A man reading a book. Photo/bored.comIt has now become a common phrase if you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book. This is so sad and disappointing yet it is the reality of our continent. The fallacy behind this ignorance is interest and passion.
Most families when growing up only encouraged their children to read examinable subjects in the KCPE or KCSE syllabus and novels seemed to be a time wasting activity. This has proved to be a very wrong perception that has led to a non-reading culture.
Most of us want to start with these powerful inspirational books and we are not there yet. You have to crawl before you start running. Forget a little on the biographies and true accounts stories, live in the fantasy. If you are into soap operas, start with romantic books that take you to the world of fairy tales. Get something that will glue you to the pages.
Different books are read differently. Motivational, poetry and religious books are not to be read and finished in a day or two. It’s something you do once a day for maybe 30 minutes and let the inspiration sink in.
Among the benefits of reading is that it’s an intelligent way to waste time, enables you to become your own producer. You give the book your own interpretation and give faces to the character of the books.
You feed the ego of your imagination. The third and especially for the ladies, it’s the best cure to a heart break. Many therapists and psychologists will tell you how you should go out with friends, see other guys, do what you love but they don’t tell you what to do when you are alone.