essay on why i like reading books

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July 6, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Reasons Why I Love Reading

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I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl: Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Reasons Why I Love Reading.

Why do YOU love to read?

The most simple reason I love reading is that I’m a lifelong reader and have always loved the world of words. I’m the kid who read the cereal box with my breakfast in the morning.

People who love reading and are lifelong readers, usually love it for several of the same reasons. I suppose that many readers could make a similar list. I’m joining in with other TTT list makers today to celebrate the love of reading. Which reason would top your list? Do you have other reasons why you love reading?

I Love Reading….

To experience different lives/times/cultures.

One of the most significant benefits of reading is transporting yourself to different time periods and experiencing different cultures. I often wonder how I would have lived my life during various times and circumstances. Reading improves the imagination.

To Develop Understanding and Compassion

Reading enhances compassion for others as we see life from other perspectives.

To Increase My Knowledge

I love historical fiction because I am continuing my education. Hazards of reading histfic include falling down Google rabbit holes as I am enticed to research different people, time periods, and events. Reading makes you smarter.

I wonder how non-readers survived the pandemic? Although my reading tastes gravitated toward lighter, happier reads during the pandemic, I could always turn off the news and escape into books. Days under lockdown never felt too bleak as I leaped into different imaginary worlds! Reading provides armchair travel and gives you places to go when you have to stay home.

To Experience “Book People Are the Best People”

Have you ever seen someone reading in a coffee shop or on a train and knew that you could be friends with that person because he/she was reading a book? Readers attract other readers and are the most interesting and thoughtful conversationalists! In addition, through blogging I have discovered the fabulous international book blogging community! Reading brings people together.

To Be a Good Conversationalist

One of my favorite conversation starters is “What are you reading?” or “What is your favorite book so far this year?” or “Do you have a favorite literary character?” or “Do you have a favorite author or genre?” Talking about books gives people opportunities to discuss a variety of important and meaningful topics. I’m always flummoxed when the answer is “I don’t read.” Hummmm……. At that point, I ask the person to recall a time in their life when they did enjoy a book. Just recently my grandson, who is not a huge reader, told me that the only book he really ever enjoyed reading was Wild Robot. I think that’s great that he has identified one book that has given him a fond reading memory. I believe people who don’t read just haven’t found the right book yet, so my brain begins whirling with recommendations that would hook them.

To Endure Waiting

Actually, I look forward to waiting rooms! Even a long checkout line is a reading opportunity (if you carry your library with you in your pocket via the Kindle app). A thirty-minute wait in the school pick-up line becomes an excellent reading occasion! Even traffic can be a blessing if you are listening to an audiobook!

To Never Experience Boredom

Nothing on TV? No problem when you’ve got a book. All your friends are busy and you don’t have plans? No problem when you can read. Is it raining all weekend or you’re enduring an unprecedented heatwave or you’re under a hurricane or tornado warning and your outdoor plans have been canceled? Books to the rescue. Children need entertainment? Read a book together and then watch the movie. Books can be your best friend.

To Enjoy Inexpensive Entertainment

Books can be expensive, but there are ways to read on the cheap. Libraries, thrift stores, yard sales, Little Free Libraries, swapping with friends, watching for Kindle deals, asking publishers for ARCs, and Amazon gift cards for birthdays are all ways to cut down on book buying expenses. Last year I read 131 books: over 50% were from the library and another 30% were ARCs…..I bought only a small percentage of books last year and those were almost all on sale. A night at the movies or dinner in a restaurant will likely cost more than a book purchase.

To Give Book Recommendations

As a reader, I always have book recommendations! I love being able to find just the right book for a gift or make a perfect recommendation!

What’s your number one reason why you love reading?

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42 comments.

It’s fun and a great escape. I like your reasons. http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com

Thanks for commenting!

All of the above! I watch Kindle deals and GoodReads giveaways like it was my job LOL. I also like reading because it’s been a habit since I was nine years old. It’s been a constant in my life. How many hobbies can you say that you can grow with throughout the years?

Yes, reading is a wonderful lifelong hobby!

I agree with all of these, but I particularly love #6. I think being someone who is well known for being a reader makes me more accessible. Even people who don’t read know they can always start a conversation with me by asking, “What are you reading?” or “What’s the best book you’ve read this year?” I love it when people, especially non-readers, make that effort. Of course, I have longer conversations with those who actually read, but still…

Susan http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

Oh that’s a great insight Susan! Thanks for sharing!

Experiencing different cultures and lives is one of the best parts of reading, I think.

My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-reasons-why-i-love-reading/

I think so, too Lydia! Hoping over now to read your post!

I love your answers Carol. I just commented on another post about the people I have met when I am in Florida because they are reading and I stop and talk to them about their book. Some of them are there every year and we have become good friends. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t read, it is unfathomable.

Right?! What do people do who don’t read?! And reading is a great way to make friends! 🙌 virtually and IRL!

I’ve always being a reader. It gives me the opportunity to live different lives and be different characters I can’t be in real life. It’s the perfect excuse to not attend some programs I find boring with friends. It keeps my company and I am never bored. I don’t know if it’s just me but reading in the library gives me headache, hence am better off alone outside the library. I feel like it makes me productive. And when I meet people I can discuss the books I read with, that’s the best moments of my life. I am creating a group on WhatsApp where I can review/ discuss books with my friends. You can’t get into trouble reading books.

Escapism at its best! And you’re right, you can’t get into trouble! 🙌😂

I have always loved reading as well. There was a time when I was working full-time and attending college when I didn’t have time to read what I wanted to read and I remember longing for the time when I could read what I wanted to read.

I read for all of the same reasons you do, but I think my number one reason is that I am fully relaxed when I am reading. I realized this when going through a particularly difficult season. Like you Carol, I can’t imagine how people who don’t read deal with difficult times.

Thanks for sharing Gretchen! Reading does have its seasons. And yes I love how reading takes us away!

A great collection of reasons!

Here is my TTT post: https://readbakecreate.com/?p=468

Thanks for commenting! Hopping over now to read your post!

I agree with you. “Book people” are pretty cool! Here’s my list!

Thanks for commenting Lectrice! I’m hopping over now to read your post.

All of these responses resonated with me Carol, especially learning new things and escaping. I also use our local library and the apps available, so I’m not spending too much money on my reading addiction. I also agree with Gretchen above, I am at my most relaxed when reading a book. I can block out the world around me and just be in the book. That’s why I find audio books a bit hard at times, I am always doing something like driving or walking while listening to them and I can’t get the pictures from the words like I can when I read the words myself – if that makes sense! Great list!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Deb! I struggle with audio, too. I need to see the words!

I’m glad I’m not the only one to do so Carol. I keep persevering with it though.

I could relate to all of these. Making a decision a few years ago to read more books from authors around the world has given me far more insight into different cultures. Your number 6 reason is an good one. I’ve used books and reading as ice breakers when visiting colleagues in different countries : asking someone what books they would recommend from their country helped break down reservations.

Book questions make great conversation starters!

Brilliant reasons. We all share a lot of them.

Thanks Marianne! I’m hopping over now to read your post!

All great reasons! Never being bored, for sure — there’s no excuse for having nothing to do! (And I never understand how people can sit on an airplane for hours without a book in their hands… I think I would be looking for an exit and a parachute if I couldn’t read on planes!) My TTT

I think the same about people who sit on planes and in waiting rooms without reading! Hopping over now to read your post.

10 wonderful reasons for reading Carol. Plus, look at all the ‘friends’ we get to make and chat with that we would never have otherwise met! ❤📚

Bookish friends from around the world are the best! 🙌😍📚

Great post! I’m in it for the escapism and new ideas mostly

Can’t argue with that! 😍🙌

#1 is escape! And I truly love learning anything!

Yay for escape! We needed it in 2020!

[…] no interest in Mercy Thompson) 13 books perfectly summed up with one-liners from Gilmore Girls. 10 Reasons Why I Love Reading—Reading Ladies Book Club had a good entry for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt. How Book […]

Thanks for the shout out! 🙌😍

Reading is purely about escapism for me. I want to live in a completely made up world.

Love to escape! 😍🙌

[…] ReviewTTT: Did You Like the Ending?Summer’s One #MustReadBook 2021 [ReBlog]The River ReviewTTT: 10 Reasons Why I Love ReadingThe Forest of Vanishing Stars ReviewSparks Like Stars Review6 Favorite Historical Fiction in 6 […]

[…] Reading aloud to your child also fosters special times for you two to connect and have fun together. […]

Thanks for linking to my post! 😋

I really liked it. I wanted to leave a note. I was reading your website. I also tried to share the site.

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Why reading books is good for society, wellbeing and your career

Senior Lecturer with School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University

Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

Professor of Economics (Health Economist), RMIT University

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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TikTok allows video up to 10 minutes, but says surveys show almost half its users are stressed by anything longer than a minute . An Instagram video can be up to 90 seconds, but experts reckon the ideal time to maximise engagement is less than 15 seconds . Twitter doubled the length of tweets in 2017 to 280 characters , but the typical length is more like 33 characters .

It’s easy to get sucked into short and sensational content. But if you’re worried this may be harming your attention span, you should be . There’s solid evidence that so many demands on our attention make us more stressed , and that the endless social comparison makes us feel worse about ourselves.

For better mental health, read a book.

Studies show a range of psychological benefits from book-reading. Reading fiction can increase your capacity for empathy , through the process of seeing the world through a relatable character. Reading has been found to reduce stress as effectively as yoga . It is being prescribed for depression – a treatment known as bibliotherapy .

Book-reading is also a strong marker of curiosity – a quality prized by employers such as Google. Our research shows reading is as strongly associated with curiosity as interest in science, and more strongly than mathematical ability.

And it’s not just that curious minds are more likely to read because of a thirst for knowledge and understanding. That happens too, but our research has specifically been to investigate the role of reading in the development of curious minds.

Read more: Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply, and here's how we can become aware of what's happening — podcast

Tracking reading and curiosity

Our findings come from analysing data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth , which tracks the progress of young Australians from the age of 15 till 25.

Longitudinal surveys provide valuable insights by surveying the same people – in this case a group of about 10,000 young people. Every year for ten years they are asked about their achievements, aspirations, education, employment and life satisfaction.

There have been five survey cohorts since 1998, the most recent starting in 2016. We analysed three of them – those beginning in 2003, 2006 and 2009, looking at the data up to age 20, at which age most have a job or are looking for one.

The survey data is rich enough to develop proxy measures of reading and curiosity levels. It includes participants’ scores in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment tests for reading, mathematics and science ability. There are survey questions about time spent reading for pleasure, time reading newspapers or magazines, and library use.

To measure curiosity, we used respondents’ answers to questions about their interest in the following:

learning new things
thinking about why the world is in the state it is
finding out more about things you don’t understand
finding out about a new idea
finding out how something works.

We used statistical modelling to control for environmental and demographic variables and distinguish the effect of reading activity as a teenager on greater curiosity as a young adult. This modelling gives us confidence that reading is not just correlated with curiosity. Reading books helps build curiosity.

Book reading helps teenagers grow into more curious adults.

Gloom and doom-scrolling

Does this mean if you’re older that it’s too late to start reading? No. Our results relate to young people because the data was available. No matter what your age, deep reading has benefits over social-media scrolling.

The short-term dopamine rush of scrolling on a device is an elusive promise. It depletes rather than uplifts us. Our limbic brain – the part of the brain associated with our emotional and behavioural responses – remains trapped in a spiral of pleasure-seeking.

Studies show a high correlation between media multitasking and attention problems due to cognitive overload . The effect is most evident among young people, who have grown up with social media overexposure .

US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is among the researchers warning that high social media use is a major contributor to declining mental health for teenage girls:

Boys are doing badly too, but their rates of depression and anxiety are not as high, and their increases since 2011 are smaller.

Why this “giant, obvious, international, and gendered cause”? Haidt writes:

Instagram was founded in 2010. The iPhone 4 was released then too — the first smartphone with a front-facing camera. In 2012 Facebook bought Instagram, and that’s the year that its user base exploded. By 2015, it was becoming normal for 12-year-old girls to spend hours each day taking selfies, editing selfies, and posting them for friends, enemies, and strangers to comment on, while also spending hours each day scrolling through photos of other girls and fabulously wealthy female celebrities with (seemingly) vastly superior bodies and lives.

In 2020 Haidt published research showing girls are more vulnerable to “fear of missing out” and the aggression that social media tends to amplify. Since then he’s become even more convinced of the correlation.

Social media, by design, is addictive.

With TikTok, for example, videos start automatically, based on what the algorithm already knows about you. But it doesn’t just validate your preferences and feed you opinions that confirm your biases. It also varies the content so you don’t know what is coming next. This is the same trick that keeps gamblers addicted.

Tips to get back into books

If you are having difficulty choosing between your phone and a book, here’s a simple tip proven by behavioural science . To change behaviour it also helps to change your environment.

Try the following:

Carry a book at all times, or leave books around the house in convenient places.

Schedule reading time into your day. 20 minutes is enough . This reinforces the habit and ensures regular immersion in the book world.

If you’re not enjoying a book, try another. Don’t force yourself.

You’ll feel better for it – and be prepared for a future employer asking you what books you’re reading.

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Behavioural science

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Director, Defence and Security

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Why I Love Reading (Ft. Books You’ll Love Reading, Too)

Posted July 6, 2021 by Sammie in book list , recommendations , top ten tuesdays / 25 Comments

I think it’s no secret by now that I love reading.

I mean, this is my book blog, after all. And chances are you’re here because you enjoy reading, too. So maybe this post is a little bit preaching to the choir. The thing is, though, that working as a librarian, I run into a lot of people who don’t enjoy reading. And sometimes they’re a bit befuddled as to why I do. So let me clear the air a little in that regard.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is reasons why I love reading. I’ve done similar posts in the past, such as why I love reading fantasy , how my reading has changed since childhood , and how blogging has changed my reading . But I haven’t done one specifically about my love for reading in general yet, so here we are.

It wouldn’t be one of my posts, though, if it didn’t also hurt your TBR. So not only am I going to tell you why I love reading, but I’m going to give you books that I loved to read for that specific reason! So let the bookish love begin!

1. It’s like watching a movie . . . with your brain .

I tend to be really bad at watching movies, because I have a short attention span. It’s such a passive thing to do, so my mind tends to wander. It’s the same problem I have with audiobooks. Reading, though, is more of an active process that requires me to actually do something, so I can focus better when reading. I do have this weird thing where I’m not great at picturing stuff that I read, so what I picture isn’t necessarily accurate to how the author wrote it (because paying attention to details is hard, okay?).

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind

2. I get to go on any number of adventures and experience things I likely won’t ever get a chance to in this lifetime.

I mean, first of all, you need to actually leave the house to have an adventure, and that’s not worked out well for us in the past year and a half, has it? Pandemics aside, I’m just not the extroverted, travel sort of person. I mean, there are people out there that want to, like, talk and invade your space and other exhausting things. No thank you. Besides, books let you see worlds that don’t technically exist (that we know of) and things that you won’t find just by going on an adventure. Plus, you get to visit while in the air conditioned comfort of your couch in your pajamas. Hard to pass that up, isn’t it?

3. It keeps my brain sharp and makes me question everything .

Sometimes this is done via mystery. I love whodunnit books, and I always want to try to solve them before the protagonists. Sometimes this is done through plot twists. You know that moment where you’re 99% sure you’ve worked everything out perfectly and you know exactly what’s going to happen. Then WHAM, you’re blindsided by something that should’ve been so bloody obvious and yet somehow you hadn’t even considered it. I love that sort of twist. Bonus points if it then makes me suspicious of every character that ever existed.

Sometimes, though, it’s just a good nonfiction book. I don’t read a ton of nonfiction, but I’ve found some really great ones over the years that teach me something new, even if it’s just how to see the world through someone else’s perspective.

4. Dark humor and sarcastic narrators are definitely a thing in books.

It may not come as much of a surprise, but since I live in the Bible belt in a small, Conservative town, it’s sometimes hard to find people with my sense of humor. Namely, a dark, sarcastic one. Now, I’m not saying that the two things are mutually exclusive (because they’re absolutely not). I’m just saying that I can’t actually joke with a lot of people in my county the way I would with a friend. Or you people. (Then again, we’re all friends here, right?)

So when I meet a character who’s cynical, with sharp, biting wit and a nasty sense of sarcasm, I immediately feel like I’m home. Yes, these are my people. I’ve finally found them! The greatest thing about books is being able to relate to characters in weird and unexpected ways, and generally mine is through sarcasm and humor.

5. I can see other wondrous (or sometimes terrifying) worlds that I normally can’t (because the real world is lame).

I would love for someone to find a way to make this world more like some of the bookish worlds. Preferably the ones that won’t end with my imminent demise, but you know what? I’m not picky. If that’s where we end up, that’s where we end up. I’ll at least make a good run of it.

