond those personal experiences, he elaborates.
The benefits to reading are well established, Rivers adds, stating that “active readers enjoy increased intelligence, vocabulary, and abstract reasoning skills.”
He goes on to explain that real-life experience gives us wisdom, but reading gives us access to another person’s knowledge and perspective, which enhances our own understanding.
You may not be a theoretical physicist and cosmologist like Stephen Hawking, but reading his book A Brief History of Time will help you understand the universe as he sees it.
You may not be a Master Chef like Jamie Oliver, but reading Jamie Cooks Italy will help you achieve that near-perfect baked risotto pie.
Tapping into another person’s expertise, knowledge, or point of view through books allows us to appreciate the diversity of thought and experience on our planet and to benefit from it.
Whether it’s epic stories of adventure, the financial practices of the wealthy, or exploring religious thought other than your own, they all lead to increased knowledge and understanding.
This is what makes reading books a gateway.
To learn more about APL’s collection, services, and programs visit airdriepubliclibrary.ca.