I read a lot of fantasy mostly because I love seeing the different worlds that authors come up with. Sometimes they’re full of wonder and magic and everything I want to be real. Sometimes they’re filled with mythology that I definitely want to be real. Then again, they might also be utterly dark and terrifying and fun to visit in book form only and definitely not something I’d want to travel to. Probably. I dunno, knowing me, I might be convinced regardless.

6. I’m able to learn about other cultures that I may never get the chance to physically visit.

At some point in my life, I would love to travel and see different cultures and learn different things. However, the money situation being what it is, that’s not going to happen for a little while. Being able to expand my horizons and learn about different cultures through fiction is a great option. Especially since there’s a large amount of people who just can’t afford to travel or have other reasons they’re unable to. Learning about other cultures increases empathy and understanding, which is always a good thing.

7. Sometimes, books can be just the warm, uplifting hug feeling that you need in an otherwise crappy world.

Some days, it’s just nice to read a book that gives you the warm fuzzies. It’s part escapism and part survival instinct so that you don’t give up on life completely (because humans can be utterly frustrating). I tend to read a lot of dark fantasy, but once in a while, I pick up something lighter. Something that just restores my faith in people and leaves me with a big smile on my face, ready to take on the world again. Listen, the world needs necromancers and dragons, but it also needs books that feel like warm hugs. It balances things out.

8. Or they can scare the crap out of you and keep you awake because sleep is for the weak (and victims of ax murderers/murderous ghosts).

The world also needs books that will scare the bejeesus out of you and remind you to be thankful that nothing sinister has found you in the darkness. Yet. Paranormal horror is my favorite kind. Nothing too gory, but just enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The sort that makes the shadows move in the darkness, that convince you eyes are watching you. It’s just the sort of chill I need to cool down in the summer heat!

9. Reading was a special thing in my family that I had in common with the people who meant the most to me.

My grandfather had a nervous breakdown before I was born, and he only just started to come out of it when I was a baby. So he read a lot . We made a weekly trip to the local library, which is where my love for libraries originally came from. Before I could read (and sometimes even after), he and my mother and grandmother would read everything to me (newspapers, even, if we ran out of books that week).

Also fun fact: the first significant gift my husband ever gave me was Meditations by Marcus Aurelius for my birthday a couple months before we started dating. I mean, who gives a sixteen-year-old a book, let alone a philosophy book , for their birthday?! My future husband, obviously. I knew it right then and there. (That’s a lie. I’d liked him for years . That just solidified that my initial reaction was, in fact, correct.)

I’m also adding Harry Potter here. I know how problematic J. K. Rowling is now. Of course I do. But in 1998, when my aunt showed up at my door with the first book in hand, insisting that I just had to read this book her friend gave her? JKR was a nobody, and continued to be that way—for me, at least—until long after I finished reading the series. My aunt worked nights, so she would always wait in line to buy the next book at midnight, read it overnight at work, and then bring it to me the next day when she was done. We also had a tradition that the week the next Harry Potter movie came out, she would take me to see it. Regardless of what JKR does, nothing can erase the bond the series created between my aunt and I. Unfortunately, she passed away in March 2009, so she didn’t even get to finish the movie series.

10. There are dragons and talking swords.

I mean . . . you didn’t think I wasn’t going to mention these, did you? Pffft, come on. Surely you know me by now. I don’t even know when my thing for dragons began, it’s been so long ago. And I’ve enjoyed talking swords since I was a teenager, at least. So they’re pretty deep-seated at this point. I’m sort of picky about my dragon books (because there are so many of them and not always done well). Though, I will always give a dragon book a chance, just the same. Because dragons. Duh!

25 responses to “ Why I Love Reading (Ft. Books You’ll Love Reading, Too) ”

I feel sort of sad when people tell me it’s never happened to them. I think they just need to find the right book!

I agree with all of these. Here is my post-https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2021/07/top-ten-tuesday-eight-reasons-i-enjoy.html

Yes to all of these! Especially the dragons AND the books that feel like warm hugs. I agree, both are the best 🙂

Yes! Although, not gonna lie, if we could find a way to have dragons without reading, I’d be happy with that, too. I mean, I wouldn’t stop reading about dragons, obviously, but I’m just saying.

Love the list. Especially your second reason because how often can you have an adventure and not spill your tea?!

That’s the best sort of adventure, isn’t it? (Or at least it is for this introvert!)

Ironically, I live in an area where things didn’t really stop. There was very little we couldn’t do, because it’s so rural. I know a lot of people who weren’t that fortunate, though, and I’m so glad books were able to at least give them a taste of what life outside was like, way back when. xD

I enjoy films sometimes. But I definitely read more than watch movies. I’ve always had trouble focusing on them, and I always need to be doing something else at the same time just to be able to sit through one. I assume it’s an ADHD thing. xD

Yes, books are great movies for your brain. Here’s my list!

I love sarcastic narrators. I think that’s because I’m surrounded by sarcastic people and know how to deal with it.

You should check out the Magnus Chase series of books by Rick Riordan if you love talking swords and sarcastic characters.

I swear my first language was sarcasm. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until someone outside my family said something and I was like … wait, is that not just how people walk?! xD So I definitely get you with the whole being surrounded by it thing lol.

I’ve heard Magnus Chase is really good! I bought it for my daughter … who was less than impressed and hasn’t read it yet (because I haven’t convinced her that books are amazing yet). I’m definitely going to have to steal her copies and read them! Sounds like something I’ll love.

My husband is always amazed at all the random information I know just from reading. He’s less impressed that I remember XYZ fact from that book five years ago and not that he asked me to grab him something 30 seconds ago. xD But, you know, I walked out of the room and now the thought is gone haha.

Ah, I love these! We do have a lot of reasons in common, but I love that you pointed out how reading can connect us with loved ones too. (I always swear that I fell for my husband when he started describing a favorite book to me.) And I love that you including getting scared to death too! Nothing like a terrifying horror novel to get the adrenaline flowing! My TTT

Funny how many of us fall for a significant other thanks to books. 😉

Bwahaha, I figured we’d have those in common! xD

I love that reading was such a bonding thing in your family. That’s a beautiful thing!

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

Susan http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

I loved this post! Maybe it’s the hyper-organized side of me, but I loved how this post was set up with the different reasons, alongside book recommendations that go along with the reasons! I was able to add a few books to my TBR from this post, so thank you!

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy them when you get a chance to read them. 😀

I think seeing the words just helps me focus, whereas listening means I can tune it out easier. I’m good at tuning things out. It’s part of parenthood. xD

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Why Some People Become Lifelong Readers

A lot rides on how parents present the activity to their kids.

They can be identified by their independent-bookstore tote bags, their “Book Lover” mugs, or—most reliably—by the bound, printed stacks of paper they flip through on their lap. They are, for lack of a more specific term, readers.

Joining their tribe seems simple enough: Get a book, read it, and voilà! You’re a reader—no tote bag necessary. But behind that simple process is a question of motivation—of why some people grow up to derive great pleasure from reading, while others don’t. That why is consequential—leisure reading has been linked to a range of good academic and professional outcomes—as well as difficult to fully explain. But a chief factor seems to be the household one is born into, and the culture of reading that parents create within it.

Read: The adults who treat reading like homework

The size of the American reading public varies depending on one’s definition of reading . In 2017, about 53 percent of American adults (roughly 125 million people) read at least one book not for school or for work in the previous 12 months, according to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Five years earlier, the NEA ran a more detailed survey , and found that 23 percent of American adults were “light” readers (finishing one to five titles per year), 10 percent were “moderate” (six to 11 titles), 13 percent were “frequent” (12 to 49 titles), and a dedicated 5 percent were “avid” (50 books and up).

“Every society has some group of people—somewhere between a minuscule amount and half the adults—that read a lot in their leisure time,” says Wendy Griswold, a sociologist at Northwestern University who studies reading. Griswold refers to this group as “the reading class,” and—adding up the NEA’s “frequents” and “avids,” and considering rates of serious reading in other similarly wealthy countries—reckons that about 20 percent of adults belong to the U.S.’s reading class. She said that a larger proportion of the American population qualified as big readers between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries—an era of reading that was made possible by advances in printing technology and then, eventually, snuffed out by television.

Some people are much more likely than others to become members of the reading class. “The patterns are very, very predictable ,” Griswold told me. First, and most intuitively, the more education someone has, the more likely they are to be a reader. Beyond that, she said, “urban people read more than rural people,” “affluence is associated with reading,” and “young girls read earlier” than boys do and “continue to read more in adulthood.” Race matters, too: The NEA’s data indicate that 60 percent of white American adults reported reading a book in the last year outside of work or school, which was a higher rate than for African Americans (47 percent), Asians (45 percent), and Hispanic people (32 percent). (Some of these correlations could simply reflect the strong connection between education and reading.)

Of course, possessing any of these characteristics doesn’t guarantee that someone will or won’t become a reader. Personality also seems to play a role. “Introverts seem to be a little bit more likely to do a lot of leisure-time reading,” Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, told me.

Willingham also talked about the importance, which many researchers have examined, of the number of books in one’s childhood home. Studies looking at “family scholarly culture” have found that children who grew up surrounded by books tend to attain higher levels of education and to be better readers than those who didn’t, even after controlling for their parents’ education.

The mere presence of books is not magically transformative. “The question is, I take a child who’s not doing very well in school, and I put 300 books in their house—now what happens?,” Willingham said. “Almost certainly the answer is, not a lot. So what is it? Either what are people doing with those books, or is this sort of a temperature read of a much broader complex of attitudes and behaviors and priorities that you find in that home?”

It is almost tautological to observe that being a reader sets a child up for academic success, since so much of school is reading. And that means-to-an-end argument in support of reading says nothing of the many joys it can bring. But even though plenty of people simply don’t enjoy reading (or have trouble enjoying it, possibly because of a learning or attention disorder), it’s a vital skill. It may be dispiriting that people have little, if any, say over many of the predictors of whether they or their children will be readers, but thankfully, there are also a number of other factors that are within people’s control.

As Willingham explains in his book Raising Kids Who Read , three variables have a lot of influence over whether someone becomes a lifelong reader. First, a child needs to be a “fluent decoder,” he told me—that is, able to smoothly “go from print on the page to words in the mind.” This is something that schools teach, but parents can help with it by reading to and with their kids—especially when that reading involves wordplay, which particularly helps kids with the challenge of identifying the “individual speech sounds” that make up a word.

Second, Willingham said, these fluent decoders benefit from having wide-ranging background knowledge about the world. “The main predictor of whether a child or an adult understands a text is how much they already know about the topic ,” Willingham noted. So parents can try to arm their kids with information about the world that will help them interpret whatever they come across in print, or make sure their kids have some familiarity with whatever it is they’re reading about.

Once those two things are in place, the final component is “motivation—you have to have a positive attitude toward reading and a positive self-image as a reader,” Willingham said.

That third ingredient is a central focus of How to Raise a Reader , a book released earlier this month by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo, the editor and the children’s-books editor, respectively, of The New York Times Book Review . “So many parents are stressed out by all the research out there that says that reading is tied to things like academic success, testing success, executive function, and emotional well-being,” Paul told me. “Knowing all of that makes parents think, ‘Okay, my kid has to be a reader.’” That mentality can lead them to frame reading to their children as an obligation. “Kids basically perceive that right off the bat—children know, for example, if you’re trying to get them to eat something that’s good for them,” Paul said; the aim is to present reading not as “spinach,” but as “chocolate cake.”

Reading will seem more like chocolate cake if it’s something that parents themselves take part in happily and regularly. “When I’m sitting there on my couch, reading a book, and my kids are doing their own thing, I like to think, ‘I’m parenting right now—they can see me reading this book,’” Russo told me. Similarly, Paul said that if “right after dinner, the first thing you do is scroll through your phone, open up your laptop, or watch TV,” kids are likely to take note. Parents are constantly sending their children messages with how they choose to spend their free time.

Parents don’t have to have grown up avid readers themselves to raise avid readers. Paul and Russo both suggested a bunch of things that parents can do to make reading seem exciting and worthwhile: talk about books during meals or car rides, indicating that they’re just as compelling a subject of conversation as the day’s events; make regular stops at libraries and bookstores, and stay a while; and give books as birthday gifts.

Paul also advised that parents seed books throughout the house, not stash them “preciously in your own bedroom, away from everyone else, or in one [specific] area of the house.” It may seem expensive to assemble a large home library, but Paul points out that it’s cheap to buy used books and free to borrow lots of them. “You don’t need a lot of money to fill your home with books … [and] it’s very hard to have a bored child when there are always books around,” she said.

At one point in our interview, Russo referred to reading as a “private pleasure-delivery system,” which seems like a key way to think about getting kids to read: There are, as so many parents are all too aware, loads of benefits to being able to read in terms of later-in-life outcomes, but the focus should be on helping kids discover the intrinsic value in it, in the moment. After that, other good things will come.

Essays About Reading: 5 Examples And Topic Ideas

As a writer, you love to read and talk to others about reading books. Check out some examples of essays about reading and topic ideas for your essay.

Many people fall in love with good books at an early age, as experiencing the joy of reading can help transport a child’s imagination to new places. Reading isn’t just for fun, of course—the importance of reading has been shown time and again in educational research studies.

If you love to sit down with a good book, you likely want to share your love of reading with others. Reading can offer a new perspective and transport readers to different worlds, whether you’re into autobiographies, books about positive thinking, or stories that share life lessons.

When explaining your love of reading to others, it’s important to let your passion shine through in your writing. Try not to take a negative view of people who don’t enjoy reading, as reading and writing skills are tougher for some people than others.

Talk about the positive effects of reading and how it’s positively benefitted your life. Offer helpful tips on how people can learn to enjoy reading, even if it’s something that they’ve struggled with for a long time. Remember, your goal when writing essays about reading is to make others interested in exploring the world of books as a source of knowledge and entertainment.

Now, let’s explore some popular essays on reading to help get you inspired and some topics that you can use as a starting point for your essay about how books have positively impacted your life.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

Examples Of Essays About Reading

1. The Book That Changed My Life By The New York Times
2. I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life By Anangsha Alammyan
3. How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience By Blair Kenney

4. How ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ Saved Me By Isaac Fitzgerald

5. catcher in the rye: that time a banned book changed my life by pat kelly, topic ideas for essays about reading, 1. how can a high school student improve their reading skills, 2. what’s the best piece of literature ever written, 3. how reading books from authors of varied backgrounds can provide a different perspective, 4. challenging your point of view: how reading essays you disagree with can provide a new perspective, 1. the book that changed my life by the new york times.

“My error the first time around was to read “Middlemarch” as one would a typical novel. But “Middlemarch” isn’t really about plot and dialogue. It’s all about character, as mediated through the wise and compassionate (but sharply astute) voice of the omniscient narrator. The book shows us that we cannot live without other people and that we cannot live with other people unless we recognize their flaws and foibles in ourselves.” The New York Times

In this collection of reader essays, people share the books that have shaped how they see the world and live their lives. Talking about a life-changing piece of literature can offer a new perspective to people who tend to shy away from reading and can encourage others to pick up your favorite book.

2. I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life By Anangsha Alammyan

“Consistent reading helps you develop your analytical thinking skills over time. It stimulates your brain and allows you to think in new ways. When you are actively engaged in what you’re reading, you would be able to ask better questions, look at things from a different perspective, identify patterns and make connections.” Anangsha Alammyan

Alammyan shares how she got away from habits that weren’t serving her life (such as scrolling on social media) and instead turned her attention to focus on reading. She shares how she changed her schedule and time management processes to allow herself to devote more time to reading, and she also shares the many ways that she benefited from spending more time on her Kindle and less time on her phone.

3. How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience By Blair Kenney

“When my learning specialist convinced me that I was an intelligent person with a reading disorder, I gradually stopped hiding from what I was most afraid of—the belief that I was a person of mediocre intelligence with overambitious goals for herself. As I slowly let go of this fear, I became much more aware of my learning issues. For the first time, I felt that I could dig below the surface of my unhappiness in school without being ashamed of what I might find.” Blair Kenney

Reading does not come easily to everyone, and dyslexia can make it especially difficult for a person to process words. In this essay, Kenney shares her experience of being diagnosed with dyslexia during her sophomore year of college at Yale. She gave herself more patience, grew in her confidence, and developed techniques that worked to improve her reading and processing skills.

“I took that book home to finish reading it. I’d sit somewhat uncomfortably in a tree or against a stone wall or, more often than not, in my sparsely decorated bedroom with the door closed as my mother had hushed arguments with my father on the phone. There were many things in the book that went over my head during my first time reading it. But a land left with neither Rhyme nor Reason, as I listened to my parents fight, that I understood.” Isaac Fitzgerald

Books can transport a reader to another world. In this essay, Fitzgerald explains how Norton Juster’s novel allowed him to escape a difficult time in his childhood through the magic of his imagination. Writing about a book that had a significant impact on your childhood can help you form an instant connection with your reader, as many people hold a childhood literature favorite near and dear to their hearts.

“From the first paragraph my mind was blown wide open. It not only changed my whole perspective on what literature could be, it changed the way I looked at myself in relation to the world. This was heavy stuff. Of the countless books I had read up to this point, even the ones written in first person, none of them felt like they were speaking directly to me. Not really anyway.” Pat Kelly

Many readers have had the experience of feeling like a book was written specifically for them, and in this essay, Kelly shares that experience with J.D. Salinger’s classic American novel. Writing about a book that felt like it was written specifically for you can give you the chance to share what was happening in your life when you read the book and the lasting impact that the book had on you as a person.

There are several topic options to choose from when you’re writing about reading. You may want to write about how literature you love has changed your life or how others can develop their reading skills to derive similar pleasure from reading.

Middle and high school students who struggle with reading can feel discouraged when, despite their best efforts, their skills do not improve. Research the latest educational techniques for boosting reading skills in high school students (the research often changes) and offer concrete tips (such as using active reading skills) to help students grow.

It’s an excellent persuasive essay topic; it’s fun to write about the piece of literature you believe to be the greatest of all time. Of course, much of this topic is a matter of opinion, and it’s impossible to prove that one piece of literature is “better” than another. Write your essay about how the piece of literature you consider the best positive affected your life and discuss how it’s impacted the world of literature in general.

The world is full of many perspectives and points of view, and it can be hard to imagine the world through someone else’s eyes. Reading books by authors of different gender, race, or socioeconomic status can help open your eyes to the challenges and issues others face. Explain how reading books by authors with different backgrounds has changed your worldview in your essay.

It’s fun to read the information that reinforces viewpoints that you already have, but doing so doesn’t contribute to expanding your mind and helping you see the world from a different perspective. Explain how pushing oneself to see a different point of view can help you better understand your perspective and help open your eyes to ideas you may not have considered.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our round-up of essay topics about education .

Amanda has an M.S.Ed degree from the University of Pennsylvania in School and Mental Health Counseling and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She has experience writing magazine articles, newspaper articles, SEO-friendly web copy, and blog posts.

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Essay Examples on Reading Books

What makes a good reading books essay topics.

When it comes to writing an essay about reading books, choosing the right topic is essential. A good essay topic is one that is interesting, relevant, and allows for in-depth analysis and discussion. To brainstorm and choose a good essay topic, start by considering your own interests and passions. What books have you read recently that have made a lasting impression on you? What themes or ideas from those books could be explored further in an essay? Additionally, consider the potential impact of the topic on the reader. A good essay topic is one that will engage and captivate the reader, sparking their interest in the subject matter. Finally, a good essay topic is one that allows for a variety of perspectives and interpretations, encouraging critical thinking and analysis.

Best Reading Books Essay Topics

The role of symbolism in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
The impact of censorship in "Fahrenheit 451"
The portrayal of mental illness in "The Bell Jar"
The theme of identity in "Beloved"
The use of magical realism in "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
The representation of race and gender in "The Color Purple"
The significance of the green light in "The Great Gatsby"
The portrayal of war in "All Quiet on the Western Front"
The theme of power and corruption in "Animal Farm"
The use of allegory in "Lord of the Flies"
The impact of colonialism in "Things Fall Apart"
The role of family in "Pride and Prejudice"
The portrayal of love and loss in "The Fault in Our Stars"
The theme of survival in "Life of Pi"
The representation of heroism in "The Odyssey"
The impact of technology in "Brave New World"
The portrayal of social class in "The House of Mirth"
The role of nature in "Walden"
The theme of innocence in "The Catcher in the Rye"
The significance of memory in "The Remains of the Day"

Reading Books essay topics Prompts

Imagine you are a character from your favorite book. Write a letter to the author expressing your thoughts and feelings about the story and its impact on your life.
Choose a book that you believe should be included in the school curriculum. Write an essay arguing for its inclusion, providing evidence to support your argument.
Create a playlist of songs that you believe represents the themes and emotions of a particular book. Write an essay explaining your song choices and how they relate to the story.
Choose a classic novel and write an essay exploring how its themes and messages are still relevant in today's society.
Imagine you are a literary critic. Write a review of a book you recently read, discussing its strengths and weaknesses and whether you would recommend it to others.

The Classification and Importance of Books

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The Effects of Reading a Book

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16 responses to “ Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Reading ”

I always love that books take me to new places; the armchair adventures are the best. I read to be entertained so a good, light-hearted read, is always my favorite. :) Rissi @ Finding Wonderland recently posted… 12 RED, WHITE AND BLUE BOOK COVER COLORS

#1, #2 and #5 — match up for me as well. But my favorite reason is #3 — to make friends. :) Lex @ Lexlingua recently posted… Why I Love Reading // in 10 Shots

Great question. My main reason: “I can travel the world”. Thanks for the challenge.

I would echo most of these. And what’s that quote about a reader living a thousand lives? I just love everything about reading!

This is such a great topic and, as you say, it’s so hard to limit it to just ten! But what a good problem to have and I hope all the authors who see our posts feel the love and appreciation out there for what they do.

We have a lot of similar reasons! Though I didn’t put to make friends and that is a fantastic reason. So true! Lauren @ My Expanding Bookshelf recently posted… Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons Why I Love Reading

OOh nice reasons! I can agree with all of these too!

Here’s my Tuesday Post

Have a GREAT day!

Old Follower :)

I definitely think reading makes you smarter!

My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-reasons-why-i-love-reading/

I like the learning factor, too – I love when I can pull a little factoid out of my head because of something I read in a book!

All great reasons, Jana. We share some of the same. Hope you have a great day.

Great list! I love escaping into books, and they definitely make a room look beautiful! Here is my Top Ten Tuesday . Thank you!

I love reading in bed! I usually enjoy at least an hour every night, although it doesn’t always help me sleep. Sometimes, I can’t stop reading. Other times, I read something scary that gives me nightmares. Most of the time, though, it’s the perfect way to ease myself into sleep.

Susan http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

Those are all really good reasons to love books! Lark @ The Bookwyrm’s Hoard recently posted… Ten Things I Love About Reading

I love the escape! I also love that there is so much to explore! Thanks for sharing.

Great list Jana. I love #9, especially because I know that can happen. Carla recently posted… Top Ten Tuesday: Why Do I Love Reading?

Oh just found you and this is one I would’ve loved jumping in on! Hoping for more easy writing lists about books in the future then… :-) iHanna recently posted… Wee Art Books

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Why people like to read.

In our recent report on the rise of e-reading , we asked those who had read a book in the past 12 months to tell us what they like most about book reading. They gave a host of reasons that ranged from the highly practical to the sublime.

26% of those who had read a book in the past 12 months said that what they enjoyed most was learning, gaining knowledge, and discovering information.
15% cited the pleasures of escaping reality, becoming immersed in another world, and the enjoyment they got from using their imaginations.
12% said they liked the entertainment value of reading, the drama of good stories, the suspense of watching a good plot unfold.
12% said they enjoyed relaxing while reading and having quiet time.
6% liked the variety of topics they could access via reading and how they could find books that particularly interested them.
4% said they enjoy finding spiritual enrichment through reading and expanding their worldview.
3% said they like being mentally challenged by books.
2% cited the physical properties of books – their feel and smell – as a primary pleasure.
In their own words, respondents were eloquent and touching. One respondent noted: “I am an English teacher, so I read to save my sanity from grading essays.”

Those who talked about quiet entertainment tended toward phrases like “a stress-free escape,” “a nice way to relax,” “I read because it’s not work,” “diverting, entertaining and educational,” and “It draws me away from reality.” That was echoed by a respondent who said reading “takes you away, like a movie in your head.” One wryly said he liked reading “because it helps me with my temper and relaxes me.”

Those who talked about personal enrichment used phrases like “being able to experience so many times, places, and events.” Others expressed pleasure at living a “life of the mind.”

For many, reading was a proud lifestyle choice: “It’s better for me to imagine things in my head than watch them on TV.”

One compelling summary thought came from a respondent who declared: “I love being able to get outside myself.”

Visit our report for more on the rise of e-reading and the general reading habits of Americans ; and browse through the host of resources on the new libraries section of our site: libraries.pewresearch.org/internet .

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Why Do People Like to Read? (18 Exciting Reasons!)

Why do people like to read? If you’re not a bookworm, you might find the way some people love to read both baffling and even alien to you. After all, reading is not nearly as exciting as watching a movie, right? And it’s kind of a boring, stationary activity, right?

Even if you are a reader, you might still be wondering why people like to read. Or you might not know how to answer when people ask you “Why do you like reading books?”…because on the face of it, you really are just staring at a bunch of marks on a page…and let’s be honest, that doesn’t sound too exciting or interesting…

But there are so many good reasons people like reading. From entertainment reasons for reading to scientific benefits of reading , here’s everything you need to know to finally understand why people like to read!

A man and woman both sitting on the floor and reading books

1. Reading Allows You to Escape Reality

Why do people like reading? One of the most popular reasons is that reading allows you to escape reality.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the reality of the world around you or by everything you have to do or think about in your work or everyday life, then reading can be a good way to escape all of that for a little while.

Of course, there can be both a healthy and unhealthy way to use reading to escape reality. You can’t just spend all your life in a book! But if you need a little break from the pressures in your life, reading can be a good escape for you.

2. Reading Immerses You in Another World

Another reason people like reading is that it takes you outside of yourself and immerses you in another world.

When you’re reading, you can quickly become immersed in the world of the book (Assuming it’s a good book!). This could be a fantasy world or just the real world as described in the book. But regardless, the story grabs you and brings you into whatever is going on and allows you to be a part of that world for a little while.

3. Reading Helps You Experience Other Times, Places, and Events

Reading is also exciting because it can help you experience other times, places, and events that you might not normally have the opportunity to experience.

If you love to travel but don’t often have the opportunity, then reading can take you to the places you want to visit! Ever wondered what it would be like to experience your favorite historical moment? Reading can also likely take you there!

While our lives are limited in what we’re able to experience, books can take us pretty much anywhere and to do pretty much anything we want. And that’s pretty incredible!

4. Reading Offers the Pleasure of a Good Story

For readers who love the suspense of watching a good plot unfold, the pleasure of a good story is a reason to read in itself.

The drama of a good story is both fun and exciting, as you get to see the story unfold and experience the pleasure that comes from a well-crafted story in all of its stages from beginning to end.

5. Reading Allows You to Use Your Imagination

Reading can also improve the imagination and creativity, and allows us the opportunity to use our imaginations too.

While movies are exciting and fun forms of entertainment, books offer entertainment but without the visual. Non-readers might see this as a drawback, but readers know that this can be exciting because you get to use your imagination to supply the visuals while you read!

Since not everything is fully laid out for you like in a movie, you have to supply some of what characters look like (from a basic description, usually) as well as what their surroundings look like, how they act/interact with other characters, etc.

Books usually lay out a framework for visuals, but you get to have fun using your imagination and filling in the rest!

6. Reading is Relaxing

Another reason many people love to read is that it is relaxing and helps reduce stress.

Often, people think reading can relax you by taking your mind off of your problems. And this is true! By filling your mind with something else captivating, you’re less likely to focus on your anxious thoughts or anxious feelings.

But it can also actually relax your body, by lowering your heart rate and reducing tension in your muscles. So there are both physical and mental reasons that reading helps relax you, and that can be a huge reason readers love to read!

7. Reading Facilitates Quiet Time

Ever feel like the world is just too loud? Too busy? If so, reading is a huge help because it facilitates having quiet time!

There are lots of great places to read , but in general most people find reading is best done somewhere without a lot of noise and distractions. So if you’re looking for an excuse to escape the busyness of life and the noise, then picking up reading can be a helpful way to escape from all that.

8. Reading is a Sensory Experience

Some readers also just really like reading because of the sensory experience.

This is mostly true of the die-hard print book fans, but you’ll likely find traces of it in ebook readers as well. Essentially, the experience of holding a book—the way it feels in your hands, the way it smells, etc.—is an enjoyable experience and makes them love reading.

9. Reading is Good (Free-ish) Entertainment

As we’ve started to see through the above reasons people love reading, reading is honestly just really good entertainment! It’s fun! And that’s a huge reason people like to read.

It’s also generally free (or free-ish) entertainment, as you can get a lot of books for free or cheap from your library, used bookstores, and more. There are also lots of places to find free or cheap ebooks and cheap audiobooks . So when it comes to entertaining hobbies, reading is one that offers lots of benefits and excitement for a pretty low cost!

10. Reading is Educational

While the entertainment side of reading is unquestionably a huge motive for readers to enjoy reading , educational value is another big reason for many people to read books.

If you want to learn something, books can be the perfect way to start getting an education about whatever topic you’re interested in!

11. Reading Helps You Gain Knowledge and Skills

Similarly, reading helps you gain knowledge and discover new information.

Whatever topic you’re interested in or whatever new skill you want to learn, there’s a book to help! Sometimes reading books can be the perfect way to get started with learning something new and discovering more about a skill you’re interested in gaining.

12. Reading Gives You a New Perspective

Reading can also give you a new perspective on life and various topics you read about.

Maybe you’ve had long-held opinions about a historical person or event, but reading their biography allows you to discover something you didn’t know that adjusts how you see them. Or maybe you’re reading a fiction book, but discover that the characters view something differently than you and it makes sense why they do.

Whatever the case, it’s likely that reading can give you a new perspective on people, problems, and many other things you never realized!

13. Reading Increases Empathy

Similarly, reading can help increase your empathy by showing you the world through another’s eyes.

Whether you’re reading about something and seeing it through the eyes of the author, or reading about something and seeing it through the eyes of a fictional character, reading does a great job of placing you in others’ shoes and teaching you about things you haven’t personally experienced.

When you see the experiences of others, you will likely understand why they make the choices they do and this can increase your empathy and understanding of others in the real world as well!

14. Reading Expands Your Worldview

Reading is also something people love to do because it helps expand their worldviews.

Just like travel, reading can expose you to new cultures, new experiences, and new ways of thinking. While many of us tend to get trapped in our own comfortable bubbles and ways of viewing the world, reading is a low-effort and low-stakes way to experience new worldviews and ways of seeing the world.

And as you learn more about the variety of ways people live, your worldview is likely to expand and grow and help you discover truth and new ways of viewing the world that you otherwise would never have considered.

15. Reading Challenges the Mind

Many people also love reading because it challenges their minds and challenges them to grow.

This is particularly true if you’re reading books that feel a little difficult to you, but in general reading helps keep your mind sharp and challenges you to get better at reading, critical thinking, vocabulary and more. It’s a good way to keep your brain strong, especially as you age!

16. Reading Improves Memory

Reading is also popular with those who want to maintain good health, as it can help improve and maintain memory.

Reading books is an easy way to help you practice memory skills, by remembering events that happened in previous chapters and holding on to those details to help you keep track of the story as it progresses. It also forces you to keep track of things that happened in recent paragraphs so you can progress through the story.

By allowing you to practice remembering larger events and details over time, as well as the things that have just happened a few paragraphs before, studies have shown reading helps strengthen pathways in the brain and likely helps improve your memory as well. So if you want to increase cognitive function (or simply lessen age-related cognitive decline), then reading can be a great practice to add to your daily routine!

17. Reading Builds Character and Helps Reach Goals

Reading is also something people like to do because it can help them build character and that can transfer to other areas of their life as well.

While reading can be fun overall for many people, it’s also a discipline and isn’t always fun. But if you want to build good habits in your reading life or in your daily life, then setting reading goals and reaching those reading goals can help you improve not only in reading and learning but also give you the motivation to reach for other goals in your life as well.

When you’re disciplined in one area of your life and do things you know are good for you even when you’re not always excited about it, this can help build character and help you be more disciplined in other areas of your life too!

18. Reading Builds Connection and Community

Lastly, for many people reading is also something they love to do because it’s a way to build connection and community.

While reading can be a solitary activity, it can also be a bonding one. After all, if you’re a reader, you know how exciting it can be to talk about a good book with someone else who loves to read!

So for some people, reading can be a good way to connect with others through joining a book club , through starting a Bookstagram, or even just through giving you things to talk about with friends in real life.

So if you’re looking for community and connection, then you might find you like reading too when you pick up a book and experience all of these reasons so many people love to read!

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ESSAY: Why I Love to Read and to Write by Gail Dayton

Last winter, I posted that I would love to hear from readers, writers, bloggers about why they read, write and blog. Gail Dayton, author of the new book, New Blood , offers up this personal account.

I love to read. No, I looooove to read. And I read fast. I read about 300 books a year (counting re-reads). So when I saw the Ja(y)nes offer to post essays on reading, writing and the love thereof, I got to thinking-‘WHY do I love reading and writing so much.

It’s the stories. My cousin Diane taught me to read when I was just four, and from that moment, I’ve been caught up in the worlds opened up to me by books. But I think my addiction to story must go earlier than that, because my mother likes to talk about taking me to see Bambi with my multitude of cousins when I was three. (Mama is the youngest of four sisters, each of whom had four kids, except for Aunt Bettye, who had six…The family Thanksgiving is massive.) For weeks afterward, my invisible friend Bambi went everywhere with me. Hey, at least Bambi was a deer and didn’t require his own plate at the dinner table, like the fella’s invisible friend Mister. (Mister got on a plane one day and flew to Chicago, never to be seen again.)

Stories fire my imagination and, for a little while, let me live in That world, instead of this-‘often boring-‘one. In the world of story, ANYTHING can happen.

Which is why I write. I still have invisible friends. No, really. TIME magazine quoted researchers who discovered that fiction writers’ relationships with their characters is virtually identical with a child’s relationship with his invisible friends. We know they’re not real. Honest. We do know. But we still have no control over them. They go off and do stuff just because they want to, and we have no way to stop them.

Back to the topic. I don’t write just because I get to hang out with invisible friends. I write because I get to tell stories. And in those stories, ANYTHING can happen. Dragons are real. Soul mates can find their destiny. People can recover from tragedy. Even all of the above. And, despite the fact that characters can go their own way, I can still tell the story I want to tell. (The characters usually know better than I do.)

I started wanting to tell stories MY way back in-‘junior high, I think. That’s when I inherited a bunch of my dad’s old books. Copies of Robin Hood in archaic English. The original Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I literally read the cover off Tarzan . The only problem I saw was that Tarzan didn’t have a sister. Jane really didn’t cut it as a place-holder for the role I wanted to play in the book. I wanted to live in the jungle too. So I made up one.

I graduated from fan fiction sometime in college, eventually learned to finish a book, and here I am. I still love to read, and I still love to write (even though these days it sometimes can feel like work). Because it’s all about the story.

If you would like to contribute a guest essay on why you read, why you write or why you blog, please send an email to Jane at dearauthor.com with “Essay” in the subject line.

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25 Reasons Why We Love Reading Books

Reading is a privilege. Often, we take this gift for granted. Here are some quotes and images for book lovers to appreciate the magic of reading.

By Richard Williams ~ Apr 23, 2021

To find words for what we already know

Books get through to us, we can travel without taking a step, they teach us to be better, they have the power to change the world, they offer a lifeline, reading is a lifelong love affair, reading makes you who you are, with books, you can be lifelong friends, books expand our imagination, reading helps us create a vision for our lives, they help us rise above the ordinary, it helps us lead many lives in one lifetime, we can talk to people from another century, reading takes us on unbelievable and unforgettable journeys, reading helps us dream big, reading brings magic to our lives, we can be at many places at once, reading sets us free, reading brings joy, books take us on adventures, reading brings stillness to our lives, reading makes us thoughtful, reading leads us to tomorrow, reading helps us discover who we are.

Books carry a whole world within them. Books, like people, have personalities. Reading a good book is like making a new friend - understanding their journey, and experiencing a different view of the world. Benefits of reading books are abundant. Whether you like fiction, self-help, philosophical writing, or maybe just bedtime stories with the little one, make sure you curl up with your paper friend today and replace the bad habits of screen time before bed.

There are many studies that took place in the past few years that infer books can actually alter our brains. If you don't believe us, read this article by Inc. This is what a good book can do to your brain. Thus a person who loves reading novels, benefits in the long run.

Science aside, we love reading for many, many reasons. They are summed up below in quotes and images by some of the most famous and influential people. We hope you love this curation and pick up a book right after you finish reading this post :)

Quotes for Book Lovers by Alberto Manuel - Lifeism

These words hit right home. With all that’s going on in the world right now, books offer solace in our daily routine. Whether you are feeling low or need some inspiration, a good read can lift your spirits and help young bibliophiles process life with patience.

Mortimer Adler Quotes on Books - Lifeism

We can all admit to being a part of “reading challenges” or “reading marathons”. While this could prove helpful in inculcating reading every day, it is only when we are mindful about the books we read and respect their message, do they get through us and make a difference. Self-help books like 101 essays, Think like a monk, and many more change your perspective towards looking at life.

Reading a book is like taking a journey or finding long forgotten love. We can explore another universe, see it through someone else’s eyes, and live in the pages of a book. They offer insights about various facets of life, without us having to move.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes on Books - Lifeism

Books, especially classic novels teach us more about the way of life than anything else ever does. They help build our intellect, sharpen our skills and induce good habits . They help us broaden our mindset and acknowledge what we have in our life. This results in healthier relationships. Every knowledgeable person is an outcome of reading over the years.

Book Lover Quotes Malala Yousafzai - Lifeism

Malala brings forth a poignant fact. When empowered with an opportunity to learn, a child can change the world in ways more than one. Research has shown that children who develop a habit of reading with their parents have higher cognitive strength and creativity as they grow up.

No one “likes” to breathe. It’s something we do involuntarily because, well, life demands it. A moment of suffocation brings out how crucial it is to keep breathing. In the same way, the moment we realize that we are passing by great stories do we pay heed to books. Don’t let this be you, pick up a book today and dive right in.

Books don’t judge you for your past, books listen. They listen when you are troubled and provide comfort by whisking you away from reality, albeit for a few moments.

How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you. Rupi Kaur beautifully strings together words that will remind you to love yourself.

That is the magic of the written word. It stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it, sometimes inspiring you, uplifting you, feeds the voracious reader within you and even making you question your beliefs to make you grow and widen your perspective.

Joy of a Good Book Quotes Paul Sweeney - Lifeism

We’ve all experienced this, right? Every time we finish a b

ook and come back to the humdrum of reality, it feels like we’ve lost a dear friend, who has been on a journey with us, sharing and caring for us all along.

How your past can have a bright future with the right ingredients. Inspired by Meik Wiking from his book, The Art of Making Happy Memories.

Today, try spending time reading a book in the time instead of binging the tenth rerun of your favorite show- it will change you. Books take us to our own imaginary land. They increase our creativity and fascination. For eg, decodable books are created in a way that enhances children's intellect and imagination power. These are the books everyone should read.

Replenish your life with love, serenity, and happiness by practicing these simple heart chakra affirmations.

Books are such a treasure of knowledge. They carry in them the depths of wisdom. Seek to spend time with books and they will never disappoint.

We are all born the same. What matters is how we choose to fill up our time. Those who spend time reading experience amazing things. Books prepare them for all the marvelous opportunities life has to offer.

George RR Martin Quotes on Books - Lifeism

You live, breathe, and die a thousand lives when you read a book. You fight demons, find your soulmate, learn new things, discover yourself- just through the bounds of a book. All in just one lifetime. Reading fulfills us in ways words cannot define.

A book has its own character, just like all of us do. And that’s because the writer imparts a part of his own personality to his work. You can feel their thoughts and emotions when you read their book. It is an intimate reflection of their thought process. Isn’t that intriguing?

Anna Quindlen Book Lover Quotes - Lifeism

A good book has the power to transport you to your imagination. They can steal you away from the humdrums of reality. A good read is a journey through words.

Neil Gaiman Quotes on Book Love- Lifeism

Books are the best way to travel. All you have to do is immerse yourself in one and let your imagination take over. Reading can help us expand our visions, dream bigger, and make our lives better. In many ways, reading enriches our dreams. It helps us pursue purpose that our life serves.

JK Rowling Quotes About Reading - Lifeism

JK Rowling, writer of the Harry Potter series, one of the must read books of all time is right of course. She always is. But this is not just a matter of belief. This is true even scientifically. When you read a book, it changes the circuits of your brain. This is what scientists are calling neuroplasticity.

The Harry Potter series has captivated fans worldwide. Here are a few Luna Lovegood quotes we absolutely love.

Stephen King, one of the most successful authors of our time, is absolutely right. In the world of Harry Potter, we’d describe books as portkeys. An object that will transport you to another place as soon as you pick it up. Books are a certain type of magic.

This quote is so relevant when we just have to stay in one place. As the pandemic rages on outside us, as it brings the world to a halt, books are the only real escape. Books remain the only way to travel while sitting in the safety and comfort of our homes.

Fredrick Douglas Quotes on Books - Lifeism

Whatever you need in life, you are likely to find in between the pages of a good book. It sets us free from our own reservations, negative thinking, and expectations.

Thomas Wharton Quotes on Books - Lifeism

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Thomas Wharton was indeed a book lover. In our fast-paced life, we rarely take the time to just dwell on a book. To let down our hair and read, without a care in the world. To escape to whatever dimension of reality you want. How else would you describe paradise?

Appreciating the simple pleasures in life can enrich us and make our lives wholesome. Here is a list of over 100 of them that we think you will love.

Can’t step out? Stuck at home? Feeling bored? And anxious? Just grab a book. It will be the safest and the best kind of adventure you venture on.

When you read, you are only listening. You are not interrupting the narrator or the author of the book. Reading gives you the patience to listen completely to someone and not assume what they are thinking. Reading helps you develop empathy. Be it on a subway, seat of the toilet, or under the covers of your bed, reading can bring calm in the chaos of our lives.

We tend to believe that our thoughts are right. We believe that if a thought occurred to us, it's correct. But that is not true. Our assumptions have been thwarted many times, haven't they? Reading gives us knowledge. But if you think about it, it's not just knowledge, it is also wisdom. Reading teaches us not just what to think but also how to think. It also increases our cognitive biases.

Margret Fuller Quotes on Books - Lifeism

Readers experience several lifetimes in one life. The learnings that come from reading the experiences of others lead to immense personal growth in IQ, Emotional intelligence, and even spirituality.

Reading can unravel sides of us that we never knew existed. We peel the onion of our personality with each book, at times with surprise and awe at ourselves. Reading can not just change how we think, it can also change how we feel. Great books question our assumptions and challenge us to be better.

Reading has a major influence on our lives. These are just a few reasons why we love reading. What are your reasons? We'd love to hear from you in the comments.

Feeling nostalgic with the idea of reading paperback novels again.

This article is treat to an avid reader

Totally relatable!

reading books is one thing that makes me calm, very nicely written article

Loved reading why I love reading books

Being an avid reader, I can totally relate to this article

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Reading is Good Habit for Students and Children

500+ words essay on reading is good habit.

Reading is a very good habit that one needs to develop in life. Good books can inform you, enlighten you and lead you in the right direction. There is no better companion than a good book. Reading is important because it is good for your overall well-being. Once you start reading, you experience a whole new world. When you start loving the habit of reading you eventually get addicted to it. Reading develops language skills and vocabulary. Reading books is also a way to relax and reduce stress. It is important to read a good book at least for a few minutes each day to stretch the brain muscles for healthy functioning.

Benefits of Reading

Books really are your best friends as you can rely on them when you are bored, upset, depressed, lonely or annoyed. They will accompany you anytime you want them and enhance your mood. They share with you information and knowledge any time you need. Good books always guide you to the correct path in life. Following are the benefits of reading –

Self Improvement: Reading helps you develop positive thinking. Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. It helps you understand the world around you better. It keeps your mind active and enhances your creative ability.

Communication Skills: Reading improves your vocabulary and develops your communication skills. It helps you learn how to use your language creatively. Not only does it improve your communication but it also makes you a better writer. Good communication is important in every aspect of life.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Increases Knowledge: Books enable you to have a glimpse into cultures, traditions, arts, history, geography, health, psychology and several other subjects and aspects of life. You get an amazing amount of knowledge and information from books.

Reduces Stress: Reading a good book takes you in a new world and helps you relieve your day to day stress. It has several positive effects on your mind, body, and soul. It stimulates your brain muscles and keeps your brain healthy and strong.

Great Pleasure: When I read a book, I read it for pleasure. I just indulge myself in reading and experience a whole new world. Once I start reading a book I get so captivated I never want to leave it until I finish. It always gives a lot of pleasure to read a good book and cherish it for a lifetime.

Boosts your Imagination and Creativity: Reading takes you to the world of imagination and enhances your creativity. Reading helps you explore life from different perspectives. While you read books you are building new and creative thoughts, images and opinions in your mind. It makes you think creatively, fantasize and use your imagination.

Develops your Analytical Skills: By active reading, you explore several aspects of life. It involves questioning what you read. It helps you develop your thoughts and express your opinions. New ideas and thoughts pop up in your mind by active reading. It stimulates and develops your brain and gives you a new perspective.

Reduces Boredom: Journeys for long hours or a long vacation from work can be pretty boring in spite of all the social sites. Books come in handy and release you from boredom.

Read Different Stages of Reading here.

The habit of reading is one of the best qualities that a person can possess. Books are known to be your best friend for a reason. So it is very important to develop a good reading habit. We must all read on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes to enjoy the sweet fruits of reading. It is a great pleasure to sit in a quiet place and enjoy reading. Reading a good book is the most enjoyable experience one can have.

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Readers’ Blog

Why I love reading and reviewing books

Reading develops our brains and gives us the ability to understand life in a much better fashion. Besides, there’s a lot of room for grammar and language development. When you read a lot, you learn new words all the time.

Not sure how many readers will agree but I firmly believe books can go more in-depth than a movie can. When you read a script then watch the movie more details are added that would not be there in a movie. I read two books simultaneously (one fiction and one nonfiction) every four weeks or so, which adds up to about 25 books per year.

As a rule, I always read at least a few pages every day. Often it is a lot more than that, and again at times, there’s a block. I squeeze reading in whenever I can — primarily during travelling, after waking up, in between classes and then of course throughout the weekend.

I read books primarily to learn, grow, and feed my curiosities and love for good stories. This means that I mostly read non-fiction books about great people, lifestyle, and business/marketing, and then, of course, there’s a great deal of multi-genre reading. My criteria for picking up a book is very simple

A. I should need it or B. It should seem like an amazing book (good looks, great blurb, great or mysterious title etc).

While I certainly learn a lot through academics, I for a fact know that books are a gateway to deeper knowledge.

Now even though a good amount of information is out there on the internet, my personality is best-suited to a deep exploration of a limited number of subjects, rather than casually flipping from topic to topic. Therefore I greatly prefer reading full books over magazines, online articles, or any other type of micro-content.

Also, it makes the reading experience tangible. Something that I can hold on to.

I always read with a pencil in hand so I can bracket key passages as I go. I honestly developed this habit in my final year of school. I was always interested in writing short little creative pieces but I couldn’t understand how to carve my way into the industry. So I started reading and I fell in love with it. I later discovered that book blogging was a thing and that I could do it all for free sitting at home. That way I could read and learn about the current trends in the publishing world plus the books would be sent to me without me having to spend a fortune over them. What’s better? Reviewing meant I’d be responsible for carefully reading through the books and analysing the good and the bad. So this made reading my habit. I almost felt like a social entrepreneur.

After finishing each book, I go back through the marked sections and manually write out a ‘2-pager’ of my key takeaways (the good points and the bad points) in a diary. I have been doing this for the past 3 years, which means I now have well over 100 one-page reviews of the books I’ve read. This makes it easy and convenient to go back and reference the points that resonated with me most. And then, of course, that’s what the books are mostly sent to me for, except some are sent for interviews and promotions.

I always feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment after finishing the three-step process of reading, analysing, and reviewing books for my blog posts. It is at that point that I feel truly ‘done’ with a book and ready to move on to the next one.

This amount of effort might seem crazy to some people, especially since I am not being paid. But reading books in this focused manner gives me so much joy precisely because it is what I want to be doing all the time. Even after a long day, I find it energizing to take on this additional learning during my ‘me’ time because it is how I choose to spend the time other than writing.

With my hobby and love for books, I was able to network with new people, be they fictional or real. It also opened up newer avenues for me. Book clubs and bookstagram community especially are my favourites.

There is nothing like getting lost in a book to make time fly. You can be in a different world other than the real one. You can always learn something new by reading books. It will help you see different sides to situations and some of it is relatable. It shows you a different perspective. And again remember, Books will always be there for you unless you send them away. So they’re better friends than human beings are!

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@ Current literature

Sukanya Basu Mallik is a young author. She has been published in various journals, magazines and anthologies nationally and internationally including Reader’s Digest, Sahitya Akademi Bimonthly Journal, Lucidity Int. Poetry Journal and AIPF Int. Anthology (Austin International Poetry Festival). She has also received a number of awards; The Best Manuscript Awards for fiction & non-fiction categories (Mumbai Literature Festival) being her latest achievements.

From a single child to first child – Sukanya Basu Mallik
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Advantages of Reading Books IELTS Essay: How to Write?

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Updated on 13 April, 2023

Mrinal Mandal

Study abroad expert.

Have you come across the topic- Advantages of reading books for the IELTS essay? This is not a difficult topic, provided you have a clear blueprint on what to write. Structure your essay logically, beginning with an introduction to reading and your perception of the same. Then mention the advantages of reading books before concluding with a crisp and succinct conclusion. This is how you should write your IELTS essay. Here are a couple of samples to help you practice the same.

Sample essay 1:.

Sample Essay 2:

Explore More Resources Related to IELTS Essays:

Advantages of reading books ielts essay: samples for reference .

Reading is one of the greatest pleasures of life. It not only refreshes the mind but enriches one’s social consciousness. As Garrison Keillor aptly said, “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” There are numerous benefits of reading books for individuals of almost all ages and life stages. Parents should inculcate the reading habit in their children from an early age. This helps in enhancing their powers of communication and confidence as a result.

Books provide an outlet for gathering knowledge and insights on the world, history, society, and various topics. They are indispensable for broadening one’s horizons and getting exposure to various characters, events, circumstances, philosophies, and more. This automatically enhances social skills while opening the mind to newer creative and imaginative possibilities. Most importantly, a regular reading habit enhances vocabulary and grammatical skills along with overall mastery over any language. It helps in developing suitable writing, analytical, and reading skills at the same time.

Reading is also a stress-buster, an escape from the humdrum of daily life. It enables supreme mental relaxation for most individuals. Reading books is the biggest foundation for becoming an erudite, knowledgeable, informed, creative, empathetic, and open-minded individual. At the same time, readers get exposure to varied cultural tastes and literary works. They get an opportunity to understand and appreciate the finest literary works of their age. To conclude, books are the biggest gifts of life; nowhere else can you find recreation and mental development taking place simultaneously.

Tentative Band Score: 6

Word Count: 249

Download E-Books for IELTS Preparation

Sample Essay 2:

Vera Nazarian stated, “Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world, a door opens to allow in more light.” Indeed, reading books is a practice and habit that is laden with advantages. This is one addiction that is strongly encouraged at all ages and in every possible scenario. Reading books is the window to the world for most people, especially from an early age. Books are the gateway towards imbibing vital knowledge and insights on life, along with building up one’s literary appreciation skills.

Books also open up our vistas to diverse subjects, aspects, and events of life. They serve to enrich our intellect in multifarious and unfathomable ways. Reading books is also helpful for sharpening our reading, writing, and language skills. You can expect to build a strong vocabulary and word bank while enhancing your creativity and imagination. As they say, the more we read, the more we attune ourselves to being open to newer possibilities, experiences, and circumstances. In a way, reading books is one of the pillars of a liberal, tolerant, open-minded and knowledgeable society that learns how to ask questions and gather knowledge while respecting divergent beliefs simultaneously.

Books are food for the soul; just as rest relaxes and refreshes our bodies, books perform the same role for our minds. They keep us sharp, mentally agile, and curious at all ages. This has a direct impact on the quality of life and wellbeing. To conclude, it can be said that reading books comes with a truckload of benefits for every individual.

Tentative IELTS Score: 5.5

Word Count: 257

Important IELTS Exam Resources

Ielts exam overview.

IELTS is required to be taken by international students and workers who wish to study or work in a country where English is the primary language of communication. Know the complete details.

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The IELTS exam pattern encompasses four major sections, i.e. listening, speaking, writing, and reading.

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It becomes necessary for candidates to meet the eligibility for IELTS exam and demonstrate their language proficiency while being assessed on four parameters, namely, Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening.

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The IELTS exam dates are allotted on a first-come and first-serve basis. Choose your date and timings beforehand to avoid the delay. You can register for the test both in online and offline mode.

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Fully aware of the growing popularity of the language test, we bring to you a list of IELTS exam centers in India. The list will enable aspirants in better planning before registering for the test.

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IELTS reading band score decides the knowledge and proficiency of the English language of the applicants.

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The listening section evaluates the comprehension level of candidates. The scores also depend on the understanding of different accents and dialects.

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The IELTS score validity for General and Academic is two years across the globe. The IELTS result validity for Canada is two years.

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There are two types of IELTS tests – i) Academic IELTS and ii) General Training IELTS. Candidates are often confused about making the right choice of IELTS test that can meet their requirements regarding their education or job.

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Picking the best IELTS books for preparation is essential for scoring well. It may seem tough at first but cracking the examination successfully is not impossible.

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Writing task 2 in IELTS is descriptive essay writing. The applicants are supposed to write an essay in response to the statement or situation given in the essay.

Tips for IELTS Writing

Before appearing for the test, let’s take a look at the below-mentioned IELTS writing tips and tricks to score well in the writing section.

Reading Section IELTS

Reading is the second part of the IELTS test and takes 60 minutes. It consists of three or sometimes four reading passages to increase difficulty, and there are a total of 40 questions to answer.

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Please note that your performance on the speaking test is assessed based on the following criteria- fluency and coherence, grammatical range and accuracy, lexical resource, and pronunciation.

Phrases for IELTS Speaking

There are many phrases for IELTS speaking that a candidate should practice beforehand. If you aim for band 9, you should know these phrases.

IELTS Band Score Chart

IELTS is one of the most used English Language Proficiency Tests. The exam is scored in bands. Your IELTS band score determines the performance level of your test.

IELTS Band Score

Understanding the IELTS band score is not difficult. The results of the examination are reported on a scale of 9 bands.

IELTS Slot Booking

To book the IELTS exam, the candidates can either visit their nearest test center or book the slot online by visiting the official website of IDP. If they choose to go with the second option, they should follow the steps given below.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

IELTS Academic writing is meant for students who are applying for top-ranked universities and colleges in English-speaking countries. The writing task one is an academic summary writing based on diagrammatic and graphical representation.

IELTS Writing Task 2

Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing section of IELTS, where aspirants are presented with a point of view, argument, or problem and asked to write an essay in response to the question.

Writing Task 1 IELTS

In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 starts with a diagram, a visual representation of information. It can be a table, map, graph, process, diagram, or picture.

IELTS Essay Samples

The essay for IELTS is part of Writing Task 2. It is the same for the General Training and Academic of the IELTS. You will get a topic and have to write an essay on the same.

IELTS Cue Cards

The IELTS speaking cue cards come into play for the second part when the candidate will be choosing cue cards and then speaking on a topic for two minutes at least.

Download IELTS Preparation Guide For Free

Get to know about the latest updates on the IELTS Exam, Eligibility, Preparation Tips, Test procedure, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Registration Process, Important Exam Dates, and much more!! This guide is a one-stop solution for every IELTS Aspirant who aims to crack the exam with an impressive band score.

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Importance Of Reading Essay

Importance of Reading Essay

500+ words essay on reading.

Reading is a key to learning. It’s a skill that everyone should develop in their life. The ability to read enables us to discover new facts and opens the door to a new world of ideas, stories and opportunities. We can gather ample information and use it in the right direction to perform various tasks in our life. The habit of reading also increases our knowledge and makes us more intellectual and sensible. With the help of this essay on the Importance of Reading, we will help you know the benefits of reading and its various advantages in our life. Students must go through this essay in detail, as it will help them to create their own essay based on this topic.

Importance of Reading

Reading is one of the best hobbies that one can have. It’s fun to read different types of books. By reading the books, we get to know the people of different areas around the world, different cultures, traditions and much more. There is so much to explore by reading different books. They are the abundance of knowledge and are best friends of human beings. We get to know about every field and area by reading books related to it. There are various types of books available in the market, such as science and technology books, fictitious books, cultural books, historical events and wars related books etc. Also, there are many magazines and novels which people can read anytime and anywhere while travelling to utilise their time effectively.

Benefits of Reading for Students

Reading plays an important role in academics and has an impactful influence on learning. Researchers have highlighted the value of developing reading skills and the benefits of reading to children at an early age. Children who cannot read well at the end of primary school are less likely to succeed in secondary school and, in adulthood, are likely to earn less than their peers. Therefore, the focus is given to encouraging students to develop reading habits.

Reading is an indispensable skill. It is fundamentally interrelated to the process of education and to students achieving educational success. Reading helps students to learn how to use language to make sense of words. It improves their vocabulary, information-processing skills and comprehension. Discussions generated by reading in the classroom can be used to encourage students to construct meanings and connect ideas and experiences across texts. They can use their knowledge to clear their doubts and understand the topic in a better way. The development of good reading habits and skills improves students’ ability to write.

In today’s world of the modern age and digital era, people can easily access resources online for reading. The online books and availability of ebooks in the form of pdf have made reading much easier. So, everyone should build this habit of reading and devote at least 30 minutes daily. If someone is a beginner, then they can start reading the books based on the area of their interest. By doing so, they will gradually build up a habit of reading and start enjoying it.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of Reading Essay

What is the importance of reading.

1. Improves general knowledge 2. Expands attention span/vocabulary 3. Helps in focusing better 4. Enhances language proficiency

What is the power of reading?

1. Develop inference 2. Improves comprehension skills 3. Cohesive learning 4. Broadens knowledge of various topics

How can reading change a student’s life?

1. Empathy towards others 2. Acquisition of qualities like kindness, courtesy

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Counselling

Essay on Importance of Reading Books

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Reading Books in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Reading Books

Introduction.

Reading books is an important habit that everyone should develop. It expands our knowledge, improves our thinking skills, and provides a source of relaxation.

Knowledge Expansion

Books are a treasure trove of information. They help us learn about various subjects, cultures, and perspectives, enhancing our understanding of the world.

Improvement in Thinking Skills

Reading improves our cognitive abilities. It enhances our critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, making us better decision-makers.

Relaxation and Entertainment

Books are a great source of entertainment. They take us to different worlds, stimulate our imagination, and provide a comforting escape from reality.

In conclusion, reading books is a beneficial habit that enriches our lives in many ways.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Reading Books

The power of books.

Books are a treasure trove of knowledge, wisdom, and entertainment. They serve as our silent mentors, guiding us through the complexities of life, and broadening our perspectives. The importance of reading books cannot be overstated, especially in an age characterized by digital distractions.

Knowledge and Intellectual Growth

Books offer infinite possibilities for learning. They provide us with insights into different cultures, historical periods, scientific discoveries, and philosophical ideas. Reading stimulates cognitive functions, enhancing vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. It encourages intellectual growth, allowing us to form informed opinions and engage in meaningful discussions.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Through vivid narratives and complex characters, books allow us to experience diverse emotions and perspectives. They foster empathy, helping us understand and connect with people who are different from us. This emotional intelligence is crucial in navigating interpersonal relationships, promoting tolerance, and fostering social harmony.

Personal Development and Mental Health

Reading is also a tool for personal development. Self-help books, biographies, and motivational literature can inspire us, instilling resilience and a growth mindset. Additionally, reading can serve as a form of therapy, reducing stress and anxiety by providing an escape from reality.

In conclusion, reading books is an essential habit for holistic development. It enriches our knowledge, fosters empathy, aids personal growth, and supports mental health. In a rapidly changing world, books remain a timeless source of wisdom and pleasure. Therefore, let us embrace the joy of reading and immerse ourselves in the world of books.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Reading Books

Reading books is an activity that transcends mere entertainment. It is a habit that has the potential to enlighten, educate, and stimulate the mind. In an era dominated by digital content, the importance of reading books cannot be overstated.

The Intellectual Impact of Reading

Books are the gateway to knowledge. They expose us to diverse perspectives and ideas, fostering intellectual growth. Reading is a cognitive process that enhances critical and analytical thinking skills. It requires us to engage with the text, interpret the author’s ideas, and form our own opinions. This active engagement stimulates the brain, promoting mental agility and memory retention.

Reading books, particularly fiction, allows us to live vicariously through the experiences of others. We encounter characters from various backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. This exposure fosters empathy as we gain insight into different perspectives and experiences. Reading also boosts emotional intelligence, as we learn to recognize, understand, and respond to the emotions of fictional characters, which can translate into real-life emotional competency.

Language Proficiency and Communication Skills

Books are a rich repository of language. Regular reading enhances vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills. It exposes us to different writing styles and tones, aiding in the development of effective communication skills. Reading helps us to articulate our thoughts and ideas more clearly and persuasively, which is an invaluable asset in both academic and professional settings.

Stress Reduction and Mental Health

Reading is a form of escapism that can help alleviate stress. Engaging with a captivating book allows us to momentarily forget our worries and immerse ourselves in a different world. This mental break can have a significant impact on our overall wellbeing. Several studies have shown that reading can reduce stress levels, improve sleep, and even decrease the likelihood of developing conditions such as dementia.

In conclusion, reading books is a multifaceted activity that offers numerous benefits. It is a tool for intellectual growth, empathy building, language proficiency, and stress reduction. While the digital age offers a plethora of information at our fingertips, books provide a depth and richness of content that is unparalleled. As college students, we should strive to incorporate reading into our daily routines to harness these benefits and nurture a lifelong love for learning.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Books Are Our Best Companion
Essay on Books Are Better Than Television
Essay on Advantages of Reading Books

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Essay on Reading Books

The habit of Reading Books is considered to be one of the most elite habits of all. Books are the means to store precious information either in a textual or pictorial manner. A book is such a wonderful and magnificent object that it takes a whole different amount of passion and discipline to construct a book and the same passion to study and sink that knowledge within. Here are a few sample essays on reading books.

100 Words Essay on Reading Books

200 words essay on reading books, 500 words essay on reading books.

Reading books is an incredible experience that can transport you to different worlds, introduce you to new ideas and cultures, and broaden your understanding of the world. It's a form of escape from the daily routine, and a way to engage with characters, stories and events that would not be possible in real life. Whether you prefer fiction or nonfiction, books have the power to challenge, inspire, and entertain. With the turn of each page, you gain new knowledge, develop empathy, and engage in introspection. Reading books is a lifelong journey of discovery and growth that can enrich your life in countless ways.

Reading books is an activity that has been enjoyed by people of all ages and cultures for centuries. This pastime offers numerous benefits, both for individuals and society as a whole.

One of the most significant benefits of reading books is the improvement of one's cognitive skills . By reading, we engage our brains, and the more we read, the more we exercise our cognitive abilities, including our ability to concentrate, comprehend, and retain information. This leads to enhanced problem-solving skills, better memory and a greater ability to understand complex concepts.

Another benefit of reading books is the expansion of one's knowledge and understanding of the world. Through reading, we have the opportunity to gain insights into different cultures, time periods, and ways of life. This can broaden our perspectives and help us become more informed and understanding citizens of the world. In addition, books can challenge our beliefs and assumptions, providing opportunities for personal growth and intellectual development.

Reading books is also a great form of entertainment . Whether we are reading a mystery, a romance, or a science-fiction novel, books can provide hours of escape and enjoyment. They allow us to immerse ourselves in different worlds, meet new characters, and experience new emotions. This form of entertainment provides a welcome break from the stresses of daily life and can help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.

The habit of reading books is not just a hobby but a complete lifestyle . The way it brings development in one’s character and personality from within is just magical. The importance of reading is to give people the ability to self-study but has numerous other benefits. When you read, you explore your true prospect of thinking. You get the venture of how the same lines could deliver a brand new set of thoughts and pictures in your mind just with a little change in the emotions. This is the kind of self-exploration reading provides.

Having a diverse set of knowledge can be of great help as it removes the bar of limited knowledge . Every social group has a different set of interests and by consuming all of that in yourself, you allow yourself to become a part of any group easily. A person who consumes more knowledge is considered the wisest. Your ideas are what draws people to you, wanting them to listen more and makes you one of the interesting people they interact with.

Reading is the most important means of human-to-human communication and getting to know different cultures, leading to the development and maturation of human language abilities, and is the source of development and mature human personality. Reading is very important to increase self-confidence, develop and strengthen character by acquiring a wealth of information and experience that a person needs in all areas of life, and to become an educated person. Not everyone in their lives gets the gift of knowledge and the ability to comprehend what they are looking at. Not everyone is privileged enough to be able to widen their knowledge without the help of someone else.

Reading is an art, and to have this art is equal to having the greatest weapon in your hand. No one can steal your ability to read once you learn it. You become free to consume knowledge about any topic you like.

Significance of Reading

Reading leads to the expansion of human thinking and intellectual capacities and strengthens your spirit. Every genre teaches something whether it is fictional or non-fictional. When fiction teaches you to imagine, self-help teaches you how to live life to the fullest. Reading is not limited to books only, you can read wherever you want, whatever you want and whenever you want and it all will be worth it. Knowledge is never known to be a curse and what is not a curse, is always beneficial.

My Reading Experience

The kind of books that got me into reading are self-help books. They inspired me in a way no other genre could. The writer Mark Manson is the greatest of all time to me. If you'll just search for self-help books over the internet then among the best sellers, two of the books would be his. The kind of discipline they brought into my life transformed me into a completely different person. These kinds of books give us an opportunity to dive deep into ourselves and learn about our true potential which is what happened to me and brought me into writing.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

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Entertainment
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Information Technology

Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary.

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi .

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive.

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues.

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems.

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software.

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description: A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials.

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs.

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story.

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems.

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process.

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Why We're Obsessed With the Handmade

"Daily life has only become more automated, but the innate yearning for physical handprints has not disappeared," writes Amanda Montell in 'The Age of Magical Overthinking'.

In her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality , author Amanda Montell explores the state of the modern mind. The below excerpt from The Age of Magical Overthinking , out April 9, examines our obsession with the handmade.

The Life-Changing Magic of Becoming a Mediocre Crafter

A therapist in a large beaded necklace once told me over video chat that in order to yank your attention into the present, you’re supposed to do things with your hands. “Watercolors, card tricks, any hands-on hobby,” she said, her kind eyes squinting glitchily over Zoom. I winced at the suggestion, as a sentiment from my hometown hero John Waters leapt to mind: “The only insult I’ve ever received in my adult life was when someone asked me, ‘Do you have a hobby?’ A HOBBY?! DO I LOOK LIKE A FUCKING DABBLER?!” I wanted to sneer, but then I remembered: Nora Ephron loved to cook. Michelle Obama has her knitting. Greta Thunberg allegedly cross-stitches for relaxation between climate justice meetings with presidents. None of it is what they’re known for, but it’s what they love. What they do with their hands. “A hobby,” I told the therapist. “I’ll think on it.”

Unfortunately, I believe I might be the single worst crafter of all time. Since childhood, my instincts as a painter, a French braider, a friendship bracelet maker have been practically non-existent. I recognize that a woman publicly admitting to her lack of domesticity is still taboo, or at least unflattering, like someone confessing they don’t like dogs. For the record, I have made heartfelt attempts at “dabbling.” During the craft boom of the 2020 lockdown, I managed to grow a small forest of basil, though I manslaughtered it within a matter of days. I tried pouring candles, but they reeked of funeral flowers. Upon burning one, I was blighted by a headache so enfeebling that I spent the rest of the afternoon supine in the dark with a peppermint lozenge. Casey wanted to help. He procured me a beginner’s pottery kit, then a loom. Neither was assembled. Dismayed by my own incompetence, I became obsessed with a category of “homesteading influencers,” young internet celebrities who seemed to possess every DIY skill that I didn’t. I grew particularly infatuated with one figure named Isabel, who produced weekly films about her life off the grid in the verdant forests of Washington State. In her early twenties with russet hair to her waist, Isabel built her own house by hand wearing a sundress and work boots, cultivated and cooked her own vegan cornucopias, weaved throw blankets from yarn she spun herself, and traveled into town for WiFi access once a week to upload.

The girl knew her way around a spinning wheel better than I knew mine around my own television remote. I was as enchanted by her as I was ashamed of myself. Crafting seemed to fulfill almost everyone else on earth but me. Why was I so incapable of this basic human joy?

Nothing satisfies the spirit quite like building something yourself, or at least helping to.

Then, like falling in love after a lifetime of loneliness, I discovered the art of flipping furniture.

A little under a year into quarantine, my best friend Racheli and I stumbled across the practice online. Or really, it stumbled toward us, and we lunged back. Some crafts like embroidery and dollhouse-making are painstaking, but furniture-flipping is broadstroked and flashy, the gratification instant. Perfect for an anxious dilettante. A brief tutorial: You start by purchasing used home goods—mirrors, lamps, accent chairs—for dirt cheap from yard sales and second-hand stores. You might even find viable candidates in the back of your closet. You form an eye for both neglect and potential. You gussy up your wares by slapping on a coat of paint or even just wiping the piece clean and staging it so it approximates something you’d find new for ten times the price. There are more advanced flipping techniques involving upholstery and power tools; assess your capabilities accordingly. Finally, do with the final product whatever you wish: Keep or sell. Give away to a friend.

Each Saturday, Racheli and I collected a batch of new tchotchkes, then descended upon the craft store, devoting our entire weekend to “restoring” in time to list the finished products on Facebook Marketplace Sunday night. The point was not to profit, and we almost never did, mostly breaking even but relishing the endeavor anyway like a catch-and-release fishing trip.

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Of all our projects, my favorite flip began as a dusty seashell lamp the color of mucus. Racheli and I found it for $10 at a neighborhood Goodwill and decided to take a risk. Decor in the style of 1980s Miami was enjoying a wacky revival, so we seized the moment by painting the lamp a shade of atrocious Hubba-Bubba-Bubble-Tape pink. “This thing is fugly. I feel bad selling it,” said Racheli. Before the flip, we’d mentally priced the lamp at $20, but the moment we placed our grubby little paws on it, some primal ghost took over. By the time the final pink paint coat dried, we concluded that with the right viral TikTok, the lamp could sell for hundreds. Let me reiterate, this object was grotesque. It looked like SpongeBob SquarePants’s pet snail, Gary. Thirty minutes prior, we saw that plainly. Now, we were listing it on the internet for the average price of a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. For a moment, I thought I actually wanted to keep the lamp. For a moment, I thought I might leave my godless, city-slicked existence behind and move to the mountains to flip seashell lamps full-time. I’d wear tasseled kaftans and dwell in a yurt that doubled as my craft studio. I’d macramé shawls. I’d throw pottery. I’d keep goats. Finally, I’d master the loom. I’d invite influencer Isabel to come live with me and spend the next decade as her apprentice. For a moment, that seashell lamp illuminated a vision for my pastoral future. Hope swelled within me like a ripe peach.

Our lamp sold above asking price to a shiny-haired college student within an hour of posting. But it was never about the money. It was about that feeling. Finally, I grasped what that therapist meant. Nothing satisfies the spirit quite like building something yourself, or at least helping to. At the same time, nothing had ever warped my perception of “value” with such efficiency. What is it about a human hand?

The propensity to ascribe disproportionately high worth to items we helped create is a cognitive bias, known as the IKEA effect . Its delightful name is a homage to the Swedish furniture company whose affordable products require assembly. Spending long nights splayed on the floor, struggling to piece together IKEA Malm chests and POÄNG chairs is practically a coming-of-age ritual, a contemporary rite of passage as significant as the Amish Rumspringa. Erect your first anticlimactic IKEA dresser, and you finally know what it means to stitch a tiny fabric square to the quilt of humanity.

The IKEA effect was first documented in 2011, when a trio of Ivy League researchers demonstrated the intrinsic urge for people to bloat the valuation of products they helped construct. The experiment, led by Harvard behavioral scientist Michael I. Norton, invited consumers to build Lego sets, fold origami, and assemble IKEA boxes. Even if the participants expressed zero interest or enjoyment in DIY hobbies—and even if the results of their efforts were as shoddy as Racheli’s and my seashell lamp—as long as they saw their projects to completion, they swelled with satisfaction. The research subjects expressed willingness to pay more for the products they built than they would for objectively superior versions that arrived pre-assembled. “Participants saw their amateurish creations . . . as similar in value to the creations of experts, and expected others to share their opinions,” concluded the authors. Thanks to my days as a mediocre furniture flipper, perusing this study felt like looking in a funhouse mirror.

The IKEA effect was observed long before it was described. An oft-cited example comes from the mid-twentieth century, during the golden age of processed food. As the anecdote goes, in 1947, General Mills launched a new line of Betty Crocker instant cake mixes that tasted nearly indistinguishable from the stuff made from scratch. The product took off at first, but sales eventually slowed to a near halt. In a state of consternation, General Mills solicited the analysis of a Freudian psychologist, who determined that this sales decline was a result of guilt. Homemakers felt that if all they did was add water, the cake was not truly theirs . They couldn’t proudly tell their husbands and children that they’d prepared the fluffy confection with their own two hands. General Mills responded with an unexpected marketing pivot. They relaunched the instant cake mixes with a new slogan, “Add an Egg.” Now, baking was easy but not too easy. Betty Crocker’s sales soared.

The details of this eggy legend are up for debate (for one, adding fresh eggs isn’t just a marketing ploy—it really does improve the taste of instant cake); but, its takeaway message stands: We like things better when we’ve had a hand in creating them. According to the IKEA effect’s coiners, this fact isn’t due merely to guilt, but rather something more existential. What truly displeased Betty Crocker consumers, they argued, was the sobering shock of insignificance. New technology insinuated that mothers’ home cooking, and thus mothers themselves, were unnecessary. No one likes “the feeling of being rendered...irrelevant,” commented Norton et al. The cake mix did not technically require additional ingredients, labor, or expertise, but that egg fulfilled consumers’ desire for “effectance,” the spiritually satisfying notion that we caused something to happen in the world. The egg made people feel like they mattered.

Since the 1950s, daily life has only become more automated, but the innate yearning for physical handprints has not disappeared. In theory, the IKEA effect is responsible for the entire DIY renaissance. The term “do-it-yourself” first bubbled up in consumer discourse in the early 1910s, but throughout mid-century America, as baking your own bread and renovating your own basement became not just economical practicalities but creative diversions, the phrase entered everyday conversation. By the 1970s, the coolly abbreviated “DIY” subculture gave rise to self-published books and zines, mixtape trading, “reduce, reuse, and recycle” practices inspired by the burgeoning environmental movement, and endless crocheted handicrafts.

I recognize that a woman publicly admitting to her lack of domesticity is still taboo, or at least unflattering, like someone confessing they don’t like dogs.

With the launch of Pinterest in 2010, DIY took on major significance. Domestic “hacks” boomed from a casual hobby to a bona fide lifestyle. Since the early aughts, companies have capitalized on the IKEA effect, no longer treating customers as mere receivers of value but partners in its creation. Think of the colossal meal kit market: Subscription DIY-dinner companies like Blue Apron and Home Chef hypnotize busy professionals who don’t have time to cook into proudly chopping, sautéeing, and braising a new recipe each night for nearly the same price as takeout (though not at all the same feeling). There’s also the crowdfund- ing industry. Sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe have lost millions of mini-“investor” dollars due to failed and never-launched products, but the hope of helping to birth a new video game or nano drone is still so arousing that the industry has soared to over $20 billion. One could argue that the IKEA effect is the whole driving force behind TikTok’s popularity. The platform’s interactive atmosphere— including its “stitch” feature and hyper-engaged comments sections—encourages audiences to become co-creators, producers, and critics. Mainstream artists, too, have increasingly allowed patrons to shape their output. In 2018, at the urging of a Twitter fan, the band Weezer released a cover of Toto’s “Africa,” which became their first Billboard #1 hit single in ten years. It inspired an entire smash-hit covers album that practically relaunched the group’s career. The album received mixed reviews from critics, but the magic was not in the music—it was in the co-creation.

The world is growing more user-generated. This is not necessarily because artists and entrepreneurs are out of ideas; it’s because they recognize that brands are “communities” now, and if consumers don’t feel seen and held by their communities, they won’t feel important. They won’t come back. To feel like we’re contributing to the world, lending a hand at cultivating our vegetable medleys and video games, is searingly important. We need the allegorical egg. The egg gives us purpose. The egg tells us we deserve to be here. But what happens when the egg becomes so obsolete that we can’t even pretend to need it anymore?

In 2020, a sound bite exploded on TikTok that went, “Darling, I have no dream job. I do not dream of labor.” (The quote’s origins are unverified. Shocking for TikTok, I know!) The moment was one of widespread ennui. The term “languishing” had taken off in a New York Times piece by Adam Grant, assigning a validating label to a chronic cultural plague. We were failing to make progress, so people decided to critique the value of progress in the first place. A whole category of viral memes spun off the original. Among my favorites read, “I do not want to be a woman in the work force!!! I want to be a little creature drinking from a creek!!!!!!” Indeed, conflating self-worth with employment is one of capitalism’s wiliest tricks, but research finds that both humans and little creatures by creeks do appreciate (if not dream about) a certain amount of labor. In a 2009 survey, responders rated their jobs among their least pleasurable daily activities, but also their most rewarding. That might sound like toxic productivity brainwashing, but a similar intuition exists in nonhumans—even rats and starlings prefer food sources which require exertion to obtain. Some jobs are inherently more satisfying than others: A 2023 analysis of American time use from the Bureau of Labor Statistics concluded that out of all career pursuits, the highest levels of happiness were reported by loggers, a line of work involving both labor by hand and the curative outdoors. (The most stressful, least gratifying occupations were finance, insurance, and most of all, law.) Jobs that either don’t click with some natural facet of the human spirit, or don’t produce a livable income, are about as “rewarding” as a lab rat toiling through a gray-walled maze, only to receive half a crumb.

Like the sunk cost fallacy, the IKEA effect is at its core another effort justification bias. How we love to defend our most expensive, time-consuming, irreversible choices. The ironic link between a task’s arduousness or permanence and our eagerness to rationalize it is why, when faced with a heavy decision—like whether or not to attend grad school or have another kid—psychologists caution against asking the advice of someone who just did it themselves. If a person endures involuntary pain on their path toward achievement (say, if they get a paper cut while folding origami, or are forced to finish out a prison sentence), that won’t make them appreciate the end result any more. But if they willingly endure suffering (if they opt to get the paper cut, or throw a wedding the price of a down payment), that paper crane will start to look like it’s made of porcelain.

The IKEA effect isn’t all outright fantasy. The social connection it fosters is real, especially when the end product is tangible. As much as automation and specialization have benefited society, they risk limiting our social engagement. DIY projects offer the chance for more holistic, communal modes of interaction. Furniture flipping with Racheli was pure jubilance even though we were bad at it, because we did it together. Adorably, the Norton study found that after completing their origami and Lego structures, participants expressed a desire to show them to their friends. It doesn’t take a psychologist to intuit that sharing an object you made inspires much more pleasure than displaying something you bought or something that technically belongs to a large company. This is even and especially true when the creation didn’t turn out quite as planned.

As a thirtieth birthday present to myself, I procured my first ever work-from-home desk and chair (from Facebook Marketplace, obviously). The chair, chosen for its sleek beechwood-and-steel swivel, was not particularly cozy for the derriere, but feeling high on my new rig and emboldened by my furniture-flipping stint, I decided to try and DIY myself a seat cushion. I purchased a needle, thread, and a yard of faux suede fabric in a peacock-green shade. Then, repurposing the innards of a neglected dog toy, I sutured a pillow the size and shape of a personal pizza. This seat cushion is the most unremarkable object in my home. I believe it is a masterpiece. The seat cushion is every instant Funfetti cake on earth. It is my Sistine Chapel. I show it to everyone. When friends and family come to visit, I lead them to my dainty home office as if about to unveil a sculpture chiseled from marble, and when I gleefully lift the wilted disc from my chair, they smile at me the way one who doesn’t care for children humors their little niece’s living room “play.” I see this happen. I do not care. I am prouder of my seat cushion than I am of this book. I was practically foaming at the mouth to tell you about it. I am sitting on it right now. (Needles and fabric do wonders for the spirit. A study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy surveyed over 3,500 knitters and found that 81 percent of participants with depression reported feeling happy post-knitting. More than 50 percent said they felt “very happy.”)

Seat cushions and seashell lamps aren’t the world’s costliest objects, but the IKEA effect also holds for higher price brackets. The Norton study noted homeowners’ pride in their tawdry home improvements—lopsidedly laid walkways, sloppily constructed fire pits—believing they’ll make the house more attractive to friends and prospective buyers, even when they do just the opposite. I go window-shopping for overpriced homes on Zillow almost every day and have seen some kitschy personalizations: self-assembled tiki bars, an amateur pizza oven shaped like a hippopotamus. I feel for the realtors who chose not to inform the owners that those quirks weren’t quite the assets they thought they were. (My seat cushion absolutely is, though.) These imperfections may not be optimized for profit, but they are what make us wince and laugh and spark conversation. Flaws are what give a thing life.

'The Age of Magical Overthinking' is Montell's third book.

One day fairly soon, some argue that AI-generated art will surpass humans’ abilities so greatly that no egg could ever make up for our impertinence. In 2018, one of the first AI paintings to be sold at auction went for $432,500. On the bottom right of the canvas, its signature read min G max D x [log (D(x))] + z [log (1 -D (G(z)))] , part of the code that produced it. Titled Edmond de Belamy , the image depicts a portly French gentleman in a black coat and white collar—the painting style frenetic, distorted, almost nineteenth-century Impressionist but some quality just askew. Cock your head to the right, and the portrait narrowly resembles “Monkey Christ,” a botched restoration of a 1930s Christian fresco that turned out so ludicrously simian, it went viral in the late 2010s, attracting a wryly worshipful cult following. Tourists now flock to the small town in Spain where “Monkey Christ” is displayed, just to bask in its blundered glory.

It’s hard to imagine humans rallying around an AI portrait with “Monkey Christ”-level verve. Edmond de Belamy might have been worth half a million dollars to a Beverly Hills art collector, but I remain unconvinced that a robot-generated art piece could emit the je ne sais quoi necessary to lure pilgrims. For all its sophistication, a machine can’t guffaw at the absurdity of sewing a bad seat cushion and then showing it off to its friends. That kind of effrontery is an inside joke shared by humans alone.

In 2019, a fan of the Australian musician Nick Cave wrote in to his blog and asked, “Considering human imagination the last piece of wilderness, do you think A.I. will ever be able to write a good song?” Good meaning more than technically impressive. Cave was dubious. “What a great song makes us feel is a sense of awe,” he responded. There’s that notion of awe again; Cave characterized it as being “almost exclusively predicated on our limitations. . . . It is entirely to do with our audacity as humans to reach beyond our potential.” By Cave’s measure, as impressive as posthuman creativity might be, it “simply doesn’t have this capacity. How could it?”

How could it? The question haunted me. One morning in early 2023, Casey and I found ourselves puzzling through the answer as we drove home from our favorite coffee shop in L.A., whose iced cortados are a thing of immeasurable beauty. Casey is a film composer, so the creation of music is of both material and existential concern to him. Heading east, as a talon of marigold sunlight pierced through our windshield, we rummaged for reasons why a machine could never replicate the soulfulness of human touch, only to realize with sorrow that perhaps those reasons don’t exist. It’s no stretch to picture AI figuring out how to approximate the texture of our audacity, or invent its very own, well enough to inspire awe. As Casey and I pulled into the driveway, a film of melancholy draped over us like a top sheet. “It just makes everything I do feel so small,” he exhaled.

Lingering in park, Casey thumbed his coffee condensation. For us, this type of digital-age nihilism is inevitable, but we treat it like a heavy water jug. When one of us gets too tired to carry it, the other takes a turn. Then, it becomes the job of the unburdened partner to distract the other, remind- ing them that life can feel weightless, too. So I told Casey that a robot could compose the most enchanting concerto of all time, and it would never be as valuable to me as the nightly waltzes he improvises on our upright Wurlitzer for the sheer fact that he’s the one making them. It feels good to paint an old seashell lamp alone. It feels better to have a doting witness.

In theory, the IKEA effect is responsible for the entire DIY renaissance.

Placing us in competition with technology might not even be the most functional line of questioning to pursue anyway. In 2014, the singer Claire L. Evans called our judgments of AI’s ability to “pass” as human musicians “almost exquisitely myopic.” Our cars do not “pass” as horses, but they do an excellent job carting us around. PowerThesaurus.com does not “pass” as my brain, but I happily used it while writing this book. Combine hyper-advanced technology with humans’ visceral inventiveness, and you get sorcery. The best instant cake mix in the world can’t pipe a ridiculous inside joke in glow-in-the-dark icing on top, but with all that time you saved not baking the thing, you can have your cake, and well, you know the rest.

The winter that I began my second draft of this book, I was stuck home alone for a week with COVID and decided to pass the time testing the emotional limits of ChatGPT. In our most notable exchange, I asked the chatbot what it believed to be humans’ versus AI’s single greatest strengths. It responded that AI’s best asset is reason, while humans’ is love. I found the answer poignant, though I’m not convinced it’s true. Who says we have to choose?

Perhaps we will always feel like we’re on the outermost brink of losing touch with our primal selves, like any second now, the egg could disappear around the corner for- ever. Perhaps we should get used to existing in that state. I suspect we’ve already been there for a long time. In 1962, Sylvia Plath suggested a critique of the exceptionalist attitude that society had, just then, reached an unprecedented point of inhumanity. In a short essay titled “Context,” Plath problematized what she called “headline poetry”— choosing to reference the era’s major political conflicts (Hiroshima, the Cold War) so directly and sensationally in poems, as if the mid-twentieth century was sure to go down as the most worrying time in history and should be immortalized as such. Plath challenged readers to widen their lens. “For me,” she contended, “the real issues of our time are the issues of every time—the hurt and wonder of loving; making in all its forms—children, loaves of bread, paintings, buildings; and the conservation of life of all people in all places, the jeopardizing of which no abstract doubletalk of ‘peace’ or ‘implacable foes’ can excuse.” It is perhaps no coincidence that Plath wrote this essay the same year she began keeping bees, a craft which inspired many of her most iconic poems. Love, survival, creation by hand. Technology changes faster than the lifespan of a honeybee, but we are the hive.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal , a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading , which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

“I think to be like, ‘This is the worst case scenario.’”

By Rachel Burchfield Published 9 April 24

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ is the fourth installment in the franchise, and will also star veterans Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson and newcomers Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall.

“It’s foreshadowing the future.”

The author of 'The Age of Magical Overthinking' says it comes down to "an age-old cognitive quirk, something that’s always been embedded in the human mind."

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Why Work Rituals Bring Teams Together and Create More Meaning

Think about all the routines you follow on a regular basis: When you’re getting ready for work, you brush your teeth, go for a 20-minute walk, then take a shower. Before giving a big presentation in the office, you might repeat a mantra to mentally prepare. And at the end of a long workweek, you gather with your spouse and kids to enjoy pizza and a movie on Friday nights.

These routines are actually rituals—and though we may not think much about them, they can play a meaningful role in our personal and professional lives, says Harvard Business School Professor Michael Norton.

“Social scientists have traditionally approached rituals from a cultural or religious perspective, but we all have our own idiosyncratic rituals we conduct throughout our days,” says Norton, author of the new book The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions .

“We use them to change our emotional states in many different ways.”

With a 2023 Gallup survey showing that US employees are less satisfied with their jobs and less likely to feel that someone at work cares about them than four years ago, Norton says workplace rituals can be important. Teams with simple rituals, like carving out time for coffee with colleagues once a week or kicking off team meetings by sharing weekend plans before jumping into work talk, report finding more meaning in their work, he says.

After all, Norton says, rituals are powerful: “We use them to change our emotional states in many different ways,” he says, “to calm ourselves down, to amp ourselves up, and to connect with others.”

Why rituals differ from habits

Norton, the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration, first began thinking about the role of rituals in his own life after the birth of his daughter more than a decade ago. He quickly became conscious of the high-wire act of books, music, and snuggles as he and his wife attempted to soothe their child to sleep each night.

As the coauthor of a previous book about the link between our spending habits and emotional well-being, Norton knew that spending small amounts of money in certain ways could significantly improve someone’s happiness—but what benefits might come from the small routines we create for ourselves and others to relax, focus, or infuse energy?

To find out, Norton and his colleagues surveyed tens of thousands of people, conducted several experiments, and even performed brain scans. Norton makes an important distinction between a habit and a ritual; we may do both routinely, even unconsciously, but we ascribe more meaning to the latter. As a simple test, Norton asks people whether they brush their teeth or take a shower first in the morning—and if it would feel weird to switch the order. If the order doesn’t matter, it’s likely a habit, but if you can’t conceive of doing the activities the opposite way, you’ve probably turned that habit into a ritual.

In addition to personal rituals, Norton discovered that whether we discuss them or not, rituals are ubiquitous in all kinds of social occasions, from celebrating birthdays to paying respects to the dead. Couples often have rituals too —from setting the dinner table together every night to going grocery shopping every Saturday—and these activities often create a feeling of togetherness.

Rituals and emotions

People turn to rituals to cope with grief, boost enjoyment of a special occasion, or reduce anxiety, Norton says. Pianist Svaitoslav Richter always carried a pink plastic lobster in a little case with him before stepping on stage. The simple ritual helped him focus—and in fact, he felt he couldn’t perform without it.

“His charmed crustacean was as important as his finely tuned piano,” Norton writes. Similarly, Norton recounts in the book the example of an emergency room nurse who, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, often destressed at the end of the day by taking a long shower, imagining work anxiety swirling down the drain with the suds.

Interestingly, studies show that when anxiety creeps in, it’s not effective to tell yourself or others to calm down. Doing so often creates more anxiety because people feel like they’ve failed when they can’t relax. However, researchers have suggested that a familiar pattern can help to stop our anxiety from spinning out of control, Norton says.

Using rituals to bring colleagues together

In one experiment, Norton and colleagues brought a group of strangers into the lab and challenged them to come up with as many uses as possible for a six-sided die. Before the task, each group performed a ritual involving patting their shoulders and stomping their feet. Some groups performed the tasks facing one another, creating a collective ritual, while others performed the activities facing away from one another, creating a more individual ritual. Afterward, the researchers interviewed participants and found that the simple act of performing a ritual together made participants feel like the brainstorming task was more meaningful.

Some businesses have incorporated rituals to help workers build stronger bonds. IDEO, for example, has asked employees to meet for a weekly tea time as a way to encourage workers to collaborate, connect, and deepen relationships. And Walmart founder Sam Walton started leading workers in morning chants to spell out the name of the retailer after visiting a tennis ball factory in Korea where the workers did a company cheer and calisthenics together every morning.

"My feeling is that just because we work so hard, we don't have to go around with long faces all the time," Walton is quoted as saying on a company website. "It's sort of a 'whistle while you work' philosophy, and we not only have a heck of a good time with it, we work better because of it."

Other companies have adopted more intense rituals, organizing treks into the wilderness, paintball competitions, corporate retreats, and group singalongs.

Even if rituals at work feel weird, should we do them anyway?

Bringing rituals into the workplace may feel awkward, Norton says—especially when employees balk at the “trust falls” and other “teambuilding exercises” that managers impose upon them. But the truth is, research shows that such practices improve performance.

“We use these structures to encourage people to interact and bond, and compared to nothing, they do seem to work,” Norton says—even when people don’t enjoy them. “People will tell you they all hated it, but at least they hated it together.”

“The emotions that people can access with rituals are powerful.”

Rather than imposing rituals on employees, however, Norton suggests managers take the lead from team members and have them create their own ritual. “I wouldn’t announce via PowerPoint that we are going to do six claps followed by three shouts at every meeting,” Norton says. “That tends to elicit eye rolls. But when it’s a bottom-up activity they are creating themselves, that’s a better place to start.”

A workplace ritual may be as simple as always eating lunch together on a certain day or always concluding meetings by calling out a positive accomplishment by a member of the team. When these experiences become ingrained, they can become imbued with meaning, Norton says: “The emotions that people can access with rituals are powerful.”

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Opinion I’m retired, and I still won’t let myself read in the daytime. Why not?

Stephanie Shapiro is a Baltimore writer and a former journalist.

A friend once lamented that her spouse spent Saturdays reading instead of doing household chores. How daring, I thought, to let the weeds grow and dust accumulate, to skip the carwash, all for the sake of a good book. Instead of giving in to responsibility and its discontents, he did as he pleased — and harmed no one. Nevertheless, his wife disapproved.

Why is the act of reading in the daytime considered so disruptive to life’s predictable, often unnecessary routines? It’s almost as though people would rather write than read. Millions of books, including self-published titles, are issued every year. But, according to an Economist/YouGov poll , 46 percent of Americans did not read a book last year. There are any number of explanations for this statistic, but one in particular stands out based on my experience.

Although I am retired, I find it hard to allow myself an afternoon with a book or a long magazine article. Just the thought of settling onto the sofa in daylight hours, especially on weekdays, smacks of laziness and stirs up guilt. If I must sit at all, it should be at a desk or a countertop to do something “useful”— answer an email, write a grocery list, look up a recipe, what have you.

Even procrastination is more socially acceptable than reading, as long as you eventually complete the day’s to-do list. Perhaps that’s because the act of putting off unpleasant tasks, unlike reading, is recognized as a fact of life. Reading, on the other hand, is what you do before you drift off to sleep, glad to have polished off another chapter as book club looms later in the week. Or reading is what you do on vacation, on a train or a plane. It’s not something woven into the daily regime, like brushing your teeth or making dinner. Instead, reading is treated as a luxury to indulge in only after work and all other activities are complete.

This quandary isn’t limited to the average person caught up in the daily hustle. On Story Club, his Substack newsletter, celebrated author George Saunders admits , “I’m seldom able to dedicate a couple of hours during the day to reading; most of my reading is done right before bed.”

Reading, to borrow the name of a children’s literacy group, is fundamental. But it’s not considered fundamental to everyday life. Untold resources flow into programs, research and campaigns for motivating readers young and old — but to little avail. Homework is a given, but it isn’t the same as reading just to, well, read. In a society that favors production over reflection, just reading loses out. Forsake all mundane obligations and spend the day reading and, the fear is, you have nothing tangible to show for it.

The good news is that some book lovers are wresting back time to read by adding it to their calendars along with piano lessons and therapy. In 2009, Christopher Frizzelle, then editor in chief of Seattle’s alternative weekly the Stranger, pioneered the first “silent reading party” at the city’s Hotel Sorrento. Accompanied by live piano music, the in-person and virtual reading series fosters “healthy peer pressure” and a sense of community, according to the Silent Reading Party website .

Silent Reading Party offshoots are proliferating worldwide. The Silent Book Club , founded in San Francisco in 2012, has more than 500 chapters in 50 countries, according to its website. In New York, Reading Rhythms hosts live “reading parties” in bars, restaurants, bookstores and other venues, where guests gather to read, listen to curated music and discuss books at scheduled intervals. The $20 events take place at night and typically sell out weeks ahead of time.

Curious to explore the power of healthy peer pressure, I paid $10 to attend a recent late-night Silent Reading Party on Zoom, combed my hair and waited for my iPad screen to fill with images of people bent over a book at home. Instead, it was just me, someone named Amy who had turned off her camera and the sold-out Sorrento crowd. For two hours, a pianist accompanied readers with dreamy New Age music, occasionally interrupted by the icy clink of a bartender’s cocktail shaker.

I read my book, occasionally forgetting I was not alone. Then I’d peer at the hotel scene, where participants read in silence, took notes and sipped their drinks. No one, as far as I could tell, scrolled on their cellphone. My book finished, my eyes drooping in a different time zone, I left the party a few minutes early.

Although I appreciate the significance the event conferred on the act of reading, I don’t think I’ll join another one. Reading after hours is rarely a problem for me. I just have to say no to what’s cool and streaming. So there’s no reason to open a novel in the company of others after the sun goes down.

Daytime reading, though, still has the allure of a forbidden treat to be resisted at all costs. How to get over this mental block? I could sign up for an afternoon get-together; the Silent Reading Party offers a few, as do a number of Silent Book Club chapters.

But I won’t, for the same reason I have a difficult time reading in daylight. Why tune in to a distant reading party when there are errands to run and friends to walk with?

Ultimately, I have to get over this hang-up on my own, page by page, book by book. With practice, I’ll learn to ignore the insistent call of the everyday, and chores and other obligations will give way to the stillness and joy of reading while the sun moves across the sky.

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Opinion | How to survive another Trump-Biden election April 4, 2024 Opinion | How to survive another Trump-Biden election April 4, 2024
Opinion | I’m retired, and I still won’t let myself read in the daytime. Why not? April 3, 2024 Opinion | I’m retired, and I still won’t let myself read in the daytime. Why not? April 3, 2024

What Solar Eclipse-Gazing Has Looked Like for the Past 2 Centuries

Millions of people on Monday will continue the tradition of experiencing and capturing solar eclipses, a pursuit that has spawned a lot of unusual gear.

Share full article

In a black-and-white photo from 1945, nine men, some in military uniforms, stand in the middle of a New York City street. They are holding a small piece of what looks like glass or a photographic negative above their heads to protect their eyes as they watch the eclipse. The original border of the print, as well as some numbers and crop marks drawn onto it, are visible.

By Sarah Eckinger

April 8, 2024

For centuries, people have been clamoring to glimpse solar eclipses. From astronomers with custom-built photographic equipment to groups huddled together with special glasses, this spectacle has captivated the human imagination.

Creating a Permanent Record

In 1860, Warren de la Rue captured what many sources describe as the first photograph of a total solar eclipse . He took it in Rivabellosa, Spain, with an instrument known as the Kew Photoheliograph . This combination of a telescope and camera was specifically built to photograph the sun.

Forty years later, Nevil Maskelyne, a magician and an astronomy enthusiast, filmed a total solar eclipse in North Carolina. The footage was lost, however, and only released in 2019 after it was rediscovered in the Royal Astronomical Society’s archives.

Telescopic Vision

For scientists and astronomers, eclipses provide an opportunity not only to view the moon’s umbra and gaze at the sun’s corona, but also to make observations that further their studies. Many observatories, or friendly neighbors with a telescope, also make their instruments available to the public during eclipses.

Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen, Fridtjof Nansen and Sigurd Scott Hansen observing a solar eclipse while on a polar expedition in 1894 .

Women from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and their professor tested out equipment ahead of their eclipse trip (to “catch old Sol in the act,” as the original New York Times article phrased it) to New London, Conn., in 1922.

A group from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania traveled to Yerbaniz, Mexico, in 1923, with telescopes and a 65-foot camera to observe the sun’s corona .

Dr. J.J. Nassau, director of the Warner and Swasey Observatory at Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland, prepared to head to Douglas Hill, Maine, to study an eclipse in 1932. An entire freight car was required to transport the institution’s equipment.

Visitors viewed a solar eclipse at an observatory in Berlin in the mid-1930s.

A family set up two telescopes in Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1963. The two children placed stones on the base to help steady them.

An astronomer examined equipment for an eclipse in a desert in Mauritania in June 1973. We credit the hot climate for his choice in outfit.

Indirect Light

If you see people on Monday sprinting to your local park clutching pieces of paper, or with a cardboard box of their head, they are probably planning to reflect or project images of the solar eclipse onto a surface.

Cynthia Goulakos demonstrated a safe way to view a solar eclipse , with two pieces of cardboard to create a reflection of the shadowed sun, in Lowell, Mass., in 1970.

Another popular option is to create a pinhole camera. This woman did so in Central Park in 1963 by using a paper cup with a small hole in the bottom and a twin-lens reflex camera.

Amateur astronomers viewed a partial eclipse, projected from a telescope onto a screen, from atop the Empire State Building in 1967 .

Back in Central Park, in 1970, Irving Schwartz and his wife reflected an eclipse onto a piece of paper by holding binoculars on the edge of a garbage basket.

Children in Denver in 1979 used cardboard viewing boxes and pieces of paper with small pinholes to view projections of a partial eclipse.

A crowd gathered around a basin of water dyed with dark ink, waiting for the reflection of a solar eclipse to appear, in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1995.

Staring at the Sun (or, How Not to Burn Your Retinas)

Eclipse-gazers have used different methods to protect their eyes throughout the years, some safer than others .

In 1927, women gathered at a window in a building in London to watch a total eclipse through smoked glass. This was popularized in France in the 1700s , but fell out of favor when physicians began writing papers on children whose vision was damaged.

Another trend was to use a strip of exposed photographic film, as seen below in Sydney, Australia, in 1948 and in Turkana, Kenya, in 1963. This method, which was even suggested by The Times in 1979 , has since been declared unsafe.

Solar eclipse glasses are a popular and safe way to view the event ( if you use models compliant with international safety standards ). Over the years there have been various styles, including these large hand-held options found in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 1979.

Parents and children watched a partial eclipse through their eclipse glasses in Tokyo in 1981.

Slimmer, more colorful options were used in Nabusimake, Colombia, in 1998.

In France in 1999.

And in Iran and England in 1999.

And the best way to see the eclipse? With family and friends at a watch party, like this one in Isalo National Park in Madagascar in 2001.

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Tom Ripley, American Icon

Netflix’s version of the infamous con artist is made for our time of wealth disparity..

This post contains spoilers for Ripley .

Part con man, part serial killer, Tom Ripley would be an American icon if he were anything at all. Patricia Highsmith’s social-climbing sociopath, introduced in her novel The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1955, worms his way into the upper classes with a gift for impersonation, shedding his own identity so easily because he barely exists to begin with. As he adopts the lifestyle and takes on the mannerisms of the dissipated shipping heir Dickie Greenleaf, Tom begins to forget even the sound of his own voice, nearing what Highsmith calls “the real annihilation of his past and himself.”

But in Ripley , the new eight-part Netflix adaptation of Highsmith’s book, Tom (Andrew Scott) is not alone in his nothingness. The people whose company Tom wants so dearly to keep—Dickie (Johnny Flynn), his girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning), and the wealthy wastrel Freddie Miles (Eliot Sumner)—are hardly more concrete than he is. Their names, and the family money behind them, open doors, but they’re more like chalk outlines than actual human beings. When the murdering starts, it’s merely a formality.

The new adaptation—the third, after 1960’s Purple Noon and 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley —sticks the closest to Highsmith’s original text, but it makes one major change, aging up the central characters by some two decades. The book’s Dickie, in his mid-20s, is still sowing his wild oats, burning through the family fortune in Italy before—or so his father, who sends Tom to Italy to retrieve him, might hope—acquiring enough sense to go back to the U.S. and take over the family business. And Matt Damon’s Tom has a boyish charisma that makes him seem even younger. But Scott is 47, and Flynn, the series’ Dickie, is 41, and although the show makes only glancing references to their more advanced age, they’re clearly past the point of youthful dalliance, edging into the stage where who they will be is who they’ve been. Dickie seems sanguine about the prospect of being a trust-fund kid for life, surrounding himself with younger hangers-on so his failure to mature is less glaring. But Tom’s clock is ticking, loudly. Whatever dreams he might once have harbored (and the series never makes us privy to who he was before), they’ve long since expired. His only aspiration is survival.

In Anthony Minghella’s 1999 film, which brings the novel’s gay subtext all the way to the surface, Tom is driven mainly by his attraction to Dickie, whom he beats to death with an oar after Dickie spurns his companionship. (For a playboy expatriate bent on adventure, there’s no more withering judgment than the one Dickie passes on Tom: He’s “boring.”) But where Damon’s Ripley kills for love, or the lack of it, Scott’s is just trying to scrape by. His sexuality hews closer to Highsmith’s original description, in which Ripley explains he “can’t make up my mind whether I like men or women, so I’m thinking of giving them both up.” He doesn’t even lust after Dickie’s material comforts, although he does get caught trying on some of his host’s clothes when he thinks Dickie is out for the day. He just wants to be released from the precarity that seems to be his permanent lot in life, to know what it’s like to exist in the world without the wolf always at his back.

Ripley ’s Ripley is, in short, a grinder, not a striver. The series, written and directed by Steven Zaillian, is a version of the story for a time when even the objectively wealthy feel insecure because their fortunes pale beside the highly visible lifestyles of the ultrarich. ( As Succession underlines , there’s a divide between those who merely fly first class and those who can afford their own jets.) Dickie’s villa on the Amalfi Coast may offer splendid views of the Mediterranean, but to contemporary eyes it’s positively rustic—he and Marge have an involved discussion over whether to finally get a refrigerator. As majestic as Robert Elswit’s cinematography is, the choice to film the entire series in black-and-white deliberately leaches away any hint of sensuality or visceral enjoyment. Minghella’s version, by contrast, practically overflows with pleasure, not least the joys of eyeing its superlatively attractive cast. (Even Philip Seymour Hoffman’s odious Freddie has a malignant charm—you can’t wait to see what repellent thing he’ll do next.) When Tom joins Dickie onstage at an Italian jazz club, the chemistry between them is infectious, flush with the giddiness of Tom discovering a whole new way of living. But the series’ Dickie is a painter, not an aspiring saxophonist, and it takes only a single shot of his canvases to establish that he’s positively dreadful at it. (I am not much of a guffawer, but: I guffawed.)

In fact, no one in Ripley is particularly good at anything. Dickie’s a terrible painter, Marge a would-be writer and photographer with no obvious talent for either, and although Freddie Miles calls himself a playwright, we’re not presented with evidence of him writing any actual plays, let alone having them staged. Tom’s not even much of a con man. His check fraud scheme falls apart the moment anyone takes a second look, and he gets away with murder, both figurative and literal, only because he’s killing people others are happy to be rid of. (In a sly running gag, the Italian police pronounce Freddie’s surname as if it’s malaise .) Even Tom’s talent for impersonation is downplayed. If it’s easy to pass as the late Dickie Greenleaf, it’s because so few people know or care who he is. He’s just another rich American wasting his way through Europe, hardly worth a second look as long as his traveler’s checks are good.

Stipulating that Dickie’s father, played in a delightful cameo by Kenneth Lonergan, probably knows how to run a successful shipbuilding business, the only person we see competently plying their trade is the Italian detective (Maurizio Lombardi) who sniffs out Ripley’s trail. Faced for once with a worthy adversary, Tom finally shows true flashes of cunning, but the sharp-witted inspector is betrayed by the indolence of his colleagues and the turgid pace of midcentury technology. It doesn’t take a malevolent supergenius to stay one step ahead of him, just a keen survival instinct and an understanding of the mechanisms of privilege that comes from a lifetime of being subjected to them.

From Harold Hill to Frank Abagnale Jr. , the con artist is a key figure in American lore, the hyperbolic extension of the idea that you can be anything you set your mind to. We revel in the slickness of their patter and the ingenious complexity of their scams while feeling secure that we’d never be dumb enough to fall for one ourselves. But Tom isn’t the kind of swindler who makes us feel good about being taken for a ride. His actions are impulsive and crude as often as they are clever and calculated, imperfect crimes committed with the nearest blunt object and subject to laborious cleanup after the fact. (Tom spends most of Ripley ’s fifth episode just trying to dispose of a body, and is nearly foiled by a temperamental Italian elevator.) It’s his single-minded determination that gives Tom the edge. He just wants it more.

Zaillian originally made Ripley for Showtime, and though it benefits from its premium-cable gloss, there’s something fitting about the series ending up on Netflix, slotted in the carousel next to Anna Delvey and the Fyre Festival . Once, grifters were isolated loners whose greatest weapon was their ability to remain unseen, but now they’re celebrities in their own right, admired for their ability to exploit a system we’ve accepted as irredeemably corrupt. Tom Ripley was just ahead of his time.

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The physical sensations of watching a total solar eclipse

Regina Barber, photographed for NPR, 6 June 2022, in Washington DC. Photo by Farrah Skeiky for NPR.

Regina G. Barber

Science writer David Baron witnesses his first total solar eclipse in Aruba, 1998. He says seeing one is "like you've left the solar system and are looking back from some other world." Paul Myers hide caption

Science writer David Baron witnesses his first total solar eclipse in Aruba, 1998. He says seeing one is "like you've left the solar system and are looking back from some other world."

David Baron can pinpoint the first time he got addicted to chasing total solar eclipses, when the moon completely covers up the sun. It was 1998 and he was on the Caribbean island of Aruba. "It changed my life. It was the most spectacular thing I'd ever seen," he says.

Baron, author of the 2017 book American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World , wants others to witness its majesty too. On April 8, millions of people across North America will get that chance — a total solar eclipse will appear in the sky. Baron promises it will be a surreal, otherworldly experience. "It's like you've left the solar system and are looking back from some other world."

Baron, who is a former NPR science reporter, talks to Life Kit about what to expect when viewing a total solar eclipse, including the sensations you may feel and the strange lighting effects in the sky. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Baron views the beginning of a solar eclipse with friends in Western Australia in 2023. Baron says getting to see the solar corona during a total eclipse is "the most dazzling sight in the heavens." Photographs by David Baron; Bronson Arcuri, Kara Frame, CJ Riculan/NPR; Collage by Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

Baron views the beginning of a solar eclipse with friends in Western Australia in 2023. Baron says getting to see the solar corona during a total eclipse is "the most dazzling sight in the heavens."

What does it feel like to experience a total solar eclipse — those few precious minutes when the moon completely covers up the sun?

It is beautiful and absolutely magnificent. It comes on all of a sudden. As soon as the moon blocks the last rays of the sun, you're plunged into this weird twilight in the middle of the day. You look up and the blue sky has been torn away. On any given day, the blue sky overhead acts as a screen that keeps us from seeing what's in space. And suddenly that's gone. So you can look into the middle of the solar system and see the sun and the planets together.

Can you tell me about the sounds and the emotions you're feeling?

A total solar eclipse is so much more than something you just see with your eyes. It's something you experience with your whole body. [With the drop in sunlight], birds will be going crazy. Crickets may be chirping. If you're around other people, they're going to be screaming and crying [with all their emotions from seeing the eclipse]. The air temperature drops because the sunlight suddenly turns off. And you're immersed in the moon's shadow. It doesn't feel real.

Everything you need to know about solar eclipse glasses before April 8

In your 2017 Ted Talk , you said you felt like your eyesight was failing in the moments before totality. Can you go into that a little more?

The lighting effects are very weird. Before you get to the total eclipse, you have a progressive partial eclipse as the moon slowly covers the sun. So over the course of an hour [or so], the sunlight will be very slowly dimming. It's as if you're in a room in a house and someone is very slowly turning down the dimmer switch. For most of that time your eyes are adjusting and you don't notice it. But then there's a point at which the light's getting so dim that your eyes can't adjust, and weird things happen. Your eyes are less able to see color. It's as if the landscape is losing its color. Also there's an effect where the shadows get very strange.

Crescent-shaped shadows cast by the solar eclipse before it reaches totality appear on a board at an eclipse-viewing event in Antelope, Ore., 2017. Kara Frame and CJ Riculan/NPR hide caption

You see these crescents on the ground.

There are two things that happen. One is if you look under a tree, the spaces between leaves or branches will act as pinhole projectors. So you'll see tiny little crescents everywhere. But there's another effect. As the sun goes from this big orb in the sky to something much smaller, shadows grow sharper. As you're nearing the total eclipse, if you have the sun behind you and you look at your shadow on the ground, you might see individual hairs on your head. It's just very odd.

Some people might say that seeing the partial eclipse is just as good. They don't need to go to the path of totality.

A partial solar eclipse is a very interesting experience. If you're in an area where you see a deep partial eclipse, the sun will become a crescent like the moon. You can only look at it with eye protection. Don't look at it with the naked eye . The light can get eerie. It's fun, but it is not a thousandth as good as a total eclipse.

A total eclipse is a fundamentally different experience, because it's only when the moon completely blocks the sun that you can actually take off the eclipse glasses and look with the naked eye at the sun.

And you will see a sun you've never seen before. That bright surface is gone. What you're actually looking at is the sun's outer atmosphere, the solar corona. It's the most dazzling sight in the heavens. It's this beautiful textured thing. It looks sort of like a wreath or a crown made out of tinsel or strands of silk. It shimmers in space. The shape is constantly changing. And you will only see that if you're in the path of the total eclipse.

Shots - Health News

Watching a solar eclipse without the right filters can cause eye damage. here's why.

So looking at a partial eclipse is not the same?

It is not at all the same. Drive those few miles. Get into the path of totality.

This is really your chance to see a total eclipse. The next one isn't happening across the U.S. for another 20 years.

The next significant total solar eclipse in the United States won't be until 2045. That one will go from California to Florida and will cross my home state of Colorado. I've got it on my calendar.

The digital story was written by Malaka Gharib and edited by Sylvie Douglis and Meghan Keane. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected].

Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , and sign up for our newsletter .

NPR will be sharing highlights here from across the NPR Network throughout the day Monday if you're unable to get out and see it in real time.

Correction April 3, 2024

In a previous audio version of this story, we made reference to an upcoming 2025 total solar eclipse. The solar eclipse in question will take place in 2045.

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Reading books by authors of different gender, race, or socioeconomic status can help open your eyes to the challenges and issues others face. Explain how reading books by authors with different backgrounds has changed your worldview in your essay. 4. Challenging Your Point Of View: How Reading Essays You Disagree With Can Provide A New Perspective
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What Makes a Good Reading Books Essay Topics. When it comes to writing an essay about reading books, choosing the right topic is essential. A good essay topic is one that is interesting, relevant, and allows for in-depth analysis and discussion. To brainstorm and choose a good essay topic, start by considering your own interests and passions.
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8. The memories. Every time I see a book I loved, I smile and remember my reading experience. 9. Sometimes a story will change your life. 10. I love learning. I love learning about people who are different than I am, places I've never visited, cultures I'm not familiar with, and different ways of thinking.
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Reading Ladies

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Reasons Why I Love Reading

Why do YOU love to read?

I Love Reading….

To Develop Understanding and Compassion

To Increase My Knowledge

To Experience “Book People Are the Best People”

To Be a Good Conversationalist

To Endure Waiting

To Never Experience Boredom

To Enjoy Inexpensive Entertainment

To Give Book Recommendations

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Why I Love Reading (Ft. Books You’ll Love Reading, Too)

I think it’s no secret by now that I love reading.

1. It’s like watching a movie . . . with your brain .

2. I get to go on any number of adventures and experience things I likely won’t ever get a chance to in this lifetime.

3. It keeps my brain sharp and makes me question everything .

4. Dark humor and sarcastic narrators are definitely a thing in books.

5. I can see other wondrous (or sometimes terrifying) worlds that I normally can’t (because the real world is lame).

6. I’m able to learn about other cultures that I may never get the chance to physically visit.

7. Sometimes, books can be just the warm, uplifting hug feeling that you need in an otherwise crappy world.

8. Or they can scare the crap out of you and keep you awake because sleep is for the weak (and victims of ax murderers/murderous ghosts).

9. Reading was a special thing in my family that I had in common with the people who meant the most to me.

10. There are dragons and talking swords.

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25 responses to “ Why I Love Reading (Ft. Books You’ll Love Reading, Too) ”

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Why Some People Become Lifelong Readers

Essays About Reading: 5 Examples And Topic Ideas

Examples Of Essays About Reading

4. How ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ Saved Me By Isaac Fitzgerald

2. I Read 150+ Books in 2 Years. Here’s How It Changed My Life By Anangsha Alammyan

3. How My Diagnosis Improved My College Experience By Blair Kenney

Essay Examples on Reading Books

Best Reading Books Essay Topics

Reading Books essay topics Prompts

The Classification and Importance of Books

Books and Movies: a Comparative Analysis

An Evaluation of The Activities, Reading Books and Watching Movies

The Effects of Reading a Book

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Reading

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16 responses to “ Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Reading ”

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Why Do People Like to Read? (18 Exciting Reasons!)

1. Reading Allows You to Escape Reality

2. Reading Immerses You in Another World

3. Reading Helps You Experience Other Times, Places, and Events

4. Reading Offers the Pleasure of a Good Story

5. Reading Allows You to Use Your Imagination

6. Reading is Relaxing

7. Reading Facilitates Quiet Time

8. Reading is a Sensory Experience

9. Reading is Good (Free-ish) Entertainment

10. Reading is Educational

11. Reading Helps You Gain Knowledge and Skills

12. Reading Gives You a New Perspective

13. Reading Increases Empathy

14. Reading Expands Your Worldview

15. Reading Challenges the Mind

16. Reading Improves Memory

17. Reading Builds Character and Helps Reach Goals

18. Reading Builds Connection and Community

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ESSAY: Why I Love to Read and to Write by Gail Dayton